With an 8am start, we set off from the trailhead in the glorious morning light. I was surprised by how warm the air felt considering the starting elevation of 11,678'. The Sawtooth joining 14ers Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans could be admired for the duration of the trail.
The South Park Trail dropped gently through a west-facing valley before edging steeply to a crest on the north valley wall. The exceptional alpine landscape above tree line was blanketed in vibrant wildflowers.
We continued to upper Square Top Lake at 12,265', which lies in open tundra directly beneath Square Top Mountain (13,794').
A trail rings the lake, and the surrounding slopes are possible to scale for additional perspective. The ridges are home to mountain goats and bighorn sheep, whereas elk and moose can be spotted in the valley below.
The afternoon clouds rolled in just as we began our descent.
With a net elevation gain of only +587', the hike should have taken us around 3 hours, but my knee slowed us down to 4 hours. Anna encouraged me to mark this as a win.
On our way back to the city, we stopped in Idaho Springs for brewery #42 on my list: Westbound & Down Brewing Company.
