September 2024 - Half an Hour Away

Sky Pond The Loch, and Timberline Falls via Glacier Gorge Loop @ RMNP

DISTANCE FROM DENVER: ABOUT 1.5 HOURS

SAT, August 4, 2024

I’ve been living in Denver for a little over 3 years, and this was only my second time hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park for some reason. Part of this could be because it’s a whole process to go there and reserve parking and everything. It could also be that when thinking about our weekend plans, we’re often going camping somewhere. But we made it a point to plan an RMNP day this summer and it was so worth it.

One thing that will probably only get worse at Rocky Mountain is the crowds (yet another deterrent from visiting). It’s a super popular national park, so it makes sense that it gets crazy crowded with tourists, especially at the Bear Lake lot. These huge clusters of people can take you out of the experience and make it hard to take it all in, but these are the things we have to accept. It’s annoying, but DUH, it’s a tourist attraction! And we all deserve to enjoy a place like this.

To be fair, we didn’t go as early as we could have. We usually try to start things early to beat crowds and traffic. For example, we leave for ski resorts at 5 am. And if you’ve read our previous posts, you know we start 14ers around 4 am. But sometimes we want to sleep in a little! This was one of those times. Aiming for earlier time slots or weekdays at RMNP may help you avoid crowds, but I did also see reviews on AllTrails mentioning going early didn’t help them, so who’s to say?

The route we decided on was Sky Pond The Loch, and Timberline Falls via Glacier Gorge Loop. AllTrails lists it as a 9.9-mile loop with an elevation gain of 2,168. (Keep in mind, the AllTrails stats aren’t always 100% correct). Jon had previously hiked to Lake Haiyaha and told me how beautiful it was and that he had to take me. We found a hike that included this viewpoint plus a lot more, that way it was something new for both of us.

I loved this loop so much. It hit tons of amazing sites! It was pretty lake-heavy, hitting Lake Haiyaha, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Lake of Glass. It also covered Timberline Falls, Sky Pond, Glacier Knobs, and Alberta Falls. This is the perfect hike to see various highlights at the park, especially if you’re looking for a longer hike. (It took us around 6 hours). Of course, RMNP is a huge national park, so it’s barely even a dent! But how cool is that? It’s close to home and offers so much to explore.

Lake Haiyaha was one of the first main stops on the hike and was a particularly crowded spot. The water is a beautiful crystal blue color. We hung out for a little and snapped some pics, but it was hectic and we had quite the hike ahead, so we didn’t stay for too long.

After departing from Haiyaha, the crowds thinned out significantly. We hiked a while longer in peace. We stopped at a lovely view when it was time to relax again. We sat on some rocks, took in the view, and bit into delicious juicy peaches.

We started moving again and eventually reached Timberline Falls. There was some climbing we had to do here. There were also a bit more crowds in this spot, but it didn’t feel as bad as earlier. Timberline Falls was beautiful, and to get to the final sights, we had to climb up the rocks. This was fun! The rocks were a little wet (obviously, it’s a waterfall), but I really didn’t feel that scared and confidently made my way up. There were lots of people climbing, some who probably rarely hike at all. It involved some fun challenges, but it wasn’t super crazy. I thought it would be a good prep for our next 14er on the list, Mount Sneffels, although that would be a different beast. It felt like a good way to at least get those wheels turning and my confidence up.

After looping back, the crowds started to pick up again. Once we made it back to the start, we got on the shuttle to get back to our parking. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that because the Bear Lake lot had filled up, we unfortunately had to take a shuttle from where we parked to the trailhead. Ugh, shuttles are so annoying. On the shuttle, I saw the calorie count on my watch was 1,111, which is the opposite of annoying. What a satisfying number!

After arriving back at our car and deboarding the crowded shuttle, it was time to figure out where we were eating and having some beers. We had trouble finding a brewery in Estes Park with the right vibe and food, but we landed on Avant Garde Aleworks, which had a food truck called WesTex BBQ. We had investigated one of the other spots initially, but it simply wasn’t the vibe. But Avant Garde was the place for us! We had ordered beers and then split a frosé. The drinks were great, the food was great, and our time was great.

This was a perfect Sunday. I loved the hike. We saw so many beautiful sites and got a good long workout in. The day was made even better with some beers, frosé, and BBQ before making our way back home.

I would highly recommend this RMNP loop to anyone looking to see some highlights of the national park and get some great exercise! Keep in mind it’s a fairly long hike and there is some climbing involved, but you can always skip that part!

