Meanwhile. . . at Agnes Lake

We were excited about our hike for the day, so we were up early and ready to go. We were heading up the narrow dirt road towards the Lake Agnes trail head, hoping that no one was coming back down because there were few places that two vehicles could meet.

We were glad to be early, because we got one of the coveted parking spots at the trail head. At 8:00 in the morning there were eight empty spots, and they would be filled soon after. We were headed to Agnes Lake, a very popular hike in the State Forest State Park of Colorado. As we stepped onto the trail, we already had views of the mountains around us. We knew it was going to be a good hiking day!

It was a fast 1.5-mile hike to our destination, and it was still early enough that the sun wasn't yet peeking over the top of the Craggs--the most recognizable of the surrounding mountains.

But the sun was lighting up the lake behind us. Welcome to Agnes Lake!

Now that we'd been introduced to Agnes, it was time to start the hike around the lake.

We started a counter-clockwise circle, enjoying the lake from every angle. Few people had made the uphill hike to get here this early in the morning, but another couple offered to take our picture together.

Mark hiked ahead to the peninsula, but we found that his rock-colored clothing made him blend into the scenery. The only way Denisa could see him was if he raised his arms and she zoomed in.

Our all-trails app said there was a trail that went all the way around the lake. But all of the most recent reviews stated that the snow, and the creek that empties into the lake, were both too big for that to happen. But Mark really wanted to make that hike all the way around, so he was perched on a rock, checking out his options.

We had both hiked to the point where the shore was lined with large boulders that made continuing very difficult. Then there were the bands of snow that can be very tricky to cross. We couldn't see it from here, but we knew there was a wide creek crossing. Then more trees . . . more rocks . . . more snow . . . 

Denisa has learned her limits, so she was content to accept the fact that hiking all the way around the lake was impossible. But Mark had to give it a try. So Denisa was content to sit on a rock and watch as Mark started through that rocky section. Meanwhile, on the trail, Mark took a picture of the rocky narrow shore line, and the couple that was trying to keep up with him. That was the last time he saw them, as they decided to turn back.

Meanwhile, back on the shore, Denisa is trying to take pictures of Mark's progress around the lake. Can you see him?

It's a long ways around, and he was too small to be seen already! But if she zoomed in as far as the camera allowed, Denisa could see Mark and his backpack against the sizable snow bank.

Meanwhile, Mark was taking pictures of the lake, with some of that snow in the foreground.

Meanwhile, back on the shore, Denisa can no longer see Mark's progress. So she was entertaining herself by taking pictures of the flowers around her.

Meanwhile, back on the trail, Mark had made it to the heavy willow section of the trail. It's a little tricky to find a way through this boggy section snarled with interlocking willow branches. Obviously, no one has been able to hike this way in a while.

Meanwhile, back on the shore, Denisa was taking pictures as the sun crested over the jagged edges of the Craggs.

Meanwhile, back on the trail, Mark had managed to get across the creek--sorry, there are no pictures of that precarious crossing. This was just one more time that he was glad that Denisa hadn't wanted to follow him. He did something akin to the leaping splits to get across, and he had no idea how he could have gotten Denisa across. Now Mark was on the far side of the lake, where people can hike more easily from the opposite direction. He was surprised to find these three hikers carrying their skis, going the opposite direction. Instead of hiking around the lake, they were hiking high over the lake to ski down the patches of snow still remaining on the mountain side.

Meanwhile, back on the shore, Denisa is getting artsy. She's taking pictures of the wild columbines in the foreground, with the blurred lake and mountain behind it.

Meanwhile, back on the trail, Mark was taking less artsy pictures of the rock scramble ahead of him as he attempted the area under the Craggs.

Meanwhile, back on the shore, Denisa was marveling at the beautiful yellow, blue, and purple bouquets that God had planted on the side of Lake Agnes.

Meanwhile, hiking close to the water's edge, Mark could look down and see the trout in the waters of the perfectly clear lake. Those fish were tempting the fishermen on the shore.

Meanwhile, back on the shore, Denisa was trying to get the best shot possible of Agnes Lake with the Craggs behind it. Now that the sun was above the mountains, the camera could do a better job of showing what a beautiful place this was! While she was taking that picture, she saw some movement on that far rocky shore line. Could that be Mark?!?

All this time, Denisa had been sitting on her rock on the shore, waiting for Mark to return because he couldn't make it through all the obstacles to complete the hike all the way around the lake. Now she had to hustle to get back to their meeting spot at the entrance of the lake because he was already there. 

In the meantime, Mark was a bit of a celebrity, as some of the people at the entrance didn't expect to see a hiker coming from that direction. Wow! What a hiker and what a view as we left Lake Agnes.

We made the 1.5-mile hike back down the mountain, agreeing with another hiker we had met that day. He said that Lake Agnes was "the best bang for the buck" hike in the area. For just three miles and 456 feet in elevation gain, a hiker gets to see one of the prettiest alpine lakes around. If hikers go early, they even get that alpine lake almost to themselves. When we left, the parking lot was jammed full with more people trying to park on that narrow road. Others had to park at the overflow parking lot at the bottom of the hill, adding another two miles to their hike that would now include walking up that narrow dusty road meeting cars.

As we got back to the highway, we turned into the scenic overlook for one more look at the top of the Craggs. Mark got out his binoculars, and managed to spot the skiers he had met, making a ski run down one of the patches of snow at the top.

We both had a good time at Lake Agnes, doing our own thing. Mark enjoyed the challenge of a hard hike (without having to worry about Denisa getting over the trickiest parts).  Meanwhile, Denisa enjoyed nature's beauty at its floral finest while resting on a rock. Meanwhile, we both got to wander more of God's wonders at Agnes Lake.