Dream Lake

Distance: 2.2 miles round trip
Elevation:9,470 ft - 9,900 ft
Elevation Gain: 430 ft

Dream Lake on a less than stellar day. What you don't see in this picture is the 20 or so people standing about taking pictures. Most looked very uncomfortable in the deteriorating weather conditions.

On 20 September, I took our Turkish graduate student Ufuk and his wife Malda on a short hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Our actual destination was Emerald Lake, which lies 0.6 miles beyond Dream Lake, but an unforecasted series of storms turned us around at Dream Lake. They did not have rain gear and the temperature was in the 50s. A perfect recipe for hypothermia.

Two shots of pretty Nymph Lake and its Lilly Pads.

Longs Peak and Glacier Gorge from the Dream Lake Trail

Looking down on Nymph Lake from one of the many lookouts on the trail

The trail to Dream lake is meant to be handicapped accessible, but the pavement is so eroded, I would hesitate to take anything with wheels on it. The trail starts to climb a series of steps after Nymph Lake (0.5 miles), so from that point on it is able bodies only.

I love taking pictures of the Krummholz trees at Dream Lake. They are so twisted, no pun intended...well maybe.

Another shot from a lookout. This one had nice fall color.

I don't know what it is about Rocky Mountain National Park, but it always seems to be windy there and this trip was no exception. As soon as we crested the lip of the lake, our jackets and pant legs puffed up. This is not true for other areas in Colorado, so don't judge the state by this area alone.

Waves of rain hitting Longs Peak. This was not a good day to climb the mountain. It does not look bad in this shot. Most of the day, you could not see the summit at all.

While this trail is short, there are so many lookouts with stupendous views that it takes much longer than one would think. For anyone visiting the park for the first time, you need to do this trail at least once. It can be a warm up for longer adventures or the climax of a less strenuous trip. Just be prepared for wind, weather, and whacked out tourists jumping up and down with each new view.

Gem Lake

Distance: 3.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 7,882 ft - 8,830 ft
Elevation Gain: 948 ft

Gem Lake

Gem Lake is one of my favorite hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. It traverses an unusual igneous rock formation called Lumpy Ridge and reminds me of my youth hiking in the Sierra Nevadas.

Example of the well-maintained trail

Looking south from the trail. To the left is Twin Sisters, behind the large hill is Estes Cone, and the snow capped peaks are Longs, Meeker, and Mount Lady Washington.

The park has changed the trail head for Gem Lake since I last hiked it in 2006. There is a new, paved trailhead (Lumpy Ridge) with a nice bathroom and sign. Both the old and new trailheads are still on Devil's Gulch Road, which is right after the Stanley Hotel (see photo on my Winter RMNP photo shoot). The old trail used to skirt private property and wander by several homes. The new trail has a more natural feel to it and starts out right next to a large igneous boulder field.

The trail crosses large rock plateaus in several spots

Angled rocks. View is looking south east.

Gem Lake is a easy trail, and I will often take new hikers on it because the views are spectacular and the rocks add interest all along the way. Typical of trails in the park, the route is well maintained although towards the end, there is a section of high steps that would trouble someone with knee issues. Most of the trail is sandy with occasional traverses of broad rock plateaus.

A flat portion of the trail

Is this natural, or created by some ancient Atlantian civilization?

Besides the towering rocks, views of Estes Park and the surround peaks are visible from several locations. These would make an ideal al fresco dining spot for those more interested in lingering over a picnic lunch.

There are young aspens along the trail.

Paul Bunyans' boot. I knew someone that scrambled up this large rock and stuck his head through it. It is larger than you think.

Gem Lake itself is more of a pond and not a very spectacular destination. It is surrounded by rocks but compared with other high alpine lakes in the park, just does have the same appeal. It really is the route itself that is the appeal of the Gem Lake trail.

Faces in the rocks

Nearing the top, the rocks grow more dramatic. This wall is to the west.

There is a feisty inhabitant of the Gem Lake area and that is the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis). On a trip back in 2004, they were everywhere and were literally climbing into people's packs, climbing up their pant legs etc., all in an attempt to gather morsels of forbidden sandwiches. On this trip we did not see any, but we did not stay at the lake for long either.

A broader view of the Estes Valley and Peaks

The rock wall to the right of the trail just before the lake

The other nice feature of Gem Lake is that it is lower in altitude than other trails so it is suitable for the late fall or early spring. For a longer hike, one can head down the back side of Lumpy Ridge to Balanced Rock. I have done this once and found the trail somewhat monotonous, but since Gem Lake is short, the added excursion will at least give you mileage.

A Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel taken in 2004. At one point this little gal climbed up into my lap.

If you are visited the park for the first time and live at sea level, I would consider doing Gem Lake as one of your first hikes. It is short, lower in altitude, and the views will give you a perspective on the more traveled southern part of the park.

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.