Blue Lakes, Colorado

Blue Lakes, Colorado

Blue Lakes is a frosty reservoir concealed high in the Tenmile Mountains just south of Breckenridge, Colorado. The forbidding glacial cirque is enclosed by jagged, black peaks that form an impenetrable barrier of rock and ice. Pictured above is the colorful landscape still covered in snow and mostly frozen. It’s early summer and warmer temperatures have brought Monte Cristo Creek to life as cold water gushes down into the steep gulch.

Gouged by a row of sharp summits, the glossy-blue sky is veiled by misty clouds that create a translucent lighting effect. Up here, the weather is uncertain as I’ve seen a sunny day transform into a blizzard in an instant.