Lily Lake

Water Lilies

by:  Sara Teasdale

If you have forgotten water lilies floating

On a dark lake among mountains in the afternoon shade,

If you have forgotten their wet, sleepy fragrance,

Then you can return and not be afraid.

But if you remember, then turn away forever

To the plains and the prairies where pools are far apart,

There you will not come at dusk on closing water lilies,

And the shadow of mountains will not fall on your heart.

In actuality, this poem should have accompanied my post on Nymph Lake which was filled with flourishing, floating water lilies.  However, the pictures below are of Lily Lake and to be perfectly honest I don't remember seeing even one water lily resting recklessly on Lily Lake!

Lily Lake is located just barely inside RMNP--the park boundary juts out to the east to lasso this little lake into the park proper.

I had to take a picture of this sign on behalf of Sadie who sat out this adventure--and everyone of our other hiking adventures in RMNP--in the car.  For the most part, national parks do not allow dogs on trails, although fairly soon I'll tell you about our first exception to that rule.

This view from the lakeshore at 8,927 ft. is of Estes Cone whose peak spires at 11,006 ft.  There's actually a 7.6 mile trail from Lily Lake to Estes Cone which is frequented by hikers, and we weren't counted as one of the members of that elite fitness faction!

 

We did, however, take the 1/2 mile stroll around the lake and took these photos.

 

 

Here's a shot of our shady, flat trail.

 

The wildlife--in abundance!

 

Back to the campground--here is a photo of our campsite right outside RMNP.  We stayed two days at Moraine Campground in RMNP and then stayed at Spruce Lake Campground (below) in Estes Park (located just 15 miles from our campground in RMNP) for three days--full hook-ups you know ... gotta have 'em!

 This is a view of the Rocky Mountains from the campground.

Here are some photos in the campground after it snowed.

 

 

 

Psalms 147:16-20

He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments; who can stand before His cold? He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation; and as for His ordinances, they have not known them. 

Praise the LORD!