A scenic view og rocks, pine trees, and mountains at RMNP

Chunky rocky terrain at the bottom of Timerbline Falls at RMNP

Mount Sneffels

DISTANCE FROM DENVER: AROUND 6 HOURS

moN, August 26, 2024

We’d been planning to hike Mount Sneffels for a minute, but weather and other issues (a giant blister on my heel from hiking 20 miles in the Grand Teton National Park) had us continually pushing this hike. We were holding out hope that this would finally be the right weekend and had both taken Monday off in the event that it was the best weather that day (it was). Mount Sneffels is in the Ouray area among the breathtaking San Juan Mountains. This part of the state had been getting a lot of rain lately and we did not want to get caught in anything. We’d spent the weekend bopping around Durango, Silverton, and Ouray. On Sunday night, we made our way as close as we could get to the trailhead. We passed what appeared to be a house (how wild to have a home here), as well as a road called McNutty Ln.

After getting everything ready to go to bed and hike in the morning, we crawled into the tent and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I heard rain. I was struggling to get back to sleep and had no idea what time it was. (Jon later mentioned it had been around 1:30 am). For all I knew, it could already be close to 4 am. Would we move the hike yet again? I got a little more sleep and the alarm went off at 3:30. It was time to get going. Luckily, it was no longer raining.

We quickly got ourselves together and ate our pre-hike nanners. Yuck-ily, the bananas were not quite ripe and pretty husky. But they did the job! The hike began on a road, which we spent a lot of time on. It was weird to be hiking an incredible mountain and spend so much time on an ordinary 4WD that cars could go up. We were excited to eventually ditch this dratted road and for the vibes to become more hike-like.

At one point, we saw glowing eyes. Could it be coyotes? (Reminder to bring your bear spray)! They were very still, but they started to move eventually. We exhaled when we discovered they were just deer. Ah, a suburb animal! Deer are still wild animals, and you shouldn’t approach them since they can be unpredictable, but I feel like their main thing is getting hit by cars. Phew, this was a relief.

As we climbed, we noticed a fresh dusting of snow on the ground, and I snapped a picture. I’ve hiked in snow before—sometimes remnants of winter snow or being dusted on as we go—but it’s always a cool experience, even if it makes things more challenging.

A dusting of snow on scree at Mount Sneffels

At a certain point, Jon spotted a fox. Foxes are one of my new favorite animals. They’re just so cute and small and cool. I was awestruck by the fox and the way it so effortlessly moved around the scree and overall choppy and technical terrain. While this was a planned adventure for us, it was every day for that little guy. I wished I was a fox.

The fox and the deer weren’t the only animals we encountered. We also saw some sweet little pikas! A pika is a small furry mammal with a plump body and short limbs that often lives in high alpine environments. Pikas are so freakin adorable but they’re also so resilient. Again, it’s so impressive how these animals just exist in a habitat like this. The world blows my mind. You will often see pikas collecting grass and flowers, and spotting one is the cutest sight.

The amount of snow increased quite a bit as we continued our ascent. It was also getting very steep. Jon thought we might make it to the top before sunrise at the pace we were keeping. I wasn’t sure when we would summit, but I knew the steeper terrain was the first thing that happened before things got a little… McNuttier. Can’t get too excited! Of course, we had researched the hike beforehand, and Jon had downloaded all the details from 14ers.com. So, we knew we weren’t just facing a steep trail.

A snowy mountain in the dim light before the sun rose.

Lai hiking in the snow with a headlamp on in the dim lighting. Rugged peaks are seen in the background

After working our way through a scree-covered slope, we got to a steep and rocky gully. I started to get nervous. I was taking it slow on my hands and knees, but it was going well. I was getting myself up with no issues with my ability, but I just couldn’t shake the thought of getting back down, despite trying to keep my focus on the task at hand. It was also freezing and windy.

Jon took this video as we were making our way up the gully. If you look closely when he moves the camera down, you can spot me taking a little break.

When we finally reached the top of the gully, we arrived at what’s known as ‘the notch’. The view was absolutely insane, but I was too scared to take a picture or to fully appreciate it. I looked up at the notch and felt like I couldn’t make it. I watched Jon climb through and climb back again, testing it out. He comforted me, told me nothing bad would happen, and reassured me that if I didn’t feel comfortable summitting, that was perfectly fine. After talking for a bit, he went through again. I felt better and approached the notch to take another look at it. It didn’t seem so bad. I worked my way through, with his help, and it wasn’t so bad! But that wasn’t the end of the hike. We still had a bit of scrambling to do before reaching the summit.

