Ice Lake Basin, Continental Divide

High above the treeline in the San Juan Mountains, cradled by the graceful curve of a massif, lie the brilliantly, perfectly almost otherworldly turquoise Ice Basin lakes.  The sapphire hues of th4 lakes, reached at the top of a challenging trailhead by passing through wildflower-strewn meadows and fresh pine forest, are due to glacial silt left behind when ice-age glaciers melted.

The silt reflects the sun, and our eyes interpret this as a brilliant blue colour.  The lake is a popular diversion along the CDT, especially in the high summer months, when even the Colorado highlands get hot, and a refreshing dip after a long, sweaty hike is impossible to resist.

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