We’ve heard about this beautiful spot in Summit County for a while. My friend, Jamie Jo has taken so many great pics here with family and friends when they visit! I always wish I could double heart them on Instagram.

Today seemed like the perfect window of time to finally hike up here – sunny day with peak yellow Aspen leaves. I was curious to see what lily pads looked like in the fall!

After Jadyn and I finished most of her school work, we drove into Frisco for this 3-4 mile hike. We started at the Meadow Creek Trail which forked up to Lily Pad Lake. (There is another trailhead in Wildernest, as well.)

It was a little tougher than we both expected, climbing steadily (but not steeply) for about a mile or more. We’d pause often for pics at creeks, yellow “brick roads” of Aspen leaves or great scenic views of Lake Dillon.

It is always a delight to hike with Jadyn. She’ll dance, “to the left, to the left, to the right….” Or shoot off on a side trail unannounced to explore. I love hiking to just slow down and hear what’s on our kids’ minds – for Jadyn it’s snowboarding, the Daddy Daughter Dance (in FEBRUARY!), friends, birthdays, and random thoughts of what she sees. We’re always pulled with a million details that fill up life, so I love trying to just focus on her right in front of me.

We hung out at the lake and pond for a bit, taking fun pics, and then made our way down. We ended the day with a yummy drink at one of our favorite spots, Next Page Bookstore in Frisco. Then we had to zip home to pick up Don, tennis rackets and shoes. Drove by to pick up Isaac, and then headed to the tennis courts in Keystone and Dillon for a great afternoon of hitting together and with friends (thanks, Amy!!).

Here are a few more pics from Meadow Creek and Lily Pad Lake Trails: (click to see each enlarged individually)