by Trenton Ming
Owner of Elevation Peak Marketing

Rocky Mountain National Park, a breathtaking natural wonder of Colorado, offers endless beauty and adventure. Its majestic peaks, serene lakes, and diverse wildlife draw millions of visitors each year. With as many visitors that make their way here each year, there are just as many unique perspectives and experiences within the wilderness of Rocky. As we immerse ourselves in its beauty, it's crucial to remember the importance of giving, and not just taking.

What began as a few friends who love hiking together in Kansas has now grown into a group of 70+ women who love to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park! How did this community of women come together and what is it they gain by hiking together?

Rocky Mountain Day Hikes asked a few questions to Jeri Brungardt and Cindy Coughenour, the founders of Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond (WHKSAB), to find out how this love of hiking brought scores of women together from the lower elevation undulating terrain of Kansas to the steep and high altitude trails of Rocky Mountain National Park.

RMDH: Where in Kansas is Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond based? ​
Jeri & Cindy: We are based out of Wichita and Salina, Kansas. Cindy lives in Wichita, and I live in Salina. We started the group when both of us lived in Wichita but since we are a Facebook group the specific location we are in is not a big detriment.

RMDH: How did you come up with the idea and what need are you trying to fulfill?
Jeri & Cindy: Cindy and I met through a work experience. We became friends and started hiking with each other and a few other friends. We would post our adventures on Facebook and had so many of our friends asking to go along with us.

We would try to remember who asked to go along with us but then the list got too long. So we brainstormed this idea of having a real hiking group and see how many might really be interested. We truly had no idea how fast and how well the concept would take off and grow.

The need we are trying to fulfill is to provide females with a positive and comfortable hiking experience. We hope they all are, or become, appreciative of the outdoors.

by Karen McPherson

Editor’s Note: This is the story of Gene Kiernan and his attempt to climb Longs Peak at the age of 87. It is a story of how experience, preparation, physical conditioning, and planning are the keys to creating a successful backcountry trip… and it still may not be enough. Our thanks goes out to the Kieran family for sharing their story with writer Karen McPherson.
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The Oldest Man to Climb Longs Peak: Col. Butler’s 1926 Record Challenged by Gene Kiernan
Reverend William “Col. Billy” Butler climbed Longs Peak on his 85th birthday, September 2, 1926. Billy climbed with two friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Leonard of Longmont. Coincidentally, Mr. Leonard was also celebrating his birthday, albeit only 30 years of age. At the time of his climb, Col. Billy was commander of his local post of the Grand Arm of the Republic, a fraternal organization for Union veterans who served in the American Civil War. He became a minister after completing his service (hence, “Reverend”). 

Col. Billy’s climb occurred during the summer climbing season, which typically runs from mid-July through early September. This is the most “approachable” time to climb Longs Peak, the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park standing at 14,259 feet above sea level. 

Col. Billy and his friends left from Longmont, camped the first night at the base of Longs Peak, and climbed up and back home in just under 46 hours. Col. Billy’s enduring record, having lasted–so far–for 98 years, is a testament to his feat of sportsmanship. 

Col. Billy felt, “fit as a fiddle.” Nearly 100 years later, so did Gene Kiernan. One can assume Kiernan is not the only octogenarian to challenge Col. Billy’s record, but his story is available and should be told to the advantage of others in pursuit of this formidable mountain.

Gene Kiernan climbed Longs for the first time at 65 years of age. He is a self-described “compulsive goal-setter.” He ran his own company as an architect and builder. He is a road bike warrior: biking from Canada to the Gulf, throughout France, and across 28 of the United States. He is no stranger to training, preparation, and determination. He attempted a solo climb of Longs Peak last summer at 86 years of age but was turned away at Granite Pass by an electrical storm. Determined to try again, a RMNP ranger at the trailhead gave him tips and encouraged him to assemble a team. Learning of Col Billy’s 98-year-old record motivated him to call in his A-team.

