Pawnee Pass, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area [AAW07]
It is always best to start out early. The light is changing fast at dawn and that provides excellent photo ops, such as this sunrise at Long Lake near the Pawnee Pass trailhead.
Long Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness
Another advantage is that animals are more active in the early morning. We saw this cow and calf moose stopping for a drink just off the trail. You may need to zoom in to see junior. She was standing on the other side and just behind mom. So are the challenges of wildlife photography with an iPhone.
Cow and calf moose, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area
The trail steadily climbs through the trees to Lake Isabelle where the views open up and the handiwork of the glaciers shines through.
Lake Isabelle Basin, Indian Peaks Wilderness.
A little higher up along the trail the view of Lake Isabelle changes with the breakup of the morning clouds.
Clouds reflections, Lake Isabelle, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.
The climb through the next section of the trail is quite spectacular with some interesting switchbacks crossing the rocky tundra.
Switchbacks on pawns Pass Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness.
The Pass itself is right on the border between the Roosevelt and Arapaho National Forests. It is broad and flat at the top. Without the sign, I would have a hard time deciding where the pass actually is, and even with the sign, it might be a bit arbitrary.
We paused at the top for a moment so my hiking companion could spread some ashes of his 4-legged pal who had accompanied him the last time he was at this place. Dogs are wonderful companions and their lives are way too short.
Pawnee Pass, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.
We encountered a dozen or so hikers on the way up that day. Some day hiking like us, others loaded for a night or two in the back country. The most surprising person was a trail runner. He had no water, no food no gear other that the clothes he was wearing: shorts t-shirt and running shoes. No, he did have an iPhone in his hand. He stopped, took a picture of the sign, said hello, then turned and ran back down the trail. Oh, and did I mention that he was about 35-40 years younger than us? Well, I'm going to stress that point to justify why I felt tired after this hike and it took me probably 4 times longer than the young trail runner.
As we started heading back down, clouds were moving in from the west and the changing light once again made everything seem new.
Pawnee Pass Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness.
It is early December. As I look to the southwest the ridges on the horizon near Pawnee Pass are covered with snow. Other travels and obligations have kept me off the trail for a bit longer than I really like. I have been rebuilding my winter hiking kit to better deal with the added challenges of snowpack, cold and wind. It is time to get back up in the hills and see how the winter is progressing.