#lochvale

[skyblueoverland]

Awesome views of Glass Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. #trailadventure #rmnptrails #rmnplakes #alpinelake #lochvale #rockymountains #rockymountainnationalpark #hikingadventures #hikingtrail #coloradoadventures (at Lake of Glass) https://www.instagram.com/p/CC11Ia1DyZx/?igshid=16xic5l3hwqsf

[bibutterflies]

Lady Verena of Lochvale

———

Oscar was once again struck by how Verena contrasted with everyone around her. Almost all of the people of Lochvale had brown hair and blue or brown eyes, but Verena--and her mother, for that matter--had bright blonde hair and eyes like the leaves of the trees.

Oscar met her at the bottom of the stairs and she offered her hand. “So good to see you again, Lady Verena.” He took her hand and brushed his lips to it with a bow.

———

(click for better quality)

[wildwandererblog]

Sky Pond - RMNP

I was invited by Anne on this hike, and was thrilled with the invite! I’d initially wanted to hike a 14er today, but the rough weather all week meant lots of snow everywhere over 14000 feet in Colorado, so this was the perfect opportunity to get out and hike on a day a 14er wasn’t the best option.  

Once again, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go on this hike until the day before.  I felt really bad about my lack of commitment early on, but I’d hate to RSVP and then later retract it.  When I realized I’d actually be able to go I was stoked!  We started out with about 6 or 7 people invited, but there ended up being 3 of us hiking in the end.  

I was worried about the weather.  Really worried actually.  It had snowed in the region all week.  All current weather reports indicated snow was inevitable, along with cold temperatures and wind.  However, the cold weather wasn’t supposed to set in until the afternoon.

I mentally didn’t want to hike in the cold, but I also really wanted to make a few hiking friends, and saw this as the perfect opportunity.  I decided to bundle up and take the plunge.

We met at 3:30am at the Woodmen Park n Ride.  I drove.  Actually, I insisted I drive.  I really like to drive, and this way if I ended up bailing due to weather I’d be able to sit in my truck and not feel bad about using up gas for heat.  I was wearing 4 layers of clothing, but was worried because I didn’t bring a scarf.  

It only took us about 2 hours to get there.  I was surprised the drive went by so fast, even after stopping half way for coffee.  We didn’t see any wildlife on the road, besides the tail end of a fox.

The hike to Sky Pond begins from Glacier Gorge Trailhead in RMNP. The parking lot was almost full when we arrived at 6am.  Even though this was a National Park, there was no way to pay at the entrance gate? Usually there are self pay envelopes you leave when you arrive before/after hours, but we weren’t able to find any, despite searching.  Oh well, we’d pay on the way out.  

We began the trail at 6:15am. It was 45 degrees outside with a strong wind (25mph?).  I was glad it was beginning to get light outside because I didn’t have a map.  In fact, I hadn’t done any research on this trail, which is absolutely nothing like me.   Usually I’m uber prepared.  The only research I’d done was on the weather.  Luckily Anne knew where we were going and had a map.  Both David and I let her lead.  It was a good thing too:  there were several trails that intersected at various points with our trail.  It was easy to go the wrong way if you didn’t pay attention to the signs.  

At this point the sun was beginning to rise and we started seeing a bit of Alpine Glow.  

At just under a mile we passed Alberta Falls, one of the more popular hiking destinations in Rocky Mountain National Park. This scenic 30-foot waterfall thunders down a small gorge on Glacier Creek, and is named after Alberta Sprague, the wife of Abner Sprague, one of the original settlers in the Estes Park area.  It was very difficult to take pictures of the falls, so we didn’t. The next section of trail, between Alberta Falls and Mills Junction, was rehabilitated by the National Park Service and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy.  The entire trail to this point was easy to hike, and very well maintained.  

This hike was full of beautiful, small lakes.  The first lake we encountered was Loch Vale, better known as The Loch. It was very cold and very windy at this lake.  This beautiful subalpine lake is situated at 10,190 feet.

