Our Destination - Alpine Creek Lake - & the Hike Back

Just as we reached the top of the ridge, right before hiking the last 20 yards....

We finally made it!! Feast your eyes on this beautiful place we sought on our hike!

Gary took the above photo with his panoramic application on his iphone, and below is the first photo I snapped of this beautiful sight.

Crystal clear, cold mountain water

We both dipped our toes in the frigid lake.

This view was well worth the long hard climb! We spent a good 20-30 minutes, resting by the lake and enjoying our hikers' lunch - Clif bars, dried fruit, and crackers with cheese, along with plenty of water. What a remarkable site for a picnic!

The air up there was so fresh, cool, and crisp.
The view - absolutely brilliant.


Here are a few more panoramic shots by Gary, taken as we began our descent back down the mountain.

Gary leaned out over the creek to snap this photo of the fast-rushing water as it toppled from the peaceful alpine lake, down the mountainside.

Ready to head back down the mountain.

One last photo before we started the steep climb down....

Boy, was it steep! My quads were burning and remained a bit sore days afterward.

Crossing the creek again

Gary snapped this artsy shot of my hiking boot.

Vibrant colors

Our hike back down took another couple of hours. We were tired and getting hungry, so I didn't take as many photos - we just kept going, anticipating some rest and relaxation at our journey's end.

Finally back to the registration point, almost to the trail head and the Jeep.
Exhausted and feeling our muscles tire by the minute, we were ready to head into Stanley for some dinner.

But oh! What an incredible day hike!
Spectacular.