A panorama shot from the center of the lake showed that we were surrounded by mountains.
Denisa just couldn't stop taking pictures of those beautiful mountains that are exactly mirrored in the lake. We have wandered into another of God's wonders this morning!
We found that the still water close to this edge of the lake is incredibly shallow. Our kayak can float in just a few inches of water, but we ran aground here.
With a name like "Twin Lakes," you might have guessed that there are two lakes. We made a lap around Upper Twin Lake, which we were sharing with a gaggle of geese,
and a couple of merganser ducks that were high stepping on the shore as we approached.
Even though we were infatuated with the smaller Upper Twin Lake, we wanted to check out its sibling as well. We found the channel that connected the two . . .
and kayaked right into the larger Lower Twin Lake. It's still glass-like, reflecting the clouds overhead.
It must be a day for bird pictures, as we spotted this osprey keeping watch from a dead tree next to the shore.
As soon as we turned the corner along the shore, we spotted a large tree with an over-sized nest at the top. We watched as the first osprey we had spotted left his dead tree perch, and flew to his guarding perch to the left of the nest.
There his mate was taking up residence on that huge nest. We looked for baby bird heads to pop up, but we never did see any.
We got a picture of the little couple together, even though she seemed to be doing her best to ignore him.
Our destination is a mile away on the shore of Lower Twin Lake. We got our first view of the Inter-Laken Historical Site from the water. We found that "Inter-Laken" got its name from being the "land between the lakes." This little group of buildings was built in the strip of land between Upper and Lower Twin Lakes.
Our first stop is the Dexter Cabin. Built in 1895, it is being restored by the U.S. Forest Service.
With all the Covid-19 closures, we are surprised to see that the house is open for self-guided tours, and there's no admission charge. The only way to get here is to boat or walk around the lake, so that definitely keeps the number of visitors to a minimum. The house isn't furnished, but has its original woodwork. Someone definitely liked stripes!
We noticed the doorways were short, and the staircases were narrow. The Dexters must have been a petite family.
That narrow staircase took us to the third story cupola, with great views of the lakes and the mountains.
The original door knobs and hinges are still in use, as well as the original metal bath tub. They don't make things like this any more.
After being in the kayak for a couple hours, it felt good to stretch our legs and walk around the grounds. We walked by the log barn . . .
and on to the Inter-Laken Lodge. Built in 1879, the lodge catered to the wealthy and was purchased by Mr. Dexter.
As evidence that no expense was spared to make this a fine lodge, the outhouse was built in a hexagon shape, with six individual doors leading to private privies with leather seats. Fancy!
While we were on land, Denisa couldn't help but take a picture of this wildflower, just starting to bloom at the bottom of its stalk.
After our walking tour of the Inter-Laken historical site, we're ready to head back over the water to our launching site.
The views of the mountains are still nice, but the water is no longer as smooth as glass.
The winds have picked up, and that makes it feel cooler on the water. We had talked to a young couple that was touring the historical site at the same time we were. They had swam and walked to it, and now they were standing beside the channel that separates the twin lakes. Earlier they had swam across this channel to get there. But now the water was colder, and they were dreading it. So we stopped to ask if they wanted a ride across, and they were certainly glad to accept the offer. Denisa stepped onto the shore, while Mark shuttled them across in two trips.
By the time we approached our boat launching site, the waves were big enough that they were coming into the kayak as we paddled. We watched as stand-up paddle boards and kayaks from all over the lakes were hurrying to get ashore to avoid the incoming storm.
We managed to get the kayak deflated and back in the car before we got wet. Sometimes our paddling trips end abruptly because of the weather. Our next stop of the day was at the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. All the buildings are closed here, but visitors are welcome to see the large tanks where they are raising trout that will be released into the area's lakes. We were expecting to see fingerlings that were several inches long, but these guys were more than a foot long.
Our arms had gotten plenty of exercise from rowing across the Twin Lakes, but our legs needed a little work-out. So we finished our day with a lap around the nature trail at the hatchery. Many of the plant species were labeled, and we had to take a picture of this one.
We finish the day and the blog with a picture of two good-looking-six-foot-tall Engelmans! Just like the lakes, they are almost twins!
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