Mt. Blue Sky & Mt. Spaulding, CO
Summit Lake and Mount Blue Sky, CO
Some of the most beautiful alpine landscapes in Colorado can be found around Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mt. Evans) and Mt. Spaulding. These neighboring mountains are next to Summit Lake, an area with an elevation over 12,830 ft that was shaped by ice age glaciers and is home to a diverse range of alpine plants. This area can be reached via the Mt. Evans Scenic Byway. Summit Lake is a stop towards the end of this long and winding 28 mile road.
Yellow-bellied marmots live around the lake and they cautiously stop and stare at you as you pass by. They rest on the sun drenched rocks during the daytime to absorb heat and eat plenty of alpine plants to prepare themselves for up to eight months of hibernation.
A trail begins to the right of Summit Lake and quickly splits into two with Chicago Lakes Trail to the right and Mt. Blue Sky Trail to the left. The Chicago Lakes Trail is a narrow, elevated trail that hugs the side of Mt. Warren and offers breathtaking views of the Chicago Lakes in the valley down below. The Mt. Blue Sky Trail will lead you up to and over Mt. Spaulding, to Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Blue Sky.
As you hike around this dramatic alpine landscape be mindful to look up often, you may see bighorn sheep and mountain goats along the cliffs or high up on the peaks of the mountains. Large herds of bighorn sheep live in the area and can even be seen along the road. They have a very friendly, curious nature and may come up surprisingly close to you and your vehicle.
As for the mountain goats, I first spotted some on the peak of Mt. Spaulding as they peered down at me in the valley below. It took me about 2-3 hours to get to the top of Mt. Spaulding (13,842 ft), but thankfully the mountain goats were still there when I arrived. With their thick white coats and spiked black horns, they are an impressive animal to encounter. They are built to endure extremely harsh winter conditions and survive by feeding on the small alpine tundra plants that blanket the mountains. Though fierce looking, they are gentle creatures that can be either skittish or friendly depending on how you act around them. They spend their time moving up and down the mountains, grazing on alpine plants, and caring for their young.
