Gem Lake

Gem Lake
Trailhead: Lumpy Ridge
Distance: 3.1 miles (easy)

Emilie and I left camp late, around 10:30 am, and headed to a side of RMNP I had never been to before to hike to Gem Lake. Despite the late start and the perfect weather, we were able to get a parking spot at the trailhead and didn't have to walk an extra half mile from the road. This hike was absolutely gorgeous and perfectly interspersed with panoramas of Estes and Longs Peak.

About halfway up the trail, Emilie and I stopped to let a group pass us, not realizing that group included none other than our good friend, Jon! He just recently moved here from Oregon/Oklahoma and was spending the weekend in RMNP as well. By some crazy coincidence, we ended up on the same trail at the same time!

We stopped at the top to hammock and read (I finished After You and only cried a little bit) and listened to people remark about how they wish they had hammocks.