We reached the base of Timberline Falls, high above the trail. From this vantage point the trail begins to climb a series of rock steps. In other words, you climb the waterfall.  It was still very cold and there was a lot of ice on the trail, so this is where we stopped to put on our microspikes.  

From here the trail continues up a chute to the right of the falls. This is a fairly challenging scramble that climbs roughly 100 feet, and requires hand holds and the use of all four limbs while ascending. The first 30 feet or so are the most difficult, but beyond that it's a relatively easy scramble. Just to complicate things a little more, portions of the climb has water flowing down the route (the waterfall). It's nothing exceedingly dangerous, but we did have to take our time and be extremely cautious. This is the point where many people turn around on the hike.  

At the top of the climb we reached the Lake of Glass, an incredibly beautiful alpine lake with outstanding views of The Sharkstooth, Taylor Peak and Powell Peak. This lake is also sometimes referred to as Glass Lake. And it was WINDY!  I was almost blown over a couple of times, but once we started walking it wasn’t so bad.

From here the trail becomes fairly rocky and rugged as it travels along the west side of the lake.

We finally reached Sky Pond, which sits at an elevation of 10,900 feet. The views here are simply spectacular. The alpine lake fills a cirque basin, and is surrounded on three sides by sheer cliff walls.

Off to the right are the granite spires of The Sharkstooth. Against the backdrop of a cobalt blue sky, the scene makes for an extremely dramatic view.

The mountain directly across the lake is 13,153-foot Taylor Peak, and towards the south is 13,208-foot Powell Peak.  I’ll come back for those two someday.

Even though this hike didn’t include a summit, we’d had a great hike.  But when we saw the large formations staring at us from across the pond we knew we wanted more.  So we made our own path across the pond and towards the large formations. We looked up at the gulley, decided it was doable, and started to climb.  

It was a bit challenging due to the ice and snow, but we made it to the top!  I loved how everyone just went for it, knowing we’d all be able to make it (or just willing to turn back if it seemed too difficult… we had to at least try!).  

The views from here were amazing as well!  

The best part? This is when the sun came out!  I was pretty much freezing at this point due to the wind, but the sun was absolutely amazing!!!

We met a couple of hikers here who had the same idea we did, but went a slightly different route. Our route ended up being easier, so they followed us on the way back down.  They were fun to chat with, and seemed like a couple of fun guys!  They even took Anne’s camera for a couple of selfies!

As we hiked back we looked back on the trail we’d hiked to get there.  

On the way up we hadn’t seen many people, but on the way down we encountered a steady stream of hikers.  This became a bit dangerous on Timberline Falls, but we were thrilled most of the ice from the morning had dissipated and it was now just wet in most areas and icy in just a few.  

We gave the other climbers some pointers and headed on.  It was really nice to be with other competent hikers who were sure of themselves while hiking.  

We made it back to the Loch and met a couple that took a fun picture of David, Anne, and I

The colors on the trees had already started to fade, but there was a little left to enjoy.

When we made it back to the trailhead we looked at the map of our hike.  We’d visited a bunch of lakes!

We all seemed to get along pretty well, talking and hiking at about the same pace.  After the hike we all decided to head down to Estes Park for a beer.  It was about 2pm, and there was quite a bit of traffic.  We learned we were in the middle of an Elk Festival, and the town was overflowing with tourists.  Funny thing, we didn’t see any elk, but many people had that morning (we did see them lounging in the RMNP Elk Viewing area however).  

We stopped at Rock Cut Brewing Company for some excellent beer and some fried food out of a food truck that was pretty tasty (fries, burgers, cauliflower covered in parmesan garlic and tater tots).  There were lots of wasps, and some pretty good conversations with a bunch of people we met who were staying at the Stanley Hotel.  They’d been friends for decades and were vacationing together for fun.  

The drive home took twice as long as the drive there due to traffic.  There were several accidents and even a death investigation on the I25, so we didn’t get back until after 6pm.  It was totally worth it though!  I’m pretty sure I made some new hiking friends, and I had a great time!

