Signs of an Early Winter?

Last Wildflowers of the Year?

Fall officially begins on September 22nd but you would think that winter had already arrived in the Colorado high country! I had a feeling a hike after a solid day of rain in Denver would be a dicey proposition when they were predicting snow above 10,000'. Especially after the photos shown on the local news stations of snow covered peaks and slushy highways. But I've been really been wanting to hike up to Heart Lake and even though it is perched at 11,300' I just had to give it a shot.

Private Property at the Trailhead

It has probably been at least 20 years since I've hiked to Heart Lake. A great friend from my days at Martin Marietta who passed on at much too early of an age, used to lead us to fabulous hikes every weekend. Heart Lake really stuck in my mind as a phenomenal place, but I wasn't sure why, so I had to hike it again. Most of my hiking buddies like the shorter, less strenuous hikes, so this was a hike I decided I had to do on my own. Luckily the trailhead starting point has changed for the better. When I hiked it with Wayne and his wife Clairesse we had to climb over a fence and cross private property. Since then the James Peak Wilderness area has undergone a lot of trail work and a trail now goes around the property of the Union Pacific Railroad. When I hiked to Crater Lakes last fall I was fortunate to see a train coming through the tunnel and the many railroad enthusiasts that awaited its arrival. On this trip I saw not only one, but two trains headed toward the tunnel as I departed. The second train was an interesting collection of nothing but engines - probably 10-20 of them in a row! But alas, my legs were too tired to stop and take a photo!

Moffat Tunnel, East Portal

This trailhead now offers many hiking choices in the James Peak Wilderness area which is adjacent to the Indian Peaks Wilderness. I plan to go back for several more hikes before the snow socks the trails in for the year. The Heart Lake trail follows the South Boulder Creek most of the way. It starts around 9211' and climbs to over 11,300'. Most guidebooks say it is about 8.4 miles round trip but my GPS (and my legs) recorded my hike at over 10.5 miles.

Trail Markers on the Tree

The trail is very well marked the first 2 miles or so but as you climb higher the forest becomes dense and trail options are confusing. Luckily they have placed trail markers on the trees to help you find your way and have tried to block social trails with obvious 'wrong way' signs. In the photo above you see not only one red circle but also a blue marker and a slash into the tree to mark the trail. Look up a bit - this trail is also used in the winter for snowshoeing and cross country skiing so the markers are up higher since the snow gets pretty darn deep up here. :)

Snowy Footbridge

It does get a bit confusing as you climb through the perrenial streams, downed trees and muddy/wet conditions. I was very pleased to see that several people were ahead of me this morning so I could follow their snowy footprints. The first 2 miles were mostly damp but the snow started appearing well below 10,000'.

Snow Packed Trail/Stream

By the time I reached 10,000' the trail was mostly snow and some of the uphill climbs were very slippery. I was very happy to have at least one hiking pole with me to help climb without falling. It was also very beneficial on the slick rock stream crossings. I wasn't looking forward to the downhill approach but luckily the sun and more people traffic made it more of a slushy/muddy mess then an icy slide down.

Lower Lake of Rogers Pass Lake

The first lake you reach is small but sits beneath a beautiful peak. A few more slushy maneuvers uphill and you reach Rogers Pass Lake. It is very large and hard to photograph up close so it is definitely worth the climb up toward the pass and Heart Lake to get a better photos of Rogers Pass Lake.

Rogers Pass Lake

Only two other crazy hikers were ahead of me after Rogers Pass Lake. They actually headed up to the pass - I bet it was a very scary ascent without ice axes and other self arrest gear. The short distance I had to go to get to Heart Lake was plenty for me. I had thought about bringing my winter boots but didn't, so every post-holed step into the deep snow made my feet colder and wetter. I was the only person that climbed to the lake at that hour (noon-ish) so I had to make my own trail through the snowpack. Cold as it was it was actually a pretty cool experience to have a lake to myself. I journeyed over to the only rock that looked like it might be flat enough to sit upon. Finding a good route there was half the battle as the willows and pine trees were weighted down in snow and footing amongst the hidden rocks was very questionable. Since I was hiking alone I was extremely careful about where I placed my feet.

View of Heart Lake

I shot a few photos of the lake once I reached the high point and was not able to capture a good close up of the lake due to it's size and shape. It is shaped like the human organ, not the typical shape we associate with hearts. It was a peaceful, tranquil place, nonetheless, and I spent over an hour contemplating my navel (I mean my Nikon), and just enjoying the serenity of having such a beautiful piece of God's creation to myself. The sun was warm enough to fend off the biting nip of the wind and I eventually meandered across the shoreline along the length of the lake watching every step I took into the mysterious depths of the snow below me. Although I could have stayed there a long time, I left once I knew the two people who were climbing Rogers Pass in front of me were not heading for the dangerous looking cliff of windblown snow guaranteed to avalanche with the first foot stepped upon it.

Close Up View of Rogers Pass Lake

The descent was dicey as the slope was pretty extreme and the snow made every step a real experience. I eventually got down to the trail made by those before me and stopped for a moment to enjoy the beauty of Rogers Pass Lake. Several fisherman were trying their luck at snagging a fish that wasn't frozen to death or in a semi-coma.

Muddy Trails

I was pleased to see the trails were more muddy and wet than icy. The Rocky Mountain sunshine was doing a great job of melting off the snow - the resulting mess was a kids delight. I gave up trying to keep my feet semi-dry and just plunged through it to the delight of my inner child. It was a long way down - I didn't have to struggle to breathe like the way up but every step was a strategic one to keep myself from slip sliding down the hill.

As I finished up the last few miles I was filled with gratitude for the friends who have shared the beauty of this country with me. Our lives are filled with stressful, time consuming activities but if we just stop for a moment or an hour or two we can find the peacefulness and beauty in the world around us by spending a little time in nature. I was in awe of the numerous people headed uphill with backpacks full of gear at 3pm. I couldn't imagine where they would find a dry, warm place to spend the night but I suspect that just being alone in this majestic wilderness was all they needed to cleanse their souls.

Enjoy the colors of the fall wherever you may live or explore!

Jan

PS - is anyone else struggling with the formatting issues of blogspot? Everytime I add a new photo it hoses up all the formatting associated with either the photo or the text. Adds tons of extra lines. Any ideas?