Peaceful Getaway

With a year like 2020 that has included a world-wide deadly virus plague and a rancorous election season, aren’t there times you just want to get away from it all and experience some seclusion and quiet?

In fact, it does not even take a year like 2020 to drive us to such a desire. We all need a break from the daily stresses of life and a place like the one pictured here seems to reach out and call for us to pause and linger at such a peaceful location. 

2020 brought for us an opportunity to return to the Piney River on the west side of the Gore Range in the Eagle’s Nest Wilderness area north of Vail. Covering nearly 134,000 acres, this spectacular wilderness includes most of the Gore Range. Though close to Colorado’s “Front Range,” the rugged Gore peaks do not attract as much climbing activity as other ranges. Many of the peaks require some superior skills and fortitude. On a three-day backpack trip, we hiked all the way to Upper Piney Lake, then climbed Peak P. Along that hike, we encountered this placid scene. Though it requires several miles of hiking to reach, it is entirely worth the effort to experience such solitude, peace, beauty and calm.