Somewhere Between Boulder & Chasm Lake.

I woke up around 6:00 a.m. on Saturday feeling tired but excited.

I grabbed my Bloom energy drink, threw on my favorite Columbia hiking boots, a long sleeve, and biker shorts, and headed out the door. I knew it would be one of those Colorado days where you’re cold in the morning, warm in the sun, and probably feeling both at some point during the hike.

I met up with a friend, packed up my gear, and we started the drive toward Allenspark.

The drive was honestly one of my favorite parts of the day.

Windows down. Music playing. The sun slowly rising over the mountains. We spent the drive talking, laughing, and watching Colorado wake up around us. It felt easy.

By the time we reached the trailhead around 8:30, it was already packed. We parked along the road, stepped out of the car, and immediately felt the warmth of the sun. We both shed a layer before even starting.

The trail begins with a steady climb, but instead of taking the main route, I followed his lead and we took a more secluded path that stayed away from a lot of crowds.

Almost immediately it felt quieter.

We crossed little streams, listening to water rushing over rocks, and for long stretches it felt like we had the mountain to ourselves. Most of what I could hear was nature and the occasional conversation between us.

The climb was definitely steeper than the route most people take, but honestly I liked it. It felt good to work for it.

When we finally reached tree line, we stopped for a minute and turned around.

The mountains stretched behind us in layers, fading into different shades of blue and gray. They almost looked like silhouettes stacked on top of each other. We stood there for a while just taking it all in.

I pulled out my camera and snapped a few photos before we continued climbing.

Longs Peak stood directly in front of us, still covered in snow near the summit. No matter how many times I see it, it never gets old.

As we continued toward Chasm Lake, we started getting views of bright blue alpine lakes below us. The sun was beating down, but there was still a cool breeze moving through the mountains.

Eventually we reached the snow.

Neither of us had spikes, but we made it across without much trouble.

The higher we climbed, the more fun it became.

A little scrambling. A little snow. A little route finding.

Just enough to keep things interesting.

After about four miles and 2,671 feet of elevation gain, we finally reached Chasm Lake.

The lake was still frozen.

The ice had this beautiful blue color to it, and the whole place felt incredibly still. We found a rock to sit on, pulled out some snacks, and stayed there for a while.

We talked a little.

We sat in silence a little.

At one point we laid back on the rocks and just looked up at the sky.

The only sounds were the wind moving through the mountains, a few rocks falling somewhere in the distance, and hikers making their way toward Longs Peak.

It felt peaceful in a way that’s hard to explain.

After a while we packed up and started heading back down.

Honestly, descending is always my favorite part. We both like to hike fast, so we ended up moving quickly down the trail. Before long we were back below tree line, crossing streams again and making our way toward the car.

The later it got, the warmer it became. By the time we reached the trailhead, it felt more like summer.

The hike ended up being 7.9 miles round trip with 2,671 feet of elevation gain and just over four hours on the trail, but honestly that’s not what I’ll remember most.

What I’ll remember is how I felt.

Somewhere between the drive up, the rushing water, the snow, the frozen lake, and the hike back down, I felt like myself again.

It’s hard to explain, but over the last year I think I drifted away from some of the things that make me happiest. Days outside. Early mornings. Having something to look forward to. Feeling present instead of constantly worrying about what’s next.

This hike felt like a reminder that those things are still there.

Maybe it was being in the mountains. Maybe it was spending the day with someone who has become really important to me. Maybe it was a combination of both.

Whatever it was, I left feeling lighter.

Happy.

Accomplished.

Independent.

Completely content.

And after this last year, that felt really good.