Grand Mesa Lakes 1

Friday the dogs and I went up to Grand Mesa.  At 11,332 ft is the largest flat topped mountain in the World!! So that's why I went up and to see the fall colors...I visited  once already this year and took the road to Land's End to enjoy all the wonderful wildflowers...I didn't make it to lakes that day... I took the switchback road down so I had been wanting to return...so just in time for the fall colors some of it has already gone past peak.   

We got an early start and was up there by 9:00 AM.  It was quiet and I was able to pull over or slow down when I wanted to stick my camera out the window as I often do!   

there was no shortage of fall color 

So the plan was to take a couple short hikes, have a picnic lunch and spend the whole day up here...the easy hike to Land of Lakes viewpoint is one I enjoy...it's paved!

If you're tall enough you can see 7 lakes from this view point...they need to build a tower for us shorter people...I did get a good view of Island Lake by climbing up on a boulder.

I don't know if they call the island Wizard Island or not but it sure reminds me of Wizard Island in Crater Lake, Oregon.  I wanted to drive down to Island Lake so back to the road...more trees in technicolor 

The road down to the lake is quite narrow! Good thing Mom wasn't with me, she hates this type road...I've hauled down a plenty of them while she closes her eyes and hangs onto the door!

Cost me $6 to park in the day use area or in one of the campgrounds as long as no one is in it you can park in a spot and have a picnic, spend the day etc, that's a good policy, it was explained to me by the guy in charge. 

Saw 2 marmots on the way this one posed nice for me...

Island Lake

I took a short walk by the lake....then we left Island Lake and drove farther on Hwy 65 to the Visitors Center and the road to Ward Lake.  I didn't stop at the VC the lot was full....so I kept going..my sis and I hiked around Ward Lake a couple years ago when I was out here...nice hike! But today the weather was a factor...Even though this table had a hole burned in it I sat here to have my picnic lunch and admire the lake...got the dogs out and prepared to settle down and eat our lunch..in the next site over from us was a herd of cattle!

Ward Lake

I am not a fan of Cattle Grazing on Public Lands, it's an environmental disaster...and in my opinion it should be stopped! 

When all of a sudden it started to hail...I barely got the dogs and my food back in the van before it hit...now look at our picnic table!!

VIDEO deleted by Flickr

                                                                          

And it got Cold!  The mountains are so unpredictable...soon as it stopped we drove up to the Campground Entrance...

This is cute...

This is not...

I don't know what happened but I figure he took this curve too fast with the slick road after the hail storm..hope no one was hurt...

too bad, this is scary 

I think I need to split this up too long!! Part II coming up. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.