I had first hiked to Lake Helene about 5 years prior on a crisp fall day and on that visit became one of my favorite locations in Rocky Mountain National Park. I took another opportunity to visit this scenic location, this time in the summer. As the sun rose, Notchtop glowed with a brilliant warmth similar to what I had witnessed on the prior visit. This year, however, the water was calm and reflected the beautiful scene that was before me.