Jim Hayes
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Registered: Dec 03, 2004
Total Posts: 109
Country: United States
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 Re: RMNP | |
I live next door too. Bear Lake, Dream Lake, Alberta Falls ARE short hikes from the trailhead, your looking at 1/3 -2 miles maybe. They now have shuttle buses that leave from a parking lot (Glacier Basin) so you can't work from your car for the most part... be prepared to get on a bus with your kit. Sometimes crowded, sometimes almost empty, depends. You CAN drive to Moraine Park and thence hike the Fern Lake trail, flat and dusty.
Bear Lake trail is easy, flat and even paved. But it is at 9000+ feet and you will tire easily unless you live above sea level. Most trails are VERY dusty. The humidity is low, except sometimes in summer. So be prepared for sensor dust if wind picks up while lens changing on a trail.
When you get to Bear Lake elevation or higher do not use a laptop or a PSD. Hard drives are not rated to work above 9000-10000 feet...they use air as a bearing when spinning.
Here is an alternative I might suggest and you can use your car the whole way and get great views...go over Trail Ridge Road instead. .head straight for the road that goes right over the Divide, goes up to 12,182 feet and is the only place in 48 states AFAIK that has tundra (bring your Macro). Descend through Tundra Curves and Rock Cut, see the 5000 foot drop off at Rainbow Curve, Many Peaks Curve, rest at the Alpine Visitor center, then go down to where the Colorado River starts, the Divide, and then to Grand Lake. If you go farther you come to Lake Granby which is Colorado's largest lake.
If you take this route you will see drop off vistas, tundra, tops of mountains, a glacier or two maybe, twisted gnarled dwarf trees near treeline, Marmots if you're patient, chipmonks begging for food everywhere, Elk farther on down (you can even find those in Estes Park the nearest town to RMNP), Beaver maybe 8500 feet or so.
You will have to drive carefully around the curves. If you get dizzy above 10000 feet descend quickly. Have lots of water. Walk slowly. The weather can change in a minute no exageration, so bring a jacket, rain pants, etc even in summer.
Do not get close to the Elk. I see people standing 15 feet away from them with p&s cameras...they can damage you easily if frighted.
And please do not walk on the tundra, it takes 100 years for it to recover- stay on the paved paths.
I always type too much info...anyway, have a good time and have some of that wonderful taffy in Estes Park.
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