Lake Minnewaska in Winter

Some adventures are full of color and laughter, others whisper in shades of grey and silver. In 2021, Luz and I found ourselves at Lake Minnewaska, wrapped in winter’s quiet spell.

A Lake Made of Stone and Sky

Nestled high in the Shawangunk Mountains, Lake Minnewaska sits like a mirror held up to the sky. When we arrived, the surface was sealed with ice — a mosaic of frozen patches, snow drifts, and dark water peeking through the cracks.

The cliffs that framed the lake stood ancient and strong, their edges dusted with winter’s touch. Everything felt still, as if the mountain itself had paused to breathe.

Walking the Winter Path

The road into the lake was shadowed by tall, bare trees. Their branches clawed at the sky, reaching for a sun that struggled to break through heavy clouds. The path was slick in places, dusted with snow and ice, but every step felt worth it.

The forest was hushed, the kind of silence you only hear in winter — no birdsong, no rustling leaves, just the crunch of boots and the echo of our laughter.

Standing with the Stone

At the overlook, we stopped beside a massive boulder. Luz pressed her hand against it, her coat puffed against the cold, her stance steady. It felt symbolic — like she wasn’t just standing with stone, but becoming stone herself, grounded and unshaken.

I watched her there and thought: this is why we adventure. To test our footing, to steady ourselves, to remember that we, too, are made of earth and endurance.

Reflections on Ice

The lake stretched wide before us, a canvas painted in muted blues and greys. Patches of ice drifted across the surface like scattered stars. We stood in silence, just taking it in.

Some adventures are noisy — filled with jokes, snacks, and snapshots. This one was quieter, almost reverent. Lake Minnewaska in winter reminded us that beauty doesn’t always shout; sometimes it whispers, and you have to lean in to listen.

Closing the Day

As we turned back toward the forest path, the sky shifted. Clouds pulled apart just enough to reveal streaks of light breaking through, a promise of spring waiting behind the cold.

Lake Minnewaska had given us its winter face — stark, silent, but powerful. And it became another chapter in Las Aventuras de Luz y Epifanía: the day we walked on frozen edges and let the stillness speak.

✨ Travel Tip: Lake Minnewaska changes with every season — bright and lively in summer, blazing with color in fall, and hushed in winter. Go more than once if you can; each visit feels like a different world.

The Ice Caves at Sam's Point

Every adventure with Luz becomes a story — laughter, small rituals, and big discoveries stitched together on the path. This time, we left the familiar behind and ventured into the Shawangunk Mountains of New York, ready to uncover the hidden Ice Caves Trail at Sam’s Point.

The Threshold

At the trailhead, a simple wooden sign read: Ice Caves Trail – Entrance. Nothing flashy, but to us, it felt like a gate into another world.

Beside the path stood an old white house, quiet against the trees, like a guardian of the mountain’s stories. With hats, backpacks, and snacks in hand, we crossed the threshold together — Luz grinning as if she already knew adventure was waiting.

The Journey Begins

The trail opened into long stretches of forest road, sunlight spilling through the trees in patches. Birds called from hidden branches, and every step felt like a gentle initiation.

We paused often: to snack, to laugh, to simply breathe in the green. Luz, with her wide straw hat and mirrored sunglasses, was the perfect hiking companion — equal parts playful and steady.

The Challenge of Stone and Shadow

Soon the easy path gave way to rock. Giant cliffs rose up around us, their surfaces streaked with time. Steps carved into stone pulled us deeper, stairways twisting between towering walls.

Inside the caves, the air dropped instantly cool. Shadows curled around narrow crevices, and patches of ice clung stubbornly to the stone — even in summer. It felt like walking into the earth’s breath, a sacred secret hidden beneath layers of rock.

Rest, Reflection, and Laughter

Every adventure has its pauses. Ours came in the form of snacks by the car, Luz laughing mid-bite, her joy reflected in her glasses. And later, perched on top of a giant rock, she rested hat in hand, smiling at the forest around us.

Moments like these — the in-between, the small — are just as much the adventure as the caves themselves.

The Summit

At last, we reached the overlook. The forest stretched endlessly below, rolling hills painted in green under a wide sky. Luz stood at the edge, hat in one hand, looking out as if the whole horizon belonged to her.

We didn’t say much — we didn’t need to. The view spoke in silence, filling us with the kind of awe you carry long after you’ve gone home.