Lake Haiyaha with Erin (Patreon)

This set features Erin at Lake Haiyaha, deep inside Rocky Mountain National Park.

Lake Haiyaha sits over 10,000 feet above sea level, and you really feel it. The air is thin, everything takes more effort, and nothing about getting here is easy. Normally, parking near the trailhead requires winning a lottery pass, which we didn’t have time for—so we showed up around 2–3 a.m., parked before checks started, slept in the car, and waited for sunrise.

Once the light came up, we hiked in. Even though the hike isn’t long, the elevation makes it a grind. Breathing is harder, legs burn quicker, and you’re very aware that you’re earning the location. But when you get there, it’s worth it—the water has that unreal, milky-blue color, and in the early morning it feels completely untouched.

After hiking back down, we were wrecked and starving, so we cooked burgers right in the parking lot and just sat there for a bit.

Most locations like this only happened because we were traveling in a camper van. Being able to arrive in the middle of the night, sleep where we parked, and move on our own schedule is what made shoots like this possible.