Hiking Getaway – Rocky Mountain: Energetic

“Patty is one of the best hiking guides I have encountered. Besides her ability to set people at ease, set clear directions etc., her knowledge of the area is amazing.  Having someone of her professional caliber helped settle my fears regarding some of the hikes” Moira C.

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of America’s great scenic treasures and must see for any Colorado visitor.  Within its boundaries are spectacular alpine features, including towering above-timberline peaks that are snowclad year-round, countless lakes and waterfalls and beautiful mountain valleys. It is a home for elk, deer, bear, mountain lion, fox, beaver, marmot, pika, ptarmigan, and much more.  With so much to see, we will focus on exhilaration and variety.  In a single hike we can pass through 3 life zones whose flora and fauna change as the elevation changes. This 3-day tour will give you a great introduction to the area, and we expect it will create a yearning for more visits.

Our Hiking Getaways allow your group of 4 or more to choose any 3 day period within the season for an exclusive guided adventure. Lodging is not included, but can be added on.  Hiking tours can run from mid May to late October, if conditions allow.  Snow can often linger at the high elevations until July, but our guides know hundreds of trails in the area and can always find a scenic option.

On Day 1, after the DIA airport pick up, we’ll shuttle to Wild Basin, the southern most trailhead in the National Park. We’ll have a warm up hike to beautiful Calypso Cascades and nearby Ouzel Falls. We’ll make a loop hike by returning on the little used North St. Vrain Trail (6 miles). Wild life abounds on this quiet trail.

We’ll hike on Day 2 from the Glacier Gorge trailhead, following Glacier Creek as it continues its course through the Gorge. Early in the hike, we’ll encounter thundering Alberta Falls and then it’s on to some of the park’s most renowned lakes. In rapid succession, we’ll climb to the Loch, rise beyond the tree line to Timberline Falls, scramble up a ledge along the falls to Lake of Glass and beyond, finally reaching our destination- incredibly beautiful Sky Pond, nestled in the shadow of Powell and Taylor Peaks. The views of all that we passed are breathtaking as they unfold in a panoramic fantasy in the course of our descent (9 miles).

Day 3 we’ll hop a shuttle to the popular Bear Lake trailhead. Soon we will leave the crowds behind as we ascend a ridge, then meander our way along the flank of Flattop Mountain past Lake Helene. Here we meet the spectacular valley of Fern Creek where we skirt on a high ledge past the peaks of Notchtop, Knobtop, Gabletop and Little Matterhorn. We continue down the valley past shimmering Lake Odessa and serene Fern Lake. After joining the Thompson River at The Pool, we exit the flat valley to the waiting van. You are almost guaranteed to see herds of elk in this valley. Alas, our taste of the Rocky Mountain majesty has come to an end.  On our return to Denver we’ll have time to reflect on the grandeur of the peaks we leave behind, and be inspired to begin planning for our next adventure!