2022 Fall Trip - Day 7/42 - 8/31/2022

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 - It is up into Rocky Mountain National Park for one of the Best Hikes of my life!

16.5 miles in 9:41 - I'll show you Google Earth shots later.

I'm so excited about each day that I forgot to show you my "Colorado Driving Map":

When I asked a Ranger yesterday about parking up at Fern Lake Trailhead, she said that if I had an "Early Pass", I should have no problem. Well, my pass is for Park Entrance betwen 5 AM and 7 AM! So I was at "The Egg" at 6 AM when they opened (photo from later in the day, because IT WAS DARK AT 6 AM):

and I was going through the Park Entrance at 6:45.

Not too many people here as I started at 7:24

The first 1.7 miles (up to "The Pool") is level, and runs alongside Big Thompson River:

You continue up towards Fern Lake

Um, didn't Thomas Moran paint this scene?

I got up to "Fern Falls":

You keep gaining elevation:

This area was burned almost 10 years ago (October 2012). The lack-of-cover makes it easier to see your "forest friends":

The side-trail up to Spruce Lake and Loomis Lake was closed to provide seasonal breeding habitat for boreal toads (I can not make this stuff up). So, after I played at a pretty stream in the woods, I continued around to Fern Lake:

(Ignore the sign - this is Fern Lake):

Then uphill to find Odessa Lake:

Although there was a trail to the left/south, I was told that going right went all the way around the Lake, so that's where I headed:

When I reached the west end/uphill end, I was still following a trail, although not very "official". This is looking back down at Odessa Lake:

I kept going up, through BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY:

Don't forget to "Look Back" every once in a while:

I'm sort of playing this by ear, at 11:18 AM:

Don't worry - I know I can always GO BACK DOWN.

I'm heading for a lake that is off the map:

Don't worry about the snow - keep going up:

Beautiful Panorama before I cross over to the lake:

I crossed over, and saw TWO PEOPLE SITTING THERE, like it was Central Park (I can't find any name for this lake):

It has taken me 5 hours to go a little over 7 miles. I'm up at 10,998 feet (well, call it 11 Thousand!) - it's all downhill from here. Nice panorama on the way down:

Nice view down at Lake Helene:

From there is was an 8.8 mile hike back to my car:

Don't worry, that storm is moving away from me:

The view down to Cub Lake:

I'm heading down my trail on the left, crossing over at "The Pool" at the top of the valley/meadow, and heading back out on the trail to the right:

Beautiful going alongside the Big Thompson River:

I finished just after 5 PM - ONE OF THE BEST HIKES OF MY LIFE!! WOW - THANK YOU GOD for this wonderful Rocky-Mountain-National-Park Hiking Day!

Music for today - only 1 cd:

Ancient Future - Dreamchaser, 1988 fourth album:

smooth new age music for these beautiful mountains.