This A-team included his friend Steve O’Conner, an iron-man athlete who had climbed to the base of Everest, completed the Annapurna circuit, and submitted five 14’ers; O’Conners wife, Carol, self-described “sherpa”; and friend Charlie Scarlett, Gene’s road biking comrade for 20 years and whose resume includes hiking Kilimanjaro. “Team Geno” also included his two children: Steve, an elite triathlete, and his daughter, Kelly, who regularly climbs 13ers near her home in Pagosa Springs, CO, and the youngest of the group at 50 years of age. A fit and qualified team.

Gene was the captain of the ship. He had arranged and shopped for a week’s worth of meals, made sure everyone arrived in time to acclimate and led a practice hike to Chasm Lake and Granite Pass.
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Team Geno may have signed up with mixed sentiments of obligation and adventure, but they were unanimously inspired to physically and emotionally support Gene’s admirable quest. His children especially wanted to be part of their father’s achievement. 

On the day of the hike, Steve and Gene set off at 7 am, allowing Gene to “take his time.” Kelly, Charlie, and the O’Conners left about an hour and a half later, knowing they could travel faster and set up camp. 

Gene was to carry an abnormally light pack of water, snacks, and rain gear. The rest of the team carried their own gear, shared supplies for the group, and absorbed the rest of Gene’s gear. They all carried approximately 30 pounds, except for Steve, who had the largest and heaviest pack. 

Rain was predicted and everything could be wet. They planned to camp at the Boulderfield, six miles from the trailhead and at an elevation of 12,760 feet. Once they went up through the Keyhole and around the Narrows, they could determine if the back side was frozen. If so, they would head back. A difficult decision, but not a hard one. If not, they planned to summit by 11 am and get back down before afternoon thunderstorms. All they needed was good weather.

Unfortunately, Team Geno had the grave misfortune of a sideways hail storm in the Boulder Field. To compound the matter, they found themselves without the right gear and no food to speak of. Ultimately, it was Steve and Kelly who risked their lives to save a man who, despite his inexhaustible leadership, packed neither pants nor a cold-weather sleeping bag. 

Two steps forward, one steps back.
Members of the group peeled off throughout the climb for various reasons. Charlie was driven, in part, by his own desire to climb Longs Peak at the age of 72, but found it a relentless challenge, especially with a 30-pound pack. Despite his will to continue, altitude sickness caused occasional staggering and unsure footing. He fell farther and farther behind and, at one point, almost fell over backward. In hindsight, he had forgotten his fleece jacket — a frigid mistake for a sleepover in the Boulderfield. He made the wise decision to turn back. Unfortunately, he had the group’s stove in his pack.

Kelly played the mountain goat, arriving first to ensure the group had safe campsites and filtered water. Unfortunately, by the time Gene reached the Boulder Field, there wasn’t time to set up his tent before the wind, rain, and sleet started. Kelly huddled with Gene in her tent while waiting out the first squall. The furious weather that night took its toll on Gene, even though Steve and Kelly offered him their clothes, a tent, body warmth, and a sleeping bag. He was dehydrated and presented signs of hypothermia.

Meanwhile, the O’Conners couldn’t leave their tent in fear of freezing. They were cold and wet; they had one pair of dry socks and wet boots. They focused on surviving horrendous weather after a slow ascent, a late-in-the-day arrival to the Boulder Field, and no stove to make warm food. Steve O’Conner reflects, “We were all put at risk by poor decisions and oversight. It threatened my ability to summit and I very much feared Gene was going to perish that night. I was prepared to lift a body off the mountain. At one point, Kelly asked me to poke him with a stick to be sure he was still alive.”

In the end, the group endured 6 dark hours of serious storms and no sleep as they shifted between frustration and fear.

by Ally Anderson
​Physiology and Medical Sciences
UA Franke Honors College
University of Arizona  

“The mountains are calling and I must go."

This is a popular quote by John Muir that rang true for a young college student named Ely Bordt. His first experience traveling to the Rocky Mountains pulled him in and never let him go. The Rockies challenged him and changed him, teaching him what his mind and body are truly capable of with enough grit and enthusiasm.
 
