Hanging Lake... Almost

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Two years ago, Andrew and I drove up to Glenwood Springs with Oliver. We tried to get to Hanging Lake, but the exit was closed for repair. On our drive to Aspen, we decided to stop and finally check it out. Let me start this post by telling you not to do this with little kids.

The highway, I-70, splits because of the canyon. I-70 westbound is higher than I-70 eastbound at parts. So, you actually can only get to Hanging Lake going eastbound. We were going west. So, what we had to do was exit 121 and then follow the signs to go back east. On the way east, there is exit 125 for Hanging Lake. However, when you leave Hanging Lake, you can only get back on the highway going west. That was good for us, since we wanted to head west to Glenwood Springs to then head south the Aspen.

There were two large parking lots for Hanging Lake. The place was packed! Our kids were happy to be out of the car, so we hung out on the grass for a bit and played with leaves. Then we walked on paved sidewalk for about half a mile to the trailhead. That's as far as we got.

On the way to the trailhead, two people stopped us to ask if we knew what we were getting into. After the second person stopped us, Andrew and I knew we wouldn't be getting to Hanging Lake today. At the trailhead, we looked at the posted map. The hike up to Hanging Lake is 1.2 miles. However, in that 1.2 miles, you gain 1,000 feet in altitude. It's straight up.

We stood at the trailhead and laughed at ourselves. As people came down from the hike, we heard exclamations of, "I'm never doing that again!" and "Oh my goodness, we made it back!" Apparently, it's not the kind of hike you do with two kids under the age of three.

The trip wasn't a waste. We hung out at the trailhead. The Colorado River wound through, and a little stream broke off from it nearby. We sat at the water's edge and played with leaves and rocks. The kids had a great time! The canyons in this area are sharp and stunning. All the golden aspens added to the beauty. So, we got to play, stretch, and enjoy the views. There may have been a tantrum or two (thanks, Oliver), but, overall, it was a very worthwhile stop for us. Colorado really is a beautiful state.

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Photos

Hanging Lake Parking Lot
It's autumn in Colorado!

Here, Jo, Eat This Leaf
Oliver's always looking out for his little sister.

Walking to the Hanging Lake Trailhead
We never did make it to Hanging Lake, but the walk to the trail was lovely.

Playing at the Colorado River
There was a little offshoot of the Colorado River near the Hanging Lake trail head that the kids loved playing at.

Jo's Trying to Jump In
Seriously, Jo kept throwing herself at the water, trying to get in. She's a little fish.

Look!
We still don't know what Jo was pointing to, but she was definitely interested in something.

Joanna and Me
We're near Hanging Lake, just outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

The Kids and Me
OK, so we couldn't go up to Hanging Lake with the kiddos, but they still manage to make everything more awesome. We had a great time.

My Guys
They're running to the Colorado River. Andrew told Oliver he could throw one rock in.

The Colorado River
Here is the Colorado River and the canyons just outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.