It’s still a surreal feeling for me to call the Rocky Mountains of Colorado home. I grew up at sea level in a small Texas town close to the coastline, and now in a matter of 45 minutes I can be up to 12,000 feet altitude. My lungs still burn from the thin air but it’s all worth it when you look around and take in the beauty that encompasses you each and every day. I love living in a place that actually has 4 seasons, each with its own beauty.
My wife, Sarah, and I often head up to the National Park to hike some of our favorite peaks and lakes. We typically start off at the Bear Lake trailhead and head for as long as we can until the sun goes down, even then we’ll hike by headlamp till we’re satisfied.
During this trip, the winds were gusting a good 30mph, whipping the snow all in our faces. The sun was intense, as it should be at 12,500 feet. Lakes and rivers that we fish in the summers were totally frozen so we traversed them rather than having to go around them. We love hiking in winter because there are days where you feel like you are the only one out on the trail. The tourists are deterred away because of the snowy roads. You can spend hours out there without seeing another footprint.
We’re driven by the beauty that our state has to offer us. We see our weekends as opportunities to get to know the land we now call home and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Hunter Lawrence
HUNTER LAWRENCE is a a visual storyteller using both motion and stills to make sense of this world he loves to explore. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Sarah and dog Aspen.
Website: hunterlawrence.org
Instagram: @hunter_lawrence