April 27, 2024-Spring Snow About 6+ inches of incredibly wet snow fell over the Estes Valley and RMNP. This will add nicely to the moisture content going into summer. April 25, 2024 - Wildflower Update Pasque Flowers & Sagebrush Buttercups are blooming at 8,000ft now. April 20, 2024 - Lily Lake April 11, 2024 - Wild Basin, Copeland Falls April 3, 2024 - Emerald Lake Trail The day had a melting sun; a light wind jacket over a couple of thin layers was all that was needed. A snow-packed boulevard had been walked in by many hikers all the way to Emerald Lake. In more than one spot, trail conditions were severely slick. Fortunately, almost all of the trekkers we saw had spikes strapped on their footwear, a must, although there were a few trying their best in slick bottom tennies adding an unnecessary adventure to their outing. But snowshoes were not necessary. Spikes was the ticket. While we enjoyed basking in a midday sun at the snow covered lake, admiring the excellent snow coverage from the previous storm and enjoying a couple of backcountry skiers climbing and making their turns, we were also anticipating a significant drop in temperature for the weekend to go along with extremely severe winds. April 2, 2024 - Lumpy Ridge Trail It is a warm early spring afternoon, temps in the 50's, a radiating sun with a light breeze coming off the alpine snowfields. Continuing my search for signs of spring, I headed to the Lumpy Ridge trail, a reliably good trail for early season Pasque flowers, and it did not disappoint today. This is a terrific trail through the months of April and May if a hiker is looking for a break from the persistent snows in the high country. Beginning at the Gem Lake Trailhead, 7,840', this trail is quite possibly the lowest elevation trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, just slightly higher than the Town of Estes and only 1.5 miles north of town. After chugging over the early rise of the trail, where there was just a small section of lingering ice, the remainder of the tail was good, dry, and easy hiking. Watch for patches of the Pasque flowers early in the hike. I only saw one or two solitary flowers, which means there are more to come through the rest of April. The aspens still looked dormant, but I'm sure it won't be long before they pop into life. Eventually the trail breaks into open terrain with the spectacular Front Range Mtns coming into view on your left and the towering rock formations popular with the rock climbing community looming up on your right. However, many of the popular rock climbs are closed through July as these are also popular breeding areas for raptors (www.nps.gov/romo/raptor-closures.htm). Much of this National Park trail does use an easement through the historic MacGregor Ranch (www.macgregorranch.org/charitable-trust). The trickiest part of this trail is deciding when to turn around as there is not any specific destination point. One is free to wonder along the trail for however long they wish. I chose to hike to a trail sign 1.8 miles from the trailhead and called it good there. After that the trail meanders into forested terrain and the views are not as good. This serves as a great afternoon hike in the early spring months. April 1, 2024 - A significant spring snow storm on March 14-15 dropped roughly 30" at the Bear Lake Ranger Station putting the snow pack there at 60". About 29" also fell at 8,000' near Estes Park. Most of that snow in exposed areas has melted back to bare ground. A hunt today for any signs of Pasque flowers or Easter Daisies near the Beaver Meadows entrance station yielded not much activity in plant growth yet. There have been other years where those early spring flowers have already been in full bloom at the end of March, but this year it appears things will start latter. However, I did find a tick on me. So that is my first, somewhat ominous, sign of spring for 2024.
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"The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and animals and birds, ford the streams and cross the ridges, and tell a good story when we get back home." ~ Gary Snyder
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“Hiking -I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of the word ‘saunter?’ It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, A la sainte terre,’ ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.” ~ John Muir |