Impossibly rich colors in the height of fall at Echo Lake near the Canadian Border in Vermont. You can drink in the colors, quite literally.The lake water is clear and clean due to its oligotrophic environment (low in nutrients that are necessary to feed life). In this sense, the waters of Echo Lake are similar to water in caves, glacial and polar ice. I am grateful to live in this environment, though I do pay my dues—winter is harsh with heavy snowfall and temps that dip to -30. It's doable!