What a lovely hike Bierstadt Lake turned out to be. Starting out from Hollowell Park trail-head in the Rocky Mountain National Park, we intended to take a modest stroll along Mill Creek. Mother Nature brought us a comfortable balmy day to be out and we had ample supplies in our backpacks. When a sign on the trail indicated THIS WAY to Bierstadt Lake we couldn't resist extending our time in the park. A decision which turned out to be well worth the extra wear on our boots.

The air was sweet in typical Colorado fashion, and the activity felt wonderful. The full flush of fall had come and gone this mid October but, after all, this was the Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a pretty wonderful place any time of the year. The only downside turned out to be the popularity of the trail. Plenty of folks wanted to reach the lake, making the noise levels not that great at times. Kids WILL shout with exuberance, but for the most part the audio accompaniment was happy noise.

HDR photography was a newer interest on this hike. A number of the shots were fun from a technical perspective as well as the relish of the setting. Fun also to see wildflowers still blooming!

Enjoy.