"Wild ice" seeker hikes to Lake Haiyaha in Rocky Mountain National Park for a skate on the jade-like surface

By Kerry O'Conner

After a big hike and as she's nearing treeline, a Colorado woman reaches a high alpine lake, swipes the ice to test its durability and straps on her skates. Frozen water cracks beneath with every stride. Laura Kottlowski carefully glides along the wild ice.

Professional mountain skater Kottlowski has a passion for chasing wild ice. She has extensive practice skating high country lakes and ponds and is trained in case she falls in. From the San Juan mountains all the way north to Rocky Mountain National Park, she chases, tests and skates.

Kottlowski most recently made the four mile hike up to Lake Hiayaha which famously turned a milky-green color after a massive rockslide in the summer of 2022. Geologists tell CBS Colorado that the slide trapped debris in the lake, turning it a new shade. They are not sure if the lake will stay this color long-term, and Kottlowski says on her Instagram that skating it was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

You can check out more of her videos on Instagram or her TikTok: @laura.kottlowski.