Bear Lake - still mostly covered by snow

These are pictures taken the first weekend in May.  You can see all the snow still covering Longs Peak.  This is the time of year when there are lots of Elk searching for food.  Most are just starting to grow their velvet antlers. It seems kinda late this year for this annual event.  They also look rather ragged as they lose their winter coats. Most of the snow is gone from the lower elevations.  At Bear Lake, a popular place to hike and snow shoe, most of the trails are still covered with snow.  In some cases, over five feet of snow.  I stopped by Bear Lake on Sunday evening an there was no parking!  Lots of people were show shoeing or cross country skiing in the back country.  Also, lots of tourists are just stopping and walking the few hundred feet to the lake.  It can be very slippery.  If you go hiking, be sure to wear those traction things that clip to your shoes.  I witnessed lots of people falling on their bottoms trying to hike in tennis shoes and sliding out of control.  Yikes!