Roundtrip Length was about 10 miles, with elevation gain of about 2000 feet.  

Side note:  "National Public Lands Day is being celebrated this Saturday, Sept. 30, across the US which means you can get in free to all national parks across the country for FREE. And yes, that includes Colorado’s four national parks as well." – we were lucky to get a parking space at all!

[themezzotint]

Lochvale is eternal! Glacier Basin for the soul!

Perspective 🙃 

Sky Pond 

Estes Park, Colorado

[backroadwanderer]

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike. Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." #johnmuir #rmnp #rockymountains #findyourpark #theloch #lochvale #hiking #traillife #colorado http://ift.tt/2okjGPm

[otakuashels]

Just Pinned to Instagram Imaginationmademelove: #rmnp #rmnpics #rockymountainnationalpark #naturegram #naturelove #mountains #hikersofinstagram #lochvale #snowphoto #snowtoppedmountains #plusssizehiker #trailchat #optoutside http://ift.tt/2DG8iFN

[skyblueoverland]

Loch Vale, also known as The Loch is a 2.8 mile hike on the Sky Pond Trail. This subalpine lake, elevation 10,190 feet, is located in one of the most studied watershed in the world. This photo is looking towards the 13,153-feet Taylor Peak, Taylor Glacier and The 12,829-feet Sharkstooth. #lochvale #lochvalelake #lochvaletrail #rmnptrails #rmnplakes #alpinelake #rmnpyes #rmnpics #rmnpadventure #rmnplakes #rmnphotography #rockymountains #rockymountainhigh #rockymountains #hikingadventures (at The Loch, Rocky Mountain National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrWAJLDG2s/?igshid=152nouboh67f

[bibutterflies]

14 from the train asks for a pairing of your choosing🥰💙

thank you aniek!! 💗💗

14. *it’s crowded and Person A falls into Person B’s lap* - for ambrose/vera

A/N: this is an AU and not in alignment with canon... just in case anyone was wondering... also this was longer than i expected but i missed vera okay

———

Vera huffed as she boarded the train that would take her home. It was packed full of men and women all headed out of the capital. Most of them wouldn’t be travelling quite as far as her, so hopefully she’d be able to find a seat at some point. For now, though, it seemed that she’d be standing.

She was pushed further into the car by the throng of people, who she glared at. Vera grabbed one of the handholds as the train began to move. She tried to straighten and flatten her skirts with her free hand, but it was futile. She fidgeted with the ribbon of her bonnet.

The train began to slow as they neared the next stop. Vera braced herself for what would no doubt be an abrupt stop. She managed to stay upright, the handhold digging into her hand. However, she was forced to let go of it as she was pushed further into the car by the influx of people.

Suddenly the world shifted as Vera lost her footing. She yelped as she fell into someone’s lap. She met the eyes of a man whose expression was just as shocked as her own.

They stared at each other for a few moments. His eyes were a dark brown and the features of his face were soft. He was... pretty. Vera reached up to touch his cheek until she realised she was in the lap of a man she’d never met and his arms were wrapped around her. She flushed and tried to stand up, but her dress was making it difficult.

“Here, sorry, I—“ The man said as he helped her up. His voice was quite posh, more-so even than Oscar’s. It gave her pause for a moment. Her hand remained in his for a moment as she looked down at him. “Would you like to sit?” He removed his bag from the seat next to him and moved to sit in that seat and gestured for her to sit.

Vera glanced around, only a few people were looking. She took a seat. “You’re from Greymont.”

It wasn’t a question, but he nodded and offered her his hand. It was unconventional, but she took it.

“I’m Ambrose,” he said, looking into her eyes. She blinked, tilting her head to the side. Oscar had spoken of the younger prince of Greymont, who was also called Ambrose, but she had no idea what he looked like.

“Do you have a surname?” Vera asked. Ambrose’s mouth twisted and he looked away. “My name’s Verena Ward.”

