Sunrise alpenglow paints the face of the iconic Ship's Prow a mesmerizing orange, and is reflected on the still surface of Chasm Lake (3,598 m; 11,803 ft), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
The trail to Chasm Lake begins at the Longs Peak Campground, and climbs a little over 730 m (2,400 ft) over a distance of 6.75 km (4.2 miles) to reach the vista you see here. To arrive at the lake before sunrise in late July, it was necessary to begin hiking at 3:00 in the morning, though on this particular day the full moon was so bright that headlamps were not required as we ascended. We reached the shoreline just after 5:00, and at least to my eyes, there was a considerable amount of unexpected activity over the water. Large moths were blundering about everywhere, slapping into the surface of the water at random moments, and these juicy aeronauts were hotly pursued by some very skilled bats.
The lake itself fills a deep cirque carved from Mount Meeker to the south, Longs Peak to the west, and Mount Lady Washington to the north. On the western end of the lake, The Diamond rises approximately 760 m (2,500 ft.) straight up to the summit of Longs Peak (4,346 m; 14,259 ft). The Park Service first opened The Diamond to climbers in 1960, and the easiest route up is 5.10a trad, at an altitude where climbing a vertical face of granite is relatively hard work. As we watched the sun work its magic, two climbers trudged past en route to the face, and I was quite content to let them pass and simply take in what the morning had to offer.
Explored 2017-04-09
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