We pushed on a bit longer and finally reached the summit. We were also the first ones to do so that day! The top had a smaller place to stand versus the other 14ers I’ve done where it almost feels like a big party at the top. Jon said this one actually felt like the top of a mountain peak, unlike many others that often feel more like plateaus. We were both shivering because it was so cold and our hands were wet from all the snow. (We had brought gloves, but not quite the right type). I looked around and saw the box I’d known was up there from Instagram. With shaking hands, I opened it. It had a sign with “Mt. Sneffels 14,155 f”t on it, as well as a logbook. I quickly signed, “Jon + Lai So Cold So Scary”.

Jon at the summit of Mount Sneffels holding the sign

Lai at the top of Mount Sneffels with a cardboard sign with details of the peak. Greenery and a lake are in the bacground.

We weren’t there long before heading down. I got through the notch pretty smoothly, with Jon’s help again, and we started going down the gully. Once I started descending, I realized it wasn’t actually that hard, just tedious. I pretty much sat down and used my arms to help me. I took it slow and cautiously, and I was A-Okay, (just a little over it). Then, we made it to the scree field, which was also totally fine but required caution. I didn’t feel like I was in danger, but I was tired of all the scree. We found ourselves wishing for that now not-so-dratted-sounding road.

We love a scree field! *sarcasm*

We finally made it past the scree field and back toward the road. We saw gorgeous views that we hadn’t gotten to see on the way up. It’s always fun to come back down a 14er and see what scenery you missed in the headlamp light. It’s also more relaxing knowing you’ve made it past the hard part, allowing you to savor the sense of accomplishment and take in your surroundings with greater ease.

Jon standing and looking at the peaks and valley during the descent from Mount Sneffels

A waterfall trickling down green mountains with a gray mountain and a blue sky

As always, remember to do your research. It’s important to know what you’re getting into before doing something like this. While the route we took was considered an “easy class 3”, and some people even do it as their first 14er, it’s not for everyone. It was something within my ability (with the help of my partner), but we are all different. On the flip side, it may not be that intimidating for you, especially if you’re used to harder climbs. We also wore helmets to protect ourselves from loose rockfall, which is typically recommended for more challenging hikes. Neither of us was attacked by rocks and we saw many hikers without helmets, but I’m glad we had them.

If you find yourself in a situation where you’re uncomfortable completing a hike or other challenging adventure, try not to feel bad about it. If you have to stop, you have to stop. I almost did on this hike. It would have been disappointing and difficult to accept, but if it felt like the right decision for me, then that’s just how it is. I recently saw a girl online (I wish I remembered the account) who talked about multiple times she’s had to turn back, and it was really comforting to see. It can be hard to treat ourselves kindly if we don’t accomplish something we set out to do, but we should all practice self-love and compassion. Sometimes, this may mean bailing on something.

Takeaways:

Not everything is actually as scary as it looks.
If you do have to bail, try not to feel bad about it.
This hike had me in absolute awe of nature (especially foxes and pikas).

To view more images from our Sneffels journey, check out the gallery below.

The log box sitting at the snow-capped peak of Mount Sneffels

Jon toward the top of Mount Sneffels among rugged snow capped peaks, with green mountains and a lake in the background

Huron Peak

Distance from Denver: About 3 hours

Sat, July 20, 2024

At 3:30, as we were cozied up near the trailhead in the rooftop tent, the alarm went off. The hardest part of a 14er is the early wake-up time. And unlike a long drive, I can’t just go back to sleep in the car (passenger princess life). We had decided to sleep in our hiking clothes, which helped reduce the amount of steps pre-hike. (Changing would’ve been so annoying at that hour). We got up, got everything we needed, ate bananas, and started to hike Huron Peak just before 4 am. A 14er hike is unique because if you do it the way we do (the right way), you’ll start in the dark (headlamp required) and watch the sunrise as you rise up the mountain yourself (unless you make it to the top even before the sunrise).

Watching the sunrise while hiking a 14er is a beautiful experience.

It took us about 2 hours to reach the summit, which is around 14,006-14,012 ft. (Different sources say different things). The mountain recently became the smallest 14er in the state, now smaller than Sunshine Peak, which was previously considered the shortest one. But, apparently, despite what I’d heard, these mountains are not shrinking as the elderly do. The updated rankings are thanks to a new and improved measuring system. Luckily, no 14ers lost their status because of this.

