Mornings are the time of day I most enjoy on hikes. The air is crisp and there’s a sense of renewal. This hike starts by trekking through a dense spruce forest. Lichen and moss cover the ground in abundance and the anticipation of what lies ahead sharpens the awareness. Claw marks in the peat expose a digging site and upturned rocks scattered about remind me of whose home this is. I act accordingly. I am merely a visitor and a privileged one at that.

The hike to the Fryingpan Lakes starts at the end of a five mile side road that begins as the pavement ends on the Fryingpan Road. The hike is just under four miles to the lower lake with the trail following the Fryingpan River Valley adjacent to the continental divide. Views of Deer Mountain and Mt. Oklahoma at the head of the valley fuel the anticipation.