Jimmy at the Ice Lake Basin trailhead

I get ready to cross the falls at the start of the trail, courtesy of Jimmy Gekas

Looking up the valley just before the falls. Clouds are building in earnest, and I am hoping already that the lightning won't be too severe later in the day. It's not if it comes, but when!

Waterfall stream crossing

Heading up the trail

Leveling out in the lower basin, we look to Fuller Peak, Vermillion Peak, and Golden Horn

Looking over to lower Ice Lake

Jimmy at a stream crossing

Another stream

I cross a stream in the lower basin, courtesy of Jimmy Gekas

Jimmy sets up his Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL1 tent in the rain

The tent takes shape

Now we'll stand out in the rain (and extremely close lightning) for a few hours and hope we live to see another day!

Jimmy's tent and my tent, courtesy of Jimmy Gekas

After the storm passed, we headed out to take some pictures in the lower basin

Columbine

Falls at the headwall to the upper basin

Jimmy and I agree, enjoying the warm delicious Mountain House meals is absolutely the best part of the day!

Golden Horn and Pilot Knob alpenglow. Pretty stellar conditions for our first sunrise here.

Shortly after sunrise, we enjoyed some of my favorite lighting conditions—
dark blue skies with great light on the tundra making it glow

The trail that heads up to Island Lake a few hundred feet higher, and around the corner to the left

Looking down into Lower Ice Lake Basin from the Island Lake trail. Our campsite sits in the trees in left-center.

Jimmy making his way up the Island Lake trail with Ice Lake below

Looking down the valley. The trailhead sits just to the right of the light green knoll in the left half of the frame.
Silverton lies centered in the hazy valley in the upper left.

Rounding the corner on the Island Lake trail, Ulysses S. Grant Peak comes into view

The amazing Island Lake. While it was great to finally see this place first-hand, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't have the electric turquoise blue that I've only seen in other pictures. Still, this light emerald green isn't too bad!

Looking over to the Trinities, Vestal, and Arrow peaks, on the left

To the right from the previous picture, we see Sunlight, Windom (back-to-back on left), Eolus, and Pigeon Peak

Island Lake and unnamed 13,400'

Jimmy taking in the view of Fuller, Vermillion, and Golden Horn, heading down the Island Lake trail

Golden Horn and Pilot Knob above Ice Lake. We knew we would probably cut it close getting back down to camp before the storm comes. We could already see some rain falling to the south.

Another view into Lower Ice Lake Basin and watching the dark gray clouds move in

Jimmy carefully navigates his way along a rocky and exposed stretch of the Island Lake trail

Looking down to the trail that makes its way down to the lower basin

You have to cross this stream at a suitable place to gain access to the Island Lake trail

Along the trail heading back to the lower basin, we get another look at the Island Lake trail.
The lake sits behind the flat shelf.

Looking down the valley. The Clear Lake road can be seen on the opposite mountainside.

Not as good conditions the second morning, but those famous Colorado blue sky mornings are still amazing

Ice Lake was a brillian blue. Sadly, I only came away with snapshots of it.

Jimmy making his way down to the lower basin

After getting warm on the hike down from the upper basin, Jimmy takes a bit of a shower from a refreshing light waterfall

Packing down my tent

Heading back down the trail, that's the wall you have to ascend to get to the upper basin.
Fuller Peak and Goden Horn above.

Down the trail we go

Clouds building already early in the morning getting ready to form into their daily thunderstorm routine

Looking back at the falls at the beginning of the trail

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