Isabelle Glacier is located in a saddle between Apache (13,441') and Shoshoni (12,967') peaks in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The short hike to Lake Isabelle is one of the area's most popular, however few continue on the rugged trek up-valley to its glacial benefactor.

The oldest rocks in the Indian Peaks (schist and gneiss) date back an estimated 1.8 billion years

New snow compresses older layers into ice, adding weight and thickness to the glacier

Cushion and mat plants help build soil by catching organic debris in their foliage

The Rockies have experienced at least 6 major periods of glaciation in the last 700,000 years

Level benches break up the steep climb from Lake Isabelle to Isabelle Glacier

Lake Isabelle (10,868')

Cushion and mat plants help build soil by catching organic debris in their foliage

Marmot spend the active summers in burrows 3-6' deep, and hibernate through the winter in burrows 15-20' deep

The trail skirts Long Lake on the way to Lake Isabelle

Level grades and open space around Long Lake make it a popular ski and snowshoe destination

Some tundra plants have red-colored pigments capable of converting the sun's light rays into heat

Isabelle Glacier

Lichens need only a rock, sunlight, and some water every few years to survive

A tarn is a small pool with no outlet that's fed by glacial melt

A glacier is a perennial mass of snow or ice that's large and heavy enough to flow, like a thick gel

Looking (northeast) down valley

Melting snow from Isabelle Glacier runs down valley into Lake Isabelle

Pools, or tarns, typically form at the base of a glacier's ablation zone