This trip to Isolation Lakes in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area  marked the thirtieth anniversary of backpacking in Colorado. Our first Colorado backpacking trip was a hike up to Chicago Lakes in July of 1979.

Back then we were just a bunch of young kids tramping around in the mountains. Today, we’re just a bunch of old kids tramping around in the mountains. As Steve likes to say, “You don’t stop playing because you get old; you get old because you stop playing”.

We originally planned this trip as a return to Chicago Lakes but we were afraid that area was too close to Denver and would be overrun, so we opted for somewhere a little more remote. Isolation Lakes certainly sounds remote. With no trail for the last half mile, it is off the beaten path. It was worth it.

Fishing for cutthroats was very good and we ate well every night. Too bad the flowers weren’t in bloom. Isolation Lakes has a lot of potential for floral displays.