I have never visited the Indian Peaks area so drove there to look around a little.  The gate to the Brainard Lake area was closed for the winter season so I had to hike about three miles along the road to get to the Long Lake trailhead.  Most of the road past the gate was snow free but there were a few large drifts that were as much as eight feet deep across the road.  The rest of the road was covered with ice, so it would have been a tough drive.

The area had just received a dusting of fresh snow the night before.  I almost had the whole place to myself.  When I returned however, there were a couple extra sets of footprints in the snow besides mine.  Snowshoes were a must once I got past Brainard Lake.

I only went as far as Long Lake this time.  The peaks were mostly obscured by low clouds and light snow, but I could see enough to know that I definitely want to return here and spend some time hiking this area.

Be sure to click on these thumbnail photos for larger versions.

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1. Snow covered stream near Brainard Lake.

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2. Sun filtering through the trees along the trail to Long Lake.

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3. Long Lake.  Six shots went into this panorama.