On Day 1, after the DIA airport pick up, we’ll shuttle to Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. We’ll try out our snowshoes on the mild Chasm Falls Trail for a beautiful destination hike. (5 miles) After our fun in the snow we will retire to the cozy Silver Moon Inn for hot cocoa and a relaxing dinner.
On Day 2 we will head to the Glacier Gorge Trailhead for a trek to Mills Lake and beyond. The beauty of winter hikes in the area is that off trail routes forbidden in the summer are available to us. With the knowledge of our expert guides there are many options of loops we can choose. (~6 miles).
We’ll hike on Day 3 from the Bear Lake Trailhead, wrapping around Bear Lake and ascending towards treeline and the continental divide. Our destination is Lake Helene where we will likely encounter untracked snow and stunning vistas of the high peaks. (7 miles).
Day 4, our final day, we’ll choose an alpine lake to circumnavigate. After climbing over the Bierstadt Moraine you’ll encounter a pleasant forest walk before reaching the subalpine Bierstadt Lake where you’ll have stunning panoramic views of the mountains along the Continental Divide. The area is more sheltered and you are likely to see signs of deer, elk, rabbits, beaver and fox, if not the animals themselves. (5 miles). Following a late lunch in Estes Park, we’ll return to Denver for an early evening arrival.