It all started the summer of 2017 when Ely participated in a Colorado Ecosystem Field Studies program. The field study website describes this experience as ”An opportunity to study the Colorado Rockies and apply your classroom and textbook learning while immersed in an incredible mountain ecosystem setting.” 

After that first taste of living and working in the mountains, Ely's life trajectory shifted as he felt a strong pull towards the mountains postgrad.
 
As a wide-eyed college graduate, Ely jumped at the opportunity to trade the flat lands of Indiana for the Colorado Rockies. Flashforward to February of 2021, Ely got a job in Longmont, Colorado and made a point to be on a trail whenever he wasn't working. Having no prior experience hiking or climbing, Ely would often hit the trials with the sole motivation of good views and impressive photos.
 
This all changed when a year later he met his mentor, Kevin Rusk, a seasoned mountain climber with a big heart to show Ely the joy of pushing his body to new heights in the Rockies.
 
Kevin taught Ely how to use his gear to climb in different terrains and instilled in him the importance of precautionary measures like bringing a rope even if you don't think you’ll need it. Ely followed Kevin's footsteps all winter, learning to climb glaciers, starting at their first climb together up Tyndall Glacier. When that winter was over, they climbed rocks together through the summer.
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“(Kevin) thought, let's get you off a trail and into some ropes, and since then... It erupted and now I'm snow climbing, rock climbing, and scrambling and don't so much stick with trails anymore, I aim to get off the trails.” -Ely

As mileage started to increase and he started to fall more and more in love with the mountains, Ely went from a novice climber to someone whose mind revolved around getting back into the challenging terrain of the mountains.

Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks south of the park became his favorite spots in his early years of serious climbing. He worked tirelessly to condition his body to handle even the most advanced terrain alongside his mentor Kevin.
 
How is it that in only a few short years, Ely has managed to completely shift his lifestyle from somewhat sedentary to extremely athletic? What are the physiological implications that come along with the ability to sustain endurance and strength while clinging to the side of a mountain? How does Ely fuel and train his body to perform at such a capacity?
 
Shift in Lifestyle and Mental Headspace
 Ely has not always been able to casually climb Longs Peak. Longs is a challenging 14er that requires great deals of mental and physical toughness and is a great achievement for those who complete it. Ely has joyfully completed this climb multiple times and has plans to climb it again!
 
This kind of ambition and ability to take on such challenges illustrates the dramatic shift from how he held himself in his childhood. He explains his early years as a period of time when he was overweight and lacking motivation to keep a consistent exercise regime due to a lack of excitement towards most types of physical activity.
 
”Prior to hiking, I was a gamer. I spent a lot of time online. There's a lot of toxicity online. I didn’t get out much. Hiking allows me to clear my mind.” - Ely
 
He was an uninspired kid, most often seen indoors playing video games, lacking the desire for exploration or challenging physical feats. 

Fast forward to the present day, Ely is calmer and more mellow, feeding off of the serine mountain landscape he surrounds himself with. He's a social young adult, full of ambition and he credits this dramatic shift into a more positive headspace to the mountains.
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“I was entirely unathletic prior to that (moving to Colorado), it was a big change. The views drive me to get out but more so, if I go too long without the mountains, I'm thinking, I need to get a workout in. I need to get active.” -Ely

“The mountains are something I get hungry for if I go too long without” -Ely

Ely explained how he's tried weightlifting and cycling, but the mountains are the first and only thing that he's seen dramatically motivate him to get active. He has gone from an unmotivated child to a driven athlete looking forward to the next adventure, overall more enthusiastic and motivated about life as a whole.
 
Why Does Exercise Improve My Headspace?
As Ely experienced firsthand, there is a link between a lifestyle that prioritizes physical activity and improved mental headspace. The moment someone participates in physical activity, there are neurochemical changes that start taking place. 

There are hormones directly correlated to stress, which are reduced upon an exercise induced increase in heart rate. As these stress hormones are reduced, chemicals in the brain called endorphins are increased.
 
