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.