Molly and Ryan inquired with me for a Sunrise hiking elopement in Colorado’s front range, possibly Lake Isabelle in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The Indian Peaks Wilderness is one of my favorite areas to explore in Colorado with its ease of access from Denver to high alpine mountain territory. From Denver, you can actually catch site of some of the peaks here, like Long’s Peak in Estes, if they are laden with snow. In the Summer, this range is full of colorful wildflowers, alpine lakes, and sheer mountain faces that seem to jut out of nowhere. It holds some of the most incredibly stunning views that Colorado’s Rocky Mountains have to offer. The alpine slopes here are simply serene and wild. Although they are closer to the states’ capitol city, many trails strewn throughout remain more quiet and less traveled. This is due to the town of Estes where Rocky Mountain National Park sits nearby. Most tourism pushes the out of town folk in the direction of the National Park, which keeps the Indian Peaks Wilderness feeling like more of a hidden gem of seclusion with epic hiking to be had. It can get pretty busy during peak season, but go at the right time of day and you may not see another person for the entirety of your trek.
When planning, we discussed several trails and potential locations before settling on Isabelle Glacier and Pawnee Pass trail. Our hike would take us to Lake Isabelle, one of the prettiest alpine lakes within the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. Brainard Lake is a glacially carved valley that sits just below tree line surrounded by beautiful peaks, spruce, pines, and wildlife. It is a beautiful area for day use where you can enjoy a picnic (there are 5 designated picnic sites) or take an adventure with “lower elevation” hiking below the peaks at 10,300 feet. Head to Lake Isabelle for a view of the lovely Shoshoni Peak or go even further to the top of Pawnee Pass where you’ll stand 12,541 feet above sea level. Up here on a clear bluebird day, you can see astounding views of mountain tops that seem go on for miles. Brainard Lake Recreation Area is home to moose, bear, marmots and other wildlife. There is designated camping at Pawnee Campground (47 sites at the foot of the Continental Divide) along with backcountry dispersed camping. When visiting, you want to mind the wildlife and follow LNT principles. Make sure you also find the right spot to park as there are day use and overnight permits needed. This link from the National Forest Service provides many helpful tips when planning your next trip to the Brainard Lake Recreation Area - check it out HERE for more info!
Molly and Ryan met in their high school history class 10 years prior to eloping! I can’t get over the fact that they were high school sweethearts; in today’s internet age this feels like more of a rarity. I asked them to share their proposal story with me and I swear I have never heard such a fun/quirky and unique way to ask a woman for her hand in marriage. Ryan describes it all too well, “We stayed at a secluded cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Molly opened a box, inside of which was a taxidermy squirrel dressed as a cowboy (felt hat, gun belt, tiny pistol held in its paw). Inside was an envelope, which had a handmade replica of a Western Union Telegram with a proposal message. I put the ring (Molly's great-grandmother's) on the barrel of the tiny pistol. So technically it was a proposal at gunpoint.” As a huge fan of the great American West filled with cowboys and Indians along with a love for all the old Clint Eastwood films, this proposal captured my heart. And yes, I’ve asked them for photo proof which they’ve graciously allowed me to share below.
Molly and Ryan drove in from Chicago for their rugged hiking elopement. Once they arrived, they spent a few days in Nederland adjusting to altitude so that they could thoroughly enjoy their elopement experience without risk of any altitude sickness. The morning of their elopement was brisk, each of us had our warm jackets zipped on tight for the hike up. We put our packs together under a dark and starry sky and took off from the Mitchell Lake parking lot promptly at 4:00 am. We had to add a bit of length to our hike to get to Lake Isabelle as that lot was full on this particular morning! Back to the timing, 4:00 am is actually not a terrible start for a sunrise elopement. There are many longer hiking trails in the Colorado mountains that are popular for adventurous brides and grooms to ascend for their early morning vows. To get to the top of these before alpine glow you can expect starts as early as 1:00 to 2:00am! Luckily, Lake Isabelle is a super smooth and easy trail with only approximately 500 feet of elevation gain over 2.1 miles of hiking. Molly and Ryan hiked in with headlamps, crossing small trickling streams while walking in and out of thick shadowed pine forests. We passed Long Lake and could see the dim light of dawn just touching the horizon. When we arrived at our destination they took separate trails to get ready before their first look. Molly pulled out the prettiest hand crocheted gown and told me how she had searched for several months for the perfect dress online. She had held a vision of an Antique Edwardian wedding dress to say her vows in. These dresses are beyond lovely and sites like Etsy have many delicate styles to choose from! These dresses have gorgeous century old hand crocheted lace, kind of similar to many of the more modern Daughter of Simone wedding gowns now. The dress Molly chose was 100 years old and so darling on her! It had minimal aging to the cloth and clasps which is super impressive after so many years. I couldn’t believe how perfectly it fit her style and how stunning it looked against the backdrop of the mountains and Shoshoni Peak. Talk about some serious up-cycling, this dress is one of my favorites that I’ve ever seen on a bride and if you’re interested in something similar, keep in mind that vintage can be budget friendly!
