On the trail - March 11, 2012

This past winter season, I have been drawn to high mountain lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park.  I have visited Mills, Bierstadt, Gem, Cub, and The Loch.  All of them were in their solid form; enabling me to view the surrounding mountains from unique perspectives.  While spring is on its way down below, winter stays long up there.  It is hard to imagine that all of the ice and snow will melt and there will be new obstacles to navigate on the hikes to these lakes in the summer.

Snowshoeing on frozen streams and above rocks and logs creates new routes to destinations that last only as long as winter stays.  On my journey to The Loch, I found myself on an alternate path that was much more challenging than the normal winter route over the frozen stream bed.  Although it added to the adventure, the side hill snowshoeing was a lot more uncomfortable than the level stream bed that I eventually followed on my way down.  The next time I snowshoe to The Loch, note to self, stick to the stream beds before heading up the final entry chute to the summit of the lake.

Another thing I will remember next time out is my gloves.  In my excitement to get going in the morning, I forgot some things and some were more important than others.  I have hiked many times without food, so all was not lost when I forgot to take along some apples, but while driving to the park, it suddenly occurred to me that I had forgotten to take a pair of gloves.  I could have stopped and bought some cheap ones, but that would have been like a man stopping and asking for directions.  So I decided to wing it.

When I got to the trailhead at Glacier Gorge, it was nice and warm, but windy and I knew it was only going to get windier up top at the lake.  I was contemplating not using my trekking poles and just putting my hands in my pockets when I realized I didn’t have those either, pockets.  I also considered balling my hands up and tucking them in my sleeves.

While pondering my dilemma, 3 girls pulled up and parked behind my Jeep.  While putting my snowshoes on at the trailhead, I saw them again, putting on their snowshoes.  One of the girls was having trouble getting one of her snowshoes on.  It turns out that she was trying to put it on backwards.  I pointed this out and this started a conversation that led to where we were all from.  They were from Illinois originally, but now lived in Denver, Illinois, and Florida.  Yes, the Florida girl was the one trying to put on her snowshoe backwards.

Anyway, after I mentioned that I had forgot my gloves, the girl that lived in Denver said she thought she might have an extra pair somewhere hidden in her car.  She went back to her car and came back with a wonderful, mismatched set of knitted finger gloves.  She said they were only worth like a dollar and that I could have them.  Trail magic strikes again.  I thanked her, snapped a few pictures for them, and headed down the trail with my hands warm and this story to tell.

The last thing to mention from this day was that I carried along a bandana that was just as valuable to me as my new gloves.  Since our noses run like faucets on the trail in winter, having something to wipe them with is important as well.