Grand Teton National Park Days 1 and 3

I rolled into GTNP around 7 am. I took a few photos of the amazing photos and then headed for the camp store to buy some bear spray. Bear spray is carried in case you encounter an ornery bear. It is strong pepper spray and acts as a deterrent. It is not worn like insect repellent.

I then hit the visitor center to check conditions. They were not overly informative except to tell me that where I planned to hike is an area where bears are often seen which I didn't know. 

I headed out and did a long (15ish) mile hike with little elevation gain. I saw lots of flowers and few people and no bears. It was a good hike. 

I accessed wifi at the Jackson Lodge and showered at Coulter Bay. I lucked out because I got there at 5:27 and the last payment for showers was at 5:30.  

Today I planned something a bit longer. It was a 19mile hike with moderate elevation gain up to Solitude Lake. I didn't take the water shuttle.   I left before 6am and only saw a few people on the trail coming back. I saw a number of wildlife - deer, pika, moose, marmots, etc.  I had solitude at Solitude Lake which was great. The lake was semi frozen and it was so pretty. 

As I left one other couple arrived and I saw many more in their way up as I descended. Glacier lilies covered the hillside and it was beautiful. I saw a marmot chomping on them filling his stomach after the long winter. 

Farther on I saw a group of people who had seen a bear but it was gone before I got there. I saw a bull moose one the way out in Cascade Canyon. Unfortunately Hidden Falls was closed but I could see it gushing in the distance. 

I took the horse trail home which is a bit higher than the normal trail. That was nice but it entailed a bit more climbing. 

I treated myself to dinner at Dornans  and somehow got in just before the line started 

Tomorrow I plan to go up to ampitheater lake. I might go check out the beavers tonight but I also might just rest 

Another great day

There were so many highlights of today that I don't know where to start. I hiked out from Bear Lake intending to do a big loop. That didn't happen because I got to an area with so much snow that I didn't know where to go. I still had some amazing views and put in some early morning miles especially the back and forth miles trying to pick up the trail. When I got back to the trailhead there was a truck with two lamas. It turns out that the park service in RMNP uses them to carry stuff for trail repair. How cool is that?  

Since I had some extra time I headed up to the Uts trail which was originally used by the Ute Indians. It is above the tree line and had many miniature flowers that grow in the tundra. The flowers had strong fragrance even though they were small. I am sure that is because they have a short growing season and need to pollinate quickly.   There were also several cute as can be marmots along the trail. 

From there I drove along Trail Ridge which is a road. I saw many elk including males with the velvet antlers and females with calves. 

I headed into Grand Lake and lucked into a hostel that is on a big cliff overlooking the lake. Tomorrow it is off to Verna Lake and maybe Spirit Lake. I hope I see a moose. 

Sky Pond

With an early start I made it up to Sky Pond today. As with yesterday the worst part was a boulder climb below Hlass Lake. The was so much snow melt it was like climbing rock in a stream bed. I got a very wet but in the way down and then slipped a couple of time in the snow field. Undoubtedly these pants are ready for the laundry. 

There was no wind so the reflections on the lakes were so pretty. Here is a panoramic image from Sky Pond

I saw a few marmots along the way but the one that interested me most was at Sky Pond. It rock hopped its way across the lake. It was really cute. 

Rocky Mountain National Park

I had planned to drive up on Saturday morning but when I got to the hostel on Friday night things didn't go so well.  FYI Avoid the Denver International Hostel at all costs.  I drove up to the park and just hoped I could find a place to crash.  I lucked into a good spot.  In fact there was a Subaru Forestor next to me doing the same thing.

I drove down to the Visitor's Center but it didn't open until 8 so I headed up to a trailhead that seemed promising at Bear Lake.  From there I hiked up to Dream Lake, Emerald Lake and Haiyaha Lakes.  It was absolutely beautiful.

