On Sunday, Jess and I went for a quick hike up Lava Lake in the Gallatin Canyon. It has been fun hiking trails that I have yet to encounter this summer. Lava Lake is a fairly iconic lake to visit, but I have never taken the time to go there. It was a warm summer afternoon, partially cloudy with a bit of haze from all the recent fires in the vicinity. The hike is 6 miles round trip and takes you up a small ravine to a lake that is geologically different from most mountain lakes in the rockies. This lake was formed by large landslide that filled one end with debris, damming off the creek and filling the valley with water. I don’t know how long ago this happened, probably at least hundreds of years ago, but the aftermath is still visible with the large random boulders, some as big as houses littering the landscape. Most mountain lakes here are glacier formed and have a different look to them, I would say they have an elegance to them. Lava Lake on the other hand is jagged and rough, albeit beautiful still. Here are a some of my pictures (including one of Jess taking a plunge into the cold mountain water!). Enjoy!
