Fall in the Abyss

I went back to an area of the Mount Evans Wilderness that I had visited a few years ago for my first, and likely last, backpacking trip of 2024. Since it was just mid-September, I assumed I was too early for much leaf-peeping action, but that turned out to be wrong.

Laika and I hiked up the Abyss Trail to Abyss Lake, roughly 6.5 miles and pretty hefty elevation gain. About 2 miles in, we saw some of the leaves starting to change. By 3 miles in, the trees surrounding the trail and on the hillsides of the upper valley were glowing yellow and orange.

We arrived at Abyss Lake physically exhausted but mentally rejuvenated by the peaceful hike and beautiful scenery. Unfortunately the lake turned out to be in a pretty difficult spot for morning or evening light, but as you can see in the pictures it was still a wonderful spot. We had the entire area to ourselves. I didn’t see a soul for the last 3 miles of the hike, and the lake was totally secluded.

The weather was gorgeous during the daytime. It was around 80 degrees at the trailhead, and stayed in the upper 60’s all the way up to the lake. Once the sun went down, the temperatures dropped quickly. I was lucky to have some decent thermals along with me, and we have learned to pack a doggy jacket for Laika. That was enough to get us through the night, but by morning, all the water at camp was frozen solid. We had to wait for the sun to come up to even make our hot chocolate!

While eating breakfast, I kept hearing this munching sound. I could only assume it was a moose somewhere in the willows nearby, but whatever it was kept very well hidden for at least 15 minutes. Suddenly, I saw this huge bull moose emerge into a clearing of low brush about 75 yards away. We both kept our distance as I fired off a few snapshots of our visitor.

The hike back down was equally pleasant. We soaked in all the bright colors in the early morning light, and saw another moose, this time a cow, lounging on the side of the trail. From that point, the Saturday crowds hit in full force. We passed dozens of groups headed up the trail, some for camping, some for fishing, many day hikers, and even one hunter. We were glad we took our chance to come up on a Friday!

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the trip.