So, today was the day. The day we would climb Hanging Lake. Emma had told us its more of a difficult hike. A difficult hike?? What?!! I can't do this!!! Emma had never been, but she brought along her friend Leah who had been on this hike twice before. Thank goodness we had someone with some experience!!
Hanging Lake is located in Glenwood Springs. We parked our car and began walking a decently long walk to try and find the base of the trail head. Now let me stop here and say that all I had to eat this morning was a granola bar, but I wasn't really thinking anything of it.
Now, we get the trailhead and look up and it's a path of rocks. Holy shit. I am not going to make it! There's no way! The sun is beating down on us and I've already drank about half of my water bottle when we get to the top of this little first part. Oh my god, I may die! The reason this hike is challenging is because it's vertical. Literally you are constantly climbing up. Thank goodness for my patient friends who put up with my slow ass! I'm not sure how many breaks I took, not to mention how many drinks of water I took from other people's water bottles.
I can't explain the joy yet anxiety I felt when I saw the first marker that indicated we had only climbed a fourth of the way. Are you kidding me? Yep, definitely going to die! I have no idea what kind of inner strength I was gathering, not to mention the talk I was having with myself, to get me to make the next step.
When we got to the one half marker, I was appalled at the fact that I had gotten half way! We kept making our way up, slowly for me and faster for the others when we finally came to the mile marker. Wait isn't it over? I thought you told me it was only a mile?!? Nope, still one fourth left... Damn! I want to also note here that while walking up this giant steep hike, there were so many people coming down carrying little kids on their back or running down! I'm sorry, are you nuts?!?
So, we began the final fourth up, and this was the hardest, most challenging part ever! You literally are climbing up the side of a mountain, there are rails to help you in case you slip, but if you look down its a straight drop! If you look up, it's a vertical climb. I was trapped. I looked at Leah and said no way man, I am not doing this! Of course she gave me some encouraging words and said that we were almost there and once at the top it was a straight walk around the lake. Okay, body, we have to do this. You can do this. Similar thoughts are running through my mind, and somehow, some way I lift my right foot and put it on the first step, and slowly start climbing. These are the most vertical steps you have ever seen!!! I finally make it to the top, and see a beautiful lake and a waterfall, and not to mention the view of the mountains from up there! We took several pictures and then Leah mentioned there was another 5 minute hike up to the top of the mountain where we could look down at the waterfall and see another waterfall. Well shoot, we've come this far, may as well! So we climbed up Sprouting Rock and wow, how beautiful it was! We took more pictures and then found ourselves walking back down the mountain, of course encouraging anyone I saw...because I knew how much the encouragement helped me!
Well after we got down from the hike, I literally felt like I may pass out, and then it hit me that I had only had one granola bar that morning and I drank a ton of water and had no urge to pee...which means I was dehydrated. We got back to the car and I started feeling awful. We drove into town looking for a place to eat and I ran into one of the places and got sick. It was awful! I've never felt that bad in my entire life. As soon as I was finished I felt 100% better and then consumed an entire steak and salad along with a ridiculous amount of water. I slowly started feeling better and then we journeyed back to Vail.
We decided to make dinner, play cards, and have a chill night at Emma's apartment...very fun!
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