Crestone Needle

Neither words nor photographs can capture what I witnessed as the sun set over one of the most incredible lakes in the entire western United States. 

WAY off the beaten track, Dora Lake sits high on a bench in the often-forgotten Gore Range in Colorado. There are no trails to it, nor are there any easy ways to get there. It’s a steep, 4,000-foot ascent through some unforgiving terrain. I got the priviledge of attempting it through a massive hail storm (complete with powerful thunder and lighting) and pounding rain as I traveresed a mostly-exposed route.

Not an adventure for the faint of heart (as I look back at it)

At times I wanted to give up and head back down, but I am so thankful I pushed through. Because once I got there, I was blown away by the beautiful isolation of Dora Lake. And then at sunset, the storm-laiden sky was utterly magnificent. I’ve never seen such clouds at such a unique location. The billows, lit on fire, literally reached up into the heavens.

Definitely the most epic sky I’ve ever witnessed in all of my backpacking adventures. And that’s saying a lot!