It has been 3 months since I was here at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. The warm early autumn weather at that time has been replaced by some warm early winter weather. Skies are sunny with temperatures in the mid 30’s and miraculously there is little to no wind. My hiking boots have been replaced by a pair of snowshoes for today’s adventure to Mills Lake.
The trailhead sitting at 9,240 feet in elevation is no longer cloaked in fluttering leaves of gold. Instead the entire ecosystem is blanketed by a thick layer of snow. The sounds of nature seem to be as quiet as a sleeping bear hibernating for the winter. Any noise from the park road or from other snowshoe enthusiasts is quickly absorbed by the white insulation on the ground.
As I walk along the packed down snow on the trail, all I hear is the crunching sound emanating from beneath my stride. An occasional rattle from my backpack reminds me why I am making this journey today as a sizable tripod for my camera is in tow and strapped to the outside of my pack. The goal is to capture some snow capped peaks from a distance in my lens and I am confident that the backdrop of Mills Lake will fit this description. All I have to do is get there before the light fades into the winter sky.
The forest thickens as I continue my trek. Snow looks as if it has been sprayed on the trees. Although the elevation gain is only 700 feet by the time I reach Mills Lake, it feels as if I am on an escalator up the mountain. My snowshoes grip the packed snow on the trail and my poles help me to slowly advance up as well.
Mills Lake sits at 9,940 feet in elevation. The last time I was here, an elk swam across it. This time, after a lone figure on snow shoes crosses the lake, I am completely alone. There is a deafening silence as I remember my encounter with the elk in the fall. I also begin to wonder if it is safe to be standing on the snow covered ice taking pictures. I move around as to not stand in any one place for very long. The ice holds.
A gust of wind hits me in the face and reminds me that I am high up in the mountains. With the light fading, it is time to head on down the trail. My perception of the trail is now one of a lot of up to get this far. My snowshoes grip the trail as I rapidly make my way down. I come around a bend and remember that elk that charged me for the fun of it last September. He is nowhere to be seen today. It is just me and my thoughts on this day.
The last part of the trail back to the trailhead of course is uphill and I am ready to be done. I hear other people that are making their way back as well. I decide that no one will pass me as I accelerate toward the parking lot. This last burst of energy taxes my feet a little as I feel the effects of the nearly 6 miles I have walked today.
When I return again this winter, I might try this trail on cross country skis. It may be a little dicey in some spots, but well worth the risk. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
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