Upon reaching the peak, we saw two other groups there, one solo guy, and a group of two dudes. The group of two had started about an hour before we did. So, while we weren’t the first people to summit that day, it was pretty quiet until the way back down (when the real swarms started coming). As much as people think it’s crazy to start a hike before 5 am, I think it’s crazier to start a 14er any later than that, but to each their own I suppose. And I say this as someone who has never been much of a morning person. Living in Colorado will change your habits!

After hanging out at the summit for about ten minutes, taking it all in, snapping our pics, eating RX bars, and chatting briefly with our fellow hikers, we began our descent. Depending on who you are, this part could be easier or harder than the climb. I get a little nervous going down over the loose rocks, so I was definitely slow-moving for that part of it, which is mostly just toward the summit. I slipped and lost my balance a couple of times, but nothing detrimental.

More and more people were hitting the trail as we went down. We even saw some trail runners. There’s always someone doing the most out here! We took a brief excursion to check out a waterfall before heading back to the main trail and continuing our way to the car. We jogged the last little bit, which is something we’ve been doing lately.

At the car, we changed out of our hiking boots and began situating all of our stuff to clear out. When I went up to unzip the tent, a swarm of moths flew out from underneath the zipper flap. EW! I went in, got all the bedding, and passed it down to Jon. We have a system! As he was compressing the tent afterward, even more moths revealed themselves. It was like when a magician pulls endless streamers from a hat.

A picture I snapped on the way down.

Next, it was time to head to brunch. We thought we were headed to a place called The Buena Vista, assuming it was in the nearby town of Buena Vista. Unfortunately, as Jon pulled up the maps and could not find the place, he eventually realized it was in San Francisco. So, our plan hit some bumps. We did some more searching and called another place to confirm their breakfast hours. I was trying to pull up Timberline Craft Kitchen in Silverthorne, but had actually brought up a place in Utah called Timberline Restaurant, AIAIAI! (Their brunch did look good). While the correct Timberline also had an enticing brunch menu, and I’d like to go at some point, we ultimately decided it wasn’t quite what we wanted and cost slightly more than we wanted to spend.

We ended up going with Bread + Salt in Frisco. (They also have a Lakewood location). We started off with a bottle of prosecco with orange juice and grapefruit juice on the side to make mimosas. We also ordered the Challah French toast to split for a little sweet bite before our main meals. Jon went for the Two Eggs Meal (but he made it 3 eggs), which came with eggs your way (over medium for him), hashbrowns, bread, and added sausage. I ordered the Chipotle Pork Benedict, which had two poached eggs on an English muffin, roasted pork, and house-made chipotle hollandaise. It was a delicious version of a benedict, and it almost reminded me of a pot roast. The brunch was very satisfying, as it always is after a 14ers. And with that, we made our way back to Denver (where we ended up meeting up with some of our friends on a bar crawl).

Huron Peak is considered one of the “easier” 14ers, as far as 14ers go. As a class 2, there’s a bit of scree (A collection of loose stones or fragments of rock) and route finding is required. Shout out to Jon with the fancy Garmin and map reading skills! There were some sections where I was a bit more cautious, but overall, it wasn’t too crazy. Aside from not being crazy technical, I would also say it wasn’t crazy strenuous. This could also be because I’m in better shape than I was for the previous 14ers. Not that I was in bad shape, but I’ve been amping up my cardio and generally improving my fitness lately. There were some parts where I was working my legs harder and breathing a bit heavier, but it wasn’t as hard work as I remember from the past 14ers I’ve done (Decalibron Loop, Mount Elbert, Handies Peak). I was prepared to hate my life for a good chunk of it, but I actually felt super strong and comfortable. A win!

I would definitely recommend Huron Peak, especially if you haven’t done any 14ers. I think it would be a great first one, but it’s also fun for those who’ve already bagged some peaks. It was very pretty and not overly challenging.

Keep in mind, the difficulty will naturally vary from person to person. It may be a struggle for some and a breeze for others. Either way, conquering a 14er is an awesome accomplishment. Of course, it’s important for anyone doing these hikes to do their research and prepare appropriately.

Takeaways

Triple-check that your brunch spot is in the state and ensure you have backup options.
Huron Peak is a great 14er, whether it’s your first one, or you’ve done many!

To view more images from our Huron adventure, check out the gallery below.

Mountains before sunrise at the beginning of our hike