The Five Lakes hike on our first day was a good warm-up. For our second hike, we would increase the mileage and elevation gain by hiking to Sky Pond (9 miles, 1780 feet elevation gain). The trail starts at Glacier Gorge Trailhead, which has a much smaller parking lot than Bear Lake. We left even earlier that morning and arrived at the parking lot around 5 a.m.—we got the second-to-last spot! We did have the back up option of parking at Bear Lake but were happy to get a spot at Glacier Gorge.

The first part of the hike is pretty easygoing, with a moderate grade. It was less than a mile to reach Alberta Falls, a 30-foot waterfall in a narrow gorge on Glacier Creek. We continued on the Glacier Gorge Trail, passed the junction with the North Longs Peak Trail, and eventually reached the three-way junction with the Lake Haiyaha, Sky Pond, and Glacier Gorge trails. From there, we followed the Sky Pond Trail, paralleling Icy Brook, up to The Loch (2.8 miles from the trailhead). This scenic sub-alpine lake was especially beautiful in the early morning light. Our first view of The Loch was dominated by Taylor Peak across the water. We veered right to follow the trail along the lakeshore and were surprised by a fox trotting by with a rabbit in its mouth. Further down the trail, we encountered elk munching on the lush plants around the lake. It was a busy morning at The Loch!

Our next waypoint was Timberline Falls at 4 miles. The last half mile was a much steeper climb. We stopped to catch our breath, admire the 100-foot falls, and assess the route we would take to the right of the cascade. This part was a little daunting - the scramble is about 100 feet, and the first moves were the trickiest (small footholds, awkward positioning, and close to the cascading water). Beyond that, the rest of the scramble was manageable. Our effort was rewarded with a view of the Lake of Glass at the top of the falls. This in itself would be a worthwhile destination, but we weren’t quite done yet. The trail through the basin and up to Sky Pond wound through the boulders on the right side of the lake. After 4.5 miles, we made it to Sky Pond.

Sky Pond is a stunning alpine lake at 10,900 feet, nestled in a cirque basin and surrounded by imposing mountains. The most dramatic of these is The Sharkstooth, a jagged peak to the west. To get a better view, we crossed the inlet and found a great spot to sit on the east side of the lake. Part of the mountains and all of the lake were still in the shadows, so we decided to wait for the sun to rise higher. It was cold - but worth it. Once the sun finally lit both the lake and the peaks, it was much easier to take photos (and it felt so good to warm up!).

Unlike Emerald Lake and Lake Haiyaya from the day before, it was easy to spread out along the shoreline at Sky Pond. There were also very few people at the lake that early in the morning, so it was easy to find solitude. It was really a lovely morning. We soaked in the scenery and watched the pikas and marmots scamper around behind us. One pika in particular was perfectly posed on top of a rock and was agreeable to pictures. I kept inching forward slowly until I was well positioned to get some close-up photos with my zoom. Pikas are so adorable and some of my favorite wildlife to see - I was thrilled to get some pictures!

After several hours at Sky Pond, we finally tore ourselves away and retraced our steps back to the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. This was a terrific hike!