Lawn Lake Llama Outing

Distance: 6 miles round trip (12.9 mile round trip to Lawn Lake)
Elevation: 8,540 ft - 9,632 ft (campground)
Elevation Gain: 1,092 ft
Date Hiked: 22 October 2011
Dogs: No, National Park
Bathroom at trailhead: Yes
Tags: #rmnp, #estespark, #llamas, #hiking

Llamas on the Lawn Lake Trail

One day in October we decided to take a few llamas on a stroll in Rocky Mountain National Park.  We called the park information line and asked if the Bridal Veil Falls trailhead had space for stock trailers.  The voice on the phone sounded like something out of the "Mummy's Revenge", ancient and crotchety, but it said yes so we were foolishly pacified.  This turned out to be very wrong and in fact we almost got ourselves stuck trying to turn around at the end of McGraw Ranch Road.  Needless to say we were not happy.  With On Star in the truck we called the park headquarters again.  This time, the mummified assistant answering the phone was more forthcoming... "Eh, what is stock?" Like horses and stuff and we answered.  "Eh, Bridal Veil Falls has no space for horses".  Duh we replied we just found that out.  Where in the park can we take our llamas we asked as we drove back into Estes Park.  "Eh, I have no idea" the voice replied with the unmistakable sound of a sarcophagus lid closing.  We were not about to let this go, however and made our B movie reject look it up.  That is how we ended up at the Lawn Lake Trail.  This turned out to be a much better option.

The stock parking for Lawn Lake is a quarter of a mile up Fall River Road from the Lawn Lake Trailhead.  It is quite large and the stock trail starts just across the road.  While it does head to the trailhead, there is a turnoff for the trail itself that cuts a few hundred yards off the trip.

Looking down on the Alluvial Fan.  Large boulders the size of cars litter the valley, testament to the power of water. 

20 years later and flood is still evident

I have always liked this trail because it winds leisurely along the eroded banks of the Roaring River.  Back in 1982, the Lawn Lake dam failed, causing a torrential flood that ripped out the banks of the the Roaring River, creating the Alluvial Fan (a great place to walk in the park), and flooding Estes Park, killing one camper.  The force of that flood is still evident today.

Mt Chiquita (13,069 ft) peeks above the trees while Ypsilon Mountain (13,514 ft) stays out of site just to the right.

Long's Peak dominates the view looking back down the trail

After hiking with llamas to Thunder Lake, which can only be classified as a death march, the Lawn Lake trail was like Disneyland.  It was flat, without rocks, blanketed with soft pine needles and airy.   A few peaks were visible from the trail, but the big draw was the solitude, pleasant Lodgepole forest, and crisp fall breezes that tickled the senses.

Our turn around point.  Lawn Lake is another 3.5 miles further near the mountain in the distance.

Llamas Krescent and Liberty smile for the tourists..."Can we pet them?" was a common refrain. 

We turned around at the campground, which is 3 miles in.  The hike to Lawn Lake is much longer (13 miles round trip).  I would love to come back and run it.  As it was we were walking at least 3 miles an hour.   We might return this summer to take the llamas all the way.  They are great for carrying your caviar and inflatable butlers to remote picnic locations.  Just don't forget that etiquette demands a cummerbund for such formal occasions.  

Thunder Lake Hike

Distance: 13.6 miles round trip via Ouzel Falls or 12.2 miles round trip via the fire trail
Elevation: 8,500 ft -10,574 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,074 ft net, 2,318 ft cumulative

Thunder Lake

I confess that I was trepidatious about hiking to Thunder Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Ten miles with a heavy pack and stiff boots is a haul. 14 miles seemed overwhelming. On top of that, I was mobilized with the National Guard for the two weeks prior in support of the Democratic National Convention. I worked nights and did not get a chance to exercise. Not what I prefer to do before a death march.

Getting the Llamas ready to go

My friends saved me, however, by bringing Llamas along to carry a huge potluck lunch and all our gear. All I had to do was carry one liter of water and my camera. I even wore lighter boots since I was carrying no weight. The trail itself is a gradual climb with only a few short stints of quad busting effort. By the end, the distance did not seem so bad, which tells you how much pack weight affects the body.

View of the trail

Thunder Lake is a pretty destination that everyone should do at least once. It is surrounded on two sides by crenelated ridges and on the other two sides by large grassy meadows. The downside of the lake, however is that there is no place to sit and lounge near the lake itself. You can walk down to the shoreline and bushwhack through the shrubbery to view the lake but there is no place to sit. We ended up having our party on the porch of the backcountry cabin that looks out onto one of the meadows.

Stream along the trail

Llamas crossing a stream

There are two routes you can take to Thunder Lake, both start in the Wild Basin side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The most common route takes you by the Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls. While adding some variety, it is also 0.7 miles longer. On this trip we chose to take the fire trail by pass instead. This trail is steeper and rockier but also shorter. We did this not only to save mileage on the long hike, but also to minimize pedestrian traffic for the Llamas. Be advised that this route is in the trees the entire time with only occasional brief glimpses to the south of Meadow Mountain (11,634 ft) and St. Vrain Mountain (11,391 ft). The views do get better for the last two miles with occasional stream crossings to lighten the mood.

Farther along the trail

The ranger cabin with the lake in the background

If you have not been to Wild Basin in a while, you will notice that the National Park Service has improved the parking situation. In addition to more parking slots, there was a small army of volunteers telling you precisely where to park. The lot, while large, does fill up by 9:30 on the weekends so get there early if you want a spot.

Thunder Lake

Meadow as seen from the cabin

Despite a forecast with a low probability of rain, it rained the entire way back to the car. My Marmot raincoat leaked like a sieve and I was soaked through. This is my second rain jacket. The other one, an REI brand also leaked badly. My friends did believe when I say this happens. Am I cursed or have others run into leaky jackets? For several hundred dollars, I expect more.

The right side of the lake

Traveling with Llamas was a hoot. Each one has a unique personality and facial expressions. I enjoyed watching their feet as they walked. They have soft pads on the bottom of their feet, which makes them ideal wilderness packers. Their impact is less than a hiking boot and their hooves are so small that they are comical in appearance. They would hum when not together as if whining for their buddies. As members of the camel family, they don’t drink much water and did not eat the grain that was brought along for them. They can carry a third of their body weight, roughly 50-75 pounds, and will literally crawl into your minivan. The gal who owned these Llamas does not own a commercial business but loans them out to the Forest Service. If you find a commercial outfitter, they run about $50/day per Llama.