Fall Hike to Arapaho Lakes

Moffat Tunnel One Week Later...

It's amazing how much a place can change in the course of a week. If you look at my blog from last week you will see a very similar photo except the trees are still green and there is snow on the peaks. Winter tried to slide in last weekend, but Mother Nature straightened things out and we are back to the crisp days of fall and the kaleidoscope of color produced by the temperature changes and shorter days.

James Peak Wilderness

I was very happy to see the aspen trees changing to their warm shade of yellow. I had been worried that the leaves would just turn brown and fall off after that early blast of snow.

Turn off from CO 72 to Rollins Pass Road

I returned to the East Portal trailhead for another hike for a number of reasons. Mostly because there are several trails I have never explored, but also because access is easy (CO Hwy 72 avoids bumper to bumper traffic on I-70), and I can drive my gas saving Prius to the trailhead instead of needing a gas hogging 4WD.

I had a difficult time finding much information about the trail to Arapaho Lakes. I poured through many guidebooks and searched the web. The only description I could find was on this website: http://protrails.com/trail-print.php?trailID=113 which I just noticed has actually been updated since I pulled down the information in August. The old version was written before the trail was re-routed, but this current version looks pretty accurate except for mileages. My GPS recorded the round trip distance as 8.5 miles where they state it is a 7.1 mile hike.

Frosty Lupine Leaves

The first part of the hike shares the same trail I took for last weeks hike to Heart Lake. The temperature was in the 40's and a layer of frost appeared on much of the vegetation and some of the wooden trail crossings. After about 1.3 miles you branch off and take the Forest Lakes trail to the right. This is where the climbing starts. If you are seeking solitude this is the trail for you, I had the forest to myself the entire way up. The first human beings I saw were about 1/4 mile from the lake and they were heading down. I'd definitely rate this as a strenuous hike which is probably why there were not many people on it. I think I saw a total of six people and one dog.

Spanish Moss Covered Trees

One section of forest was covered in Spanish Moss. I actually lucked out and had beams of sunlight streaming through and was able to capture a decent photo. Forest shots are one of the toughest subjects for me. I felt like I was constantly stopping to take photos the first few miles. The diversity of subjects was phenomenal! I was trying to hustle a bit to stay ahead of a huge group of boy scouts who had a lot to talk (and scream) about.

Fireweed and Lichen Rock

I'm glad I took the time to grab some of the colorful vegetation shots as the early morning conditions are typically the best for saturation and pleasing photographs. The 1.5 mile hike to the turn off for the Arapaho Lake trail is mostly in the trees but you do get a glimpse of the valley below. Here you can see not only the fall colors but the devastation that continues to spread through the Rocky Mountains from the pesty pine beetle.

Beetle Kill (Red is Dead) Trees

After what feels like a never-ending climb you finally reach the fork in the trail where the Forest Lakes and Arapaho Lakes trails diverge. I was hoping for an estimated mileage from this point but no such luck.

2.7 miles from the start of the trail to this junction

Although it is only about another 1.5 miles from this junction it is the toughest part of the hike. The narrow trail climbs straight uphill through heavily forested, damp terrain, with lots of downed trees to negotiate and various types of navigation skills required. The nice thing about this section is the beautiful Arapaho Creek which stimulates your senses with constantly running water and many scenic sections where you can stop and catch your breath.

Challenging Water Crossing

This is one of the few stream crossings that required a bit of balance and care. Luckily the water was not very deep so if you did miss a step you wouldn't get too terribly wet :)

After a lot of huffing and puffing you eventually reach timberline and start getting great views of the mountains and tundra. The waterfalls continue to weave through the meadows and alpine fields. You still have a bit more distance to walk but once you turn the corner and see the prize you realize it was definitely worth the effort.

Panorama of Arapaho Lake (4 photos)

For the second weekend in a row I had an entire alpine lake to myself. After taking a few dozen photos I sat on a rock and enjoyed some lunch. The wind starting picking up, the clouds started building and my visit was cut short by impending weather. Seems like I rarely get more than about 30 minutes at my destinations in the high country. Good thing I left when I did because the drizzle started about 1/2 mile from the car just as I was photographing the last flowers of the season - the blue gentian.

Blue Gentian

I'll be back to this area again to explore the Forest Lakes trail so stay tuned for another photo journal of the James Peak Wilderness area trails.

Happy Trails!

Jan