“Of Lochvale?” Ambrose blurted. Vera nodded. “My family name is Cadeyrn, but I have a feeling you already knew that.” Her lips twitched up.

They talked throughout the train ride, and Vera found she quite enjoyed his company. Eventually, Vera yawned and tried to settle in for a short nap before arriving home. Ambrose looked out the window and left her be as she dozed off.

She was dreaming of summers spent with her family and friends by the lake when she was shaken gently awake. Opening her eyes, Vera realised her head was resting on Ambrose’s shoulder. She sat upright, her cheeks heating slightly in embarrassment. She didn’t know why. Usually, she didn’t get embarrassed much at all and didn’t care for most societal rules either.

Ambrose, however, was smiling hesitantly at her. She quite liked his smile.

Biting her lip to contain her own smile, she looked past him out the window. We’re nearing home now, Vera realised disappointedly. The carriage had emptied out vastly since she’d first gotten on.

The attendant announced they were approaching the station and Vera stood from her seat. She busied herself with her skirts to avoid saying goodbye just yet.

“Lady Ward,” Ambrose said, causing her gaze to flick to his.

“Yes?” Vera breathed.

“You should come visit Cyneburga. It’s lovely in the springtime,” Ambrose said. His eyes scanned her face, like he was searching for something.

“Perhaps I will.” She grabbed hold of a loop as the train began to slow, her eyes never leaving Ambrose’s. When the train stopped, she offered him her hand. “Farewell, Mr. Cadeyrn.” She thought it best not to address him by his title, even if there were very little people around.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it, lingering a second longer than was necessary. “Goodbye, for now, my lady.”

@nalgenewhore @mythicaitt @dianaraven

[chenzophoto]

Loch Vale in the magic hour. As quiet as can be. #latergram #rmnp #rockymountainnationalpark#lochvale #theloch

[backroadwanderer]

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference... The wisdom to know this wasn't the trail would've been nice before I climbed it (it's a snow covered stream/waterfall). Whoops! #colorado #findyourpark #rmnp #theloch #lochvale #hiking #traillife http://ift.tt/2oBtyWM

[otakuashels]

Just Pinned to ImaginationMadeMeLove Instagram: #rmnp #rmnpics #rockymountainnationalpark #naturegram #naturelove #mountains #hikersofinstagram #lochvale #snowphoto #snowtoppedmountains #plusssizehiker #trailchat #optoutside http://ift.tt/2EcsLmN

[bibutterflies]

Oooh all the background questions for my queen Vera

ah... my queen...

Where were they born? What was their childhood like?

She was born at Lochvale Manor, Devland. Her childhood was... touch and go. She was neither the eldest nor the son. She spent most of her time with her nursemaid, whom she still loves dearly. Her mother was too busy with her guests and her parties, but her father often took her and her siblings out to lunch or on other little trips

What’s their family like?

Her mother is stuck up and controlling. Her father is kind but often distant. Her brother, Francis, is perfect in her mother’s eyes, but genuinely cares about those in his life, also distant. Her sister is... a wildfire: hot-headed and passionate.

What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold?

I suppose she’s part of the queer community in her area, to an extent. She’s a Lady (her father being the Duke of Lochvale), but she becomes queen. I won’t say of where. Look through my blog and you’ll probably figure it out.

How do they fit into their “story”?

Their “story” being my novel? She’s my main female character. If it means like in terms of her own perspective, she definitely perceives herself to be the main character... at least she’s trying to be.

Where do they currently live? What’s their place like?

Lochvale Manor! She grew up there and doesn’t have really any autonomy, so she’s still there... for now... It’s a mansion, as the name would suggest. Bunch of bedrooms and entertaining spaces. It’s also right on the lake! This makes it quite humid in the summer and since they don’t have aircon or anything... it gets pretty stuffy inside the house.

How do they eventually die?

Old age, or some illness when she’s old... contrary to what some people might Desire *pretend there’s an eye roll emoji here*