Trout Lake outside of Telluride is clear, and when hiking around it, it takes on the hue of teal. When I was a girl, I used to draw this scene repeatedly not knowing it existed other than in my imagination. Jagged snow-capped peaks. Rolling hills. Pines poking up to the sky. A large, mountain lake. For me, this landscape is the perfection of nature and transforms into a holiness for which I am unable to describe and only appreciate.
Taken from the side of the 145 highway, south of Telluride, Colorado, when Jim and I turned the bend and I saw my childhood “happy place”, my mouth dropped. I couldn’t wait to get to the edge of the lake and hike around the hills and into the Aspen groves.
Sometimes, all that glitters is gold.
Every bend around the lake was a photo opportunity. I couldn’t believe our good fortune experiencing this place with the breeze rustling the Aspen leaves around us for company.
Back at camp, as the sun set, the mountain range turned an unearthly pink.
With dinner baking in the Dutch oven, all that was left to do was light a campfire and relax.
Which shot is best?
Cindy Bruchman 
I love the second one but they are all beautiful!
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Thanks, Abbi. Have you been to the Alps in all your traveling?
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I’m with Abbi on the second one for a tighter overview of the area. But glitter and gold, with the de-focused highlights, is a dream of a shot too.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you for your thoughts, Pete. Dreamy was the word of the day.
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The penultimate one. I bet you wanted to go for a swim with such glorious water.
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Nope. It was freezing. However, I was pining for a kayak. 🙂
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What beautiful pictures of your visit to Trout Lake, I like them all, but the sunset over the san juan mountains is really nice. This must have been such a wonderful place to visit 🙂
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The pink glow was nothing that I had experienced before. It had to be because of the altitude and the snow. I can’t believe it took me 3.5 years to finally visit the area after hearing about it for so long from friends and colleagues. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
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That sounds fantastic, bet you were so pleased to finally visit there, thanks for sharing such wonderful pictures 🙂
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You are kind to appreciate them, Paul. Thank you.
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That is such a beautiful place. My daughter lived in northern Washington State for a while and the scenery there is magnificent too.
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Quite right!
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Pink Pyramid and Trout Lake
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Thanks, Bill.
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They are all excellent photographs, but I prefer “Hike around Trout Lake”.
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Hi John, thank you. The winding road was empty. Offshoot trails allowed us to explore the interior. It was a perfect day.
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The Pink Pyramid! What an incredible shot. I wish I lived near these incredible sights
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Alpenglühen. The rosy hue at sunset is out of this world.
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I probably could not pick a favorite but the golden aspens and blue toned mountains with water reflecting scenery in another shot were gorgeous, Cindy. What a fantastic way you had your childhood dream picture come true. I liked the stark and unique pink pyramid, (I have never seen a photograph like this one!) Smiles, Robin
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Thank you Robin. I used to think that the term Alpenglow referred to the glow the Aspen leaves make when the sun shines through them. Actually, it’s that pink glow in Alpen settings. I’m glad you liked the pyramid. It was a unique experience.
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They’re all so beautiful. Even when I’m relaxed, photos like this calm me down (and that’s saying something considering doctors have found traces of blood in my coffee stream).
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Me, too 🙂
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How amazing!!! I’m in awe of the natural beauty! Stellar job Cindy!!!
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Thank you very much, Kim. It’s hard to take a bad picture when the subject matter is gorgeous.
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Lol, u must pat yourself on the back., be cuz u know that’s not completely true;)🍁👌
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Awesome pictures! All of them! The most unusual one is Pink Pyramid. I’ve never seen anything like that. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
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Welcome, Sheryl. Yes, the pink on the mountain side was unusual and stunning. I appreciate your thoughts.
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I think this is a ‘which of your children do you love the most?” question, although for me number 2
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Ha. Ha. Well, number 2 son loves me unconditionally, so, that would be my vote, too. 😉 Thanks for voting!
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The glitter and gold pic had caught my eye. Great shot!
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Welcome, Inc! I loved the shimmer of the day, too, and I’m glad you like it. You have a witty personality. I liked your eyebrow post!
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