This is a hike I had been eyeing up for quite some time. Rocky Mountain National Park, a hike up from Bear Lake, to Spearhead.
I cherry picked my day: warm, sunny, midweek (for parking access), and a while since it had snowed (so the powder was packed and quicker to walk on), but still I wasn't sure how feasible the goal was. The trail head is at 9100' MSL and the base of Spearhead at 11250' MSL, over 2000' feet of ascent at altitude in snowshoes.
The trail immediately climbs quite a bit but the scenery is nice and mesmerizing, distant peaks, frozen waterfalls.
Once up to Mills Lake the grade calms down.
Mills Lake.
Jewel Lake - I think.
After climbing up from Black Lake, I thought I might be turning around quickly, It had gotten pretty cold, the weather was turning, I was still climbing vigorously, and already wearing all the clothes I brought along. However just a few minutes later the sun poked through and the place changed dramatically.
I stuck around Spearhead peak, and used up what was left in my battery with the coldeating it up.
West face of Longs peak (flat looking) up top at 14,259' MSL and "keyboard of the winds" formations.
Black Lake and McHenrys Peak 13,320' and Arrowhead (right).
This is a hike I had been eyeing up for quite some time. Rocky Mountain National Park, a hike up from Bear Lake, to Spearhead.
I cherry picked my day: warm, sunny, midweek (for parking access), and a while since it had snowed (so the powder was packed and quicker to walk on), but still I wasn't sure how feasible the goal was. The trail head is at 9100' MSL and the base of Spearhead at 11250' MSL, over 2000' feet of ascent at altitude in snowshoes.
The trail immediately climbs quite a bit but the scenery is nice and mesmerizing, distant peaks, frozen waterfalls.
Once up to Mills Lake the grade calms down.
After climbing up from Black Lake, I thought I might be turning around quickly, It had gotten pretty cold, the weather was turning, I was still climbing vigorously, and already wearing all the clothes I brought along. However just a few minutes later the sun poked through and the place changed dramatically.
I stuck around Spearhead peak, and used up what was left in my battery with the coldeating it up.
Black Lake and McHenrys Peak 13,320' and Arrowhead (right).