When I got back to the trailhead I found out about the traffic.  Wow is all that I can say.  I rode the shuttle down to the Park and Ride and then caught another shuttle to the Moraine Park Discovery Center.  (I had to do this because there was not parking available in the Park).  I walked along the moraine and checked out the meadow wildflowers.  I saw a couple of elk running across the meadow.  Later I saw another popping its head up.  It was pretty hot in the afternoon and they were avoiding the heat.  

I went into Estes Park and found a place that provides shower access to smelly hikers.  On the way back to the Park I stopped by the Sheep Lakes.  They are on another moraine.  They are indentations left by receding glacier.  The Bighorn sheep go down there to access minerals in the mud.   Unfortunately there weren't any sheep there.  I will have to stop by again to try and see them down there.

Today I did I hike up towards Sky Pond.  It was a pretty hike that goes by the Alberta Falls.  Then up by a lake called the Loch which I am pretty sure means lake.  From there it is was up and over snow most of the way.  It was pretty steep in some sections but for one of the fist times I was prepared with microspikes and hiking hiking poles.  (I often forget them in the summer).  At one point the trail looked like it was a waterfall due to lots of snow melt.  I made it up to "Sky Pond" but it was pretty chilly so I headed back down to the Loch.  There I opened my map and found out much to my dismay that I had stopped .4 miles early at Glass Lake.  Argh !   Since it was warming up, I decided not to go back up (too much postholing).  I took a branch of the trail and went to Mills Lake.   I am not sure if I should go back.   Decisions, decisions

So my camera battery is out of charge and I am at McDonalds drinking Diet Coke and recharging it.

Piute Pass and Treasure Lakes out of Bishop

Despite the heat of Bishop I woke to frost on my car windshield at North Lake.  It was a chilly morning but I quickly warmed up as I hiked up the side of the mountain towards the pass that you can see in the distance in the above photo.  Trail was in the sun and basically snow free until just before Loch Leven.  Just below Loch Leven it was very snowy and a little hard to navigate but I made it to an icy Loch Leven.  From there on I was hiking intermittently in the snow.  The lakes were beautiful with the icy covers.  I saw a marmot here and there and one brave camping backpacker tucked away in his tent.

I worked my way up to the pass in the distance occasionally post holing into the snow.  At one point my leg went down but when it came up my shoe was stuck.  I had to reach down and pull it out with my hand.  I am super glad I got it back.  It would have been a chilly return to the base without footwear.  I eventually made my way to the pass and looked over the snowy backside to see Summit lake (see image below).



The next morning I decided to try and hike to Treasure Lakes.  I knew there would be snow and this is a trickier hike as I had never been there before so navigation would be more challenging.    There were a few tricky areas to navigate but I was pretty much on track and was almost to the upper lake when I began to post hole with each step.  I needed snow shoes.  The microspikes were not going to cut it.  I decided to turn back as I was the only person around and I didn't want to get into a dangerous situation.  I worked my way back without incident except for one post hole all the way up to my upper thigh.   I did get this nice reflection shot  while I was up there.



I am heading to Las Vegas for a couple of days.  From there I will try to do a couple of hikes in Utah and then head to Colorado for two weeks of training and very little hiking.  More adventures to come.

The summer begins

The summer hiking began with a hike in the Northern Sierras up to Loch Leven. The hike was not well marked and the snow level was quite low. I did make it to the lower and middle lake after a bit of back and forth. Campers at the lake said they didn't make it to the upper lake. I may have tried it but I was short on time. I gave fellow hikers some advice on the way down because they too were having  a hard time following the trail. I passed a couple who had given up completely. 

After this I met up with family and we explored Donner Lake State Park. The next day I drove from Roseville down the Eastern Sierras. It was pretty. 

I hiked the following day up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek. It was beautiful as always. I made it to Lakes 1-5 but eventually lost the trail before Black Lake so returned the same way.   

After that I drove up to Bishop and headed out to North Lake. On the way there was a car with hazard lights. I slowed and the driver got out an motioned for me to stop. She then picked up a snake off the road. It was about four feet long. I think it may have been a gopher snake. Then she got back in the car with the snake. I am not sure what she did with it as she drove.