Just moments before alpine glow graced us with its orange/pink fire across the granite peaks, Molly walked up to Ryan with her gorgeous bouquet of flowers in hand. Ryan was turned away looking at the mountain faces. He kept his eyes forward, watching the sunrise bring life to the sky when Molly asked him to turn towards her. He slowly pivoted around to look at Molly straight on and a huge smile erupted across his face. Their first look was so sweet, both of them admiring the others attire when the first glint of alpine glow fell onto the peaks and pushed away the shadows of the night. They pulled out their handwritten vows and their ceremony began with the mountains ablaze behind them, fitting for forging their commitment to one another in such a wild place. Molly and Ryan self solemnized, meaning they did not have an officiant. This is something I absolutely love about Colorado! Many couples want to make their vows and ceremony unique and self solemnizing allows you to have an intimate space to share your commitment without needing that extra person at your elopement. During their vows, we were interrupted by a few squeaking marmots who were confused as to why we were trekking around near their territory. This was a funny moment and we made sure to include a few photos of them in the gallery. Caleb took several photos on Ryan’s film camera that he had hiked up for the occasion. At the end of their ceremony they shook hands to seal the deal and then embraced and kissed, celebrating becoming husband and wife!
Before hiking back down the trail, we enjoyed exploring the lake shore and relaxing on the large granite rocks that lined the water. Lake Isabelle is deep this time of year, much different than when the Left Hand Ditch Company (they own the water rights) drains it in the fall for agricultural purposes. In September you can descend on a trail past the lake side boulders and walk along a sandy shoreline. They signed their marriage license on these boulders and made everything official. The end of their elopement initiated the beginning of their adventurous honeymoon roadtrip where these two took off to traverse the Western United States. Their plan was to hike, camp, and explore all along the way. I’ve added a photo at the end of the gallery where they stopped in Silverton (in the San Juans of Southern Colorado) to take an old Western style sepia toned photograph to commemorate their adventure (thank you Molly for sharing)! I have to say that choosing to elope in a beautiful destination together and then crowning the experience by road tripping and exploring the country on your honeymoon is a pretty grand idea.
Before hiking out, Molly changed back into comfortable clothes and they attached “Just Married” signs onto the back of their backpacks. The sun was rising higher and warming up the dirt trail ahead of us. I ditched my jacket and Caleb graciously carried out our camera bag. As we hiked down Pawnee Pass we encountered our first hikers of the day. They gave their many congratulations to the newlyweds, gushing over how they chose the most beautiful location for their elopement. Now that the sky was bright, we caught site of all of the beautiful summer wildflowers lining the trail. Of course, we stopped multiple times to snap photos of the vibrant blooms, taking way longer to hike down than we did hiking in earlier that morning. None of us were upset, we were enamored with the beauty surrounding us and happy to take our time soaking it all in.
Enjoy browsing this gallery from Molly and Ryan’s elopement day!
Post Elopement Reflection
What do you remember most from your wedding/elopement day?
Molly: Getting my first glimpse of Ryan all dressed up and feeling an overwhelming sense of joy being there with him. The feeling of calm and quiet as we drove to the trailhead in the dark.
Ryan: 1 - Sitting with my arm around Molly, watching the light change on the rocks. 2 - When we went to mail our wedding certificate at the post office, I accidentally claimed that my parcel contained explosives.
What was your absolute favorite moment or detail about your wedding/elopement day?
Molly: Hearing Ryan's vows and feeling the serenity of the lake and mountains at dawn.
Ryan: Listening to Molly read her vows as the warmth of the sun started awakening the scents of the wildflowers.
What was your favorite photo from the day - and what made it so special to you?
Molly: I love the photos of us hiking back down after exchanging vows. Our hike back felt so special and like a true "new beginning" getting to see everything that had been covered in the darkness on the hike up.
Ryan: I particularly love the wide shot of us, where you can see the glow in the background. I was so distracted by my lovely wife that I kept forgetting to look at the sunrise! This photo makes up for that.
What advice do you have for couples who are in the midst of planning their own big day?
Molly: Focus on what is important to you and make that a priority. Determine what is most important to you and make that your focus when planning. Don't worry about trying to please everyone, it's your day!
Ryan: Take it easy and enjoy the ride! We loved having an isolated experience so we could focus on each other, and then later having a party with family to celebrate.
What made you decide how your ceremony would look? (ie: Why did you choose to elope, have an intimate ceremony, or a wedding?)
Molly: Going on adventures and spending time in the mountains has always been when we feel closest to each other. We knew we wanted our day to reflect the joy, excitement, and intimacy that we experience when we hike together. An intimate self-solemnizing ceremony in the quiet dawn hours seemed like the natural choice. It was so special to be able to experience our first days of marriage alone together away from the realities of the world.
Ryan: We love to hike and always feel closest the farther we are from sea level.
If you could go back and change anything about your day, what would that be?
Molly: We both wish we had recorded some video footage in addition to Micah's amazing photography.
Ryan: wish I had brought either a Super8 camera or Hi8 camcorder to grab some footage.
You're married! What advice do you have for couples after they say their own vows?
Molly: Keep laughing together and definitely go take the old timey photo you've always talked about doing. Ryan and I stopped in Silverton on our way through the San Juan Mountains the day after our elopement. We have always joked about doing one of those old timey photos every time we see those shops when we travel. The man let us put our own wedding clothes back on, dressed us up in some wild west accessories, and we ended up with one of our favorite elopement/honeymoon souvenirs. We bought copies for our parents and had a wonderful, silly center piece for our party when we returned home.
Ryan: It's good to shake hands and really seal the deal.
Vendors
Florals: Wholefoods // https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
Wedding Dress: Vintage found on Etsy
Headlamp: Petzyl // https://www.petzl.com/US/en
Backpacks: Patagonia and REI // https://www.patagonia.com/home/ https://www.rei.com/
Hydration: Hydro Flask // https://www.hydroflask.com/