We drove in the night, with no other headlights in view. Upon entering Rocky Mountain National Park, we pulled over to see the Milky Way core. The light pollution from Denver was still strong enough to penetrate the sky. We continued on and arrived at the trail head. It was a cool 30 degrees but rogue winds continually drove our temperatures down. We traveled three miles in the dark, guided by headlamps and the need to arrive at Lake Helene ahead of dawn. This would not be the case. The onset of spring had causes melting and re-freezing, so the snow was slick and ice-covered in areas, and the going was slow. Halfway there, the sun started coming up, and orange clouds showed up behind us. We were greeted at the lake by heavy winds coming down through the cliffs and were forced to begin the hike back to seek shelter within the trees. As we meandered back, the importance of time slipped away, and I found more creativity within my surroundings.
Field Peterson 