Snowshoe to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes

Yes I know I already wrote about this hike but trust me it is more than worth it to do it again in the winter time. First things first, if there was just a snowstorm I would definitely recommend wearing snowshoes, but if you are going anytime else crampons will serve you just fine. This hike stems from the Bear Lake parking lot and starts winding up through a dense forest landscape before arriving at Nymph Lake in what only takes about 15 minutes. This lake is the smallest of the three and takes about 1 minute to cross to continue back on the path. In what is the most challenging (and slippery) stretch of the hike, you quickly climb up the mountain but are awarded with views of Longs Peak and Glacier Gorge. After a couple more minutes of heading up the mountain the hike flattens out once again and you arrive to Dream Lake. This lake, appropriately named, offers a .35 mile across while framing the eastern flanks of Hallet Peak and Flattop Mountain.

After Dream Lake you head 0.7 miles to Emerald Lake through an easy portion of the hike surrounded by a valley with frozen waterfalls, large boulders and snow covered pine trees. Once you have to Emerald Lake, the scenery drastically changes to a more steep and rocky landscape but still offers amazing views of Flattop Mountain and Hallet Peak. In what is a crazy experience, you can traverse across the frozen Emerald Lake and stand dead in the center while being surrounded by thirteen thousand foot peaks. Once you are done exploring the immensity of the final lake and all its surroundings, you head down the same exact path straight to the parking lot.