A log jam of avalanche debris damns the outlet to Mills Lake in the Glacier Gorge of RMNP.

Some of the prettiest naturally cured wood sits in the outlets to the many lakes near treeline that have an ample supply of avalanche supplied trees to provide shelter for the many animals that live in this riparian ecosystems of the alpine high country.

Mills Lake was the scene of many devastating avalanches following the March of 2003 snowstorm that dropped up to 6 feet of heavy snow at these elevations between 8-12,000'.   The climax avalanches that released a week after the storm cleared took out many sections of forest, dropping some into these alpine lake and creating even bigger log jams that would be perfect den wood for a family of beavers or Robinson Caruso types looking for a float across Mills.