Today I only had a part of a day for a hike. I was to meet some friends for dinner in Estes, so I picked a nearby destination. I've never been to Gem Lake before, but the hike was great!

But first things first. I arrived early and watched a coyote for a few minutes at the Beaver Meadows entrance. As I drove over Trail Ridge Road and down into Horseshoe Park, the spring winds were blowing snow from the mountaintops. The valleys really hadn't started to green up a whole lot yet; I didn't know if I'd see many wildflowers along the trail.

I drove north to the MacGregor Ranch and the Twin Owls trailhead. Let me say that western ranches have always lured me. The west side of RMNP has the Holzworth Homestead. When I was a kid, I dreamed of living there some day. Today I discovered another perfect ranch. There were horses running in a meadow near the road. And the buildings were just as you would imagine a western ranch to look.

I found a parking spot and got my backpack together. The trailhead was in a grove of trees, and the trail climbed steeply from there. I soon found the best feature of the trail: The views to the south and west. Around every turn for the first half of the trek I had amazing views of Longs Peak and the Continental Divide. The trail was very steep in places, and upon one turn, I found a large flat rocky outcropping perfect for me to rest on. I grabbed a bit of my trail mix and snapped some pictures of the divide. (Not shown in the pictures to the left, this is a pano of the view from my perch.)

Lumpy Ridge has many interesting rock formations. My imagination ran with the moment; I found a Pi sign (remember your high school geometry class??), a dolphin, a turtle and other shapes hidden in the rocks. I have pictures available, if you're interested in my crazy imagination! The one I found funniest was the well-known Paul Bunyon's boot formation. It really does look like a boot, complete with a worn-through sole. A little ways down the trail from the boot, I saw what looked like a foot. The perfect pair of formations!

Eventually, I arrived at Gem Lake. Gem is a small lake, surrounded by a cliff on one side and sandy beach and tree-covered hill on the other. Some people may think this lake is a bit of a let-down, after climbing the steep trail. But I found it to be quite an enjoyable destination. I chatted with a fellow hiker for a few minutes while I ate some lunch. We both enjoyed the spot.

However, I didn't have time to get too comfortable. No sooner had I pulled out my trail mix than a rogue ground squirrel showed up, wanting me to share. Too amused to fight him off, I found myself picking up my camera as this little beggar tried to get into my pack. He KNEW I had a treat in there. Unfortunately for him, he didn't want to play by park rules: no feeding the animals! He kept begging. I'd shoo him off and a few minutes later he'd be back on my pack looking for a treat. The whole incident was, in itself, a treat for me more than for him!

Eventually, I made my way back down to the Twin Owls trailhead again, satisfied with another fun outting in the park. Try Gem Lake some day! You just might like it!