Recharging

It’s been a stressful few weeks at work, since the semester has started.  There is also home-based stress as I get used to having Klown back home after his long Christmas gig.  And there is stress from the edits of my novel, which have deadlines.  I’m also trying to write the second novel, and prepare for the marketing and promotion of the first one when it comes out.

So, I needed to recharge.  For me, a recharge means I get myself uphill into the mountains.  I’d had a couple of false starts the previous weekend, as it just wasn’t going to work out for me to run away.  But yesterday, I ran away.  I left before dawn, and got to Estes Park to see the sunrise over the mountains.  The sunshine was short-lived, though, as there was thick cloud cover.  But as I usually say, a bad day in the mountains is better than a good day anywhere else.

I had breakfast at the Egg and I, and worked a bit on my edits, then headed into Rocky Mountain National Park.  The weather was not warm, or still.  In fact, I estimate winds were around 50 mph, and greater in gusts.  But none of that mattered to me.  I was dressed appropriately, and the fresh air and high altitude suit me just fine.

I drove to Sprague Lake, one of my favorite spots.  In the summer this area is green and inviting.  The lake teems with fish, and it is not unusual to see elk walking through the shallow water.  In winter, it is frozen over.  You can walk across it. You can also fish in it, apparently.

Ice fishermen getting down to business on Sprague Lake.

Ice fishermen on Sprague Lake

I know, it looks cold.  That’s because it IS cold.  I did find some water that wasn’t frozen over.  This is the creek that feeds the lake.

Creek feeding Sprague Lake

The wind made it difficult, but I walked around the lake, a short, 1-mile trek.  The only thing cold was my cheeks, which managed to turn a nice bright red from the sting of the snow in the screaming wind.  Otherwise, I was fine.  The snow was blowing so hard, though, that snow was being pushed over the mountains, and swirling down the road, complete with “snow devils.”  It was pretty amazing.  The roads were relatively clear, but still icy.

I took the obligatory selfie in front of the Mummy Range.  My hair is in braids because of the wind.  No leaving it loose yesterday!  Note the snow blowing over the peaks behind me.

This is video I took of the strong winds.  Amazing stuff.

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