Elk Range Beauty - Electric Pass and Leahy Peaks

Electric Pass Peak (Right) from Leahy Peak

James, Molly and I took a quick backpacking trip up to Cathedral Lake out of Aspen.  The hike in was super easy, but also exciting as we got caught in an intense thunderstorm right before we reached the lake.  We huddled down under a tree for a good hour or so waiting for it to pass.  I wouldn't have wanted to be stuck above treeline for that one!

Once we reached the camping spots near the lake, we set up camp and started talking about bear stories as it was getting dark.  Once it was dark, I was having trouble sleeping.  I know that we are generally safe from bears and other wild animals in Colorado, but just talking about it for so long kind of messes with your head a little.  Turns out James wasn't sleeping either for the same reason.

Sometime after midnight James finally got to sleep. How did I know this?  Well, he was snoring very loudly.  It was no longer the fear of bears that was keeping me awake, but the obnoxious sound of my camping buddy.  All of the sudden, James has one of those choke on your snore moments.  You know, the kind where the snoring stops and you make a loud grunting, gurgling sound?  Well, his unconscious growling was so loud that he actually woke himself up!  He immediately turned to me and yells really loudly,

"Aaron!  A bear!"

I said, "No James. that was you snoring."

In the morning I woke up early to catch the sunrise on Cathedral Lake.  I really need to get a wide angle lens as the whole scene wouldn't fit into the frame.  I had to take 3 separate vertical images to create this panorama:

Cathedral Lake reflection.  Electric Pass Peak and Leahy Peak are the two bumps on the right - Prints available

We headed up the peaks afterward.  The hike up these two is extremely scenic and totally easy.  We took our sweet time and enjoyed the views.

James and Molly heading up.

Spires of Cathedral Peak

Nearing the saddle between the two peaks looking back at Cathedral Lake (left)

Alpine sunflowers with Castle and Cathedral behind

Pyramid, The Bells, Snowmass, and Capitol from Electric Pass Peak

Looking toward Leahy from EPP.  A quick hop skip and jump from here.

 

Castle Peak from the summit of Leahy

the hills were filled with wildflowers!