Decided I needed a break from all the Ukraine stuff, figured the best thing to do was head back to the Rockies. It's still too cold for doing that just yet, in person at least. Fortunately, I have the key to escape reality.
Photography of course. Spent a bit more than a month wandering the Rocky Mountains in Colorado back in 2017. Anytime I need a break but don't feel like actually going anywhere I just dig out the photos from that adventure. Lot less driving and rain involved too.
In this case I decided to revisit my hike up to Emerald Lake (pictured above and below) from Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Probably my favorite hike there, just so much to see and shoot. I mean c'mon, how can you worry about nuclear reactor firefights when you have stuff like this to look at?
It was at this point in the adventure that I finally understood what wide-angle lenses were for... Had the 18-55mm kit lens along with a 70-300mm lens with me, thought I was pretty well covered. Crop sensor in my old Nikon 5000 had other ideas though. Even climbing up on the tallest rock I could find I couldn't get all of Emerald Lake in the shot. Now that I have a wide angle I'm gonna have to go back here for real.
In addition to Bear Lake and Emerald Lake there's several over lakes along the hike. Their names escaped me then and still do. Do know that the boxy looking peak that keeps popping up is Hallett Peak. If I recall correctly the trail to the summit of Hallett branches off from the trail I was on. That required a bit more planning than I'd put in so that's on the list for my return trip.
It alternated between sunshine and thunderstorms when I was on the trail. Sometimes both at once. Seems there are times when wearing sunglasses in a storm is something other than a fashion statement.
Some of the lakes in RMNP you can fish in but I think it is prohibited in all the ones along the trail. Good thing too, sumbitches can't stay out of a shot to save their lives.
Probably time to bring this escape from reality to a close. Remember, we're all going to die, might as well enjoy ourselves now.