Endorphins act on the body to brighten a person’s mood and alleviate stress. These chemical changes happen every time a person is physically active and even more consistently in someone who has a habit of increasing their heart rate through exercise. This explains why Ely’s attitude and outlook seemed to transform completely as he became more active. He began to alter his brain chemistry as a whole!
 
Building Cardiovascular Stamina
 On top of building mental endurance, Ely has also been on a journey of building cardiovascular stamina. This is the ability of the heart and lungs to endure longer and harder through difficult exercise.
 
Coming from an inactive lifestyle in Indiana, Ely describes this as a significant challenge. He started training on lower elevation trails in the Boulder Colorado area and built up to the challenging elevations of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
 
Ely noticed improvements in his cardiovascular capacity when he got out into the mountains as much as possible getting as high as possible! He would celebrate each landmark climb at a higher elevation, constantly pushing himself to get higher and on more challenging trials.
 
Training at Altitude
 A very common strategy among athletes is training at higher altitudes to develop stronger cardiovascular endurance because of the cardiovascular challenge of being in low-oxygen environments.
 
Something special happens to the body’s ability to carry oxygen when someone puts themselves in a high-altitude environment where the oxygen is thin and less abundant. The low amounts of oxygen trigger a hormone called EPO (erythropoietin), which stimulates the production of red blood cells. The red blood cells begin to grow larger and increase in number to maximize the amount of oxygen they can hold and transport throughout the body.
 
Ely, being an elite athlete who spends the majority of his time exercising at high elevation, has red blood cells that look differently than those of an athlete at sea level who has an abundance of oxygen in the air around them!
 
If Ely were to go down to sea level, theoretically, he would find that his cardiovascular endurance would be even better. He has such a high number of red blood cells at a greater volume ready to make the most of little amounts of oxygen but finding that at sea level there is more oxygen to use than normal.
 
It is very common for athletes to train at high altitudes to change their red blood cell composition and come back down to sea level with an advantage.
 
Fueling the Body to Endure the Mountains
 Once Ely became more acclimated to the high elevation of the Colorado Rockies he was able to withstand more difficult trails mentally and cardiovascularly. He started to push the limits of what his body was able to achieve and to do so, he needed the right fuel.
 
This meant taking nutrition to a whole new level. Ely describes his diet as high protein and high carb to have energy to perform at challenging levels, restore muscle, and maintain strength. 

Ely has a specific diet the day before a big hike. He prioritizes water, drinking four liters throughout the day before his planned day in the mountains. He also prioritizes eating as many calories as he can: chips, queso, whole pizzas, you name it. Ely expressed that the biggest component of waking up with energy is drinking substantial amounts of water the day before.
 
While he’s out on the trail, Ely focuses on his sugar intake: fruit snacks, Honey Stingers, and salt tablets with and without caffeine. Ely is slightly anemic, meaning he has a blood disorder that reduces the effectiveness of the blood stream's ability to carry oxygen. To combat this, the morning of a big day in the mountains he will eat two servings of dry Cheerios. This cereal contains 70% of his daily iron intake.
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Consuming great amounts of iron translates to an increased amount of hemoglobin and an increased amount of oxygen capacity in the mountains. He eats these Cheerios without milk because milk inhibits iron absorption when eaten in conjunction with iron.

Importance of Good Nutrition
 Ely's methods of fueling his body before and during athletic activity are widely used by athletes performing at his level of difficulty. His emphasis on water intake the day before extreme physical exertion is very important, especially on a hot day where perspiration is more likely.
 
Water is important in so many aspects of body functionality including regulation of body temperature, lubrication of the joints, and transportation and digestion of important nutrients. Adequate levels of hydration affect many aspects of athletic performance.
 
Carbohydrates are used by the body as its main fuel source during any kind of energy expenditure. Having a plentiful store of carbohydrates for the body to use will supply more energy and allow it to endure harder and longer. Nutritionists also recommend athletes prioritize snacks throughout the day, as Ely does, to maintain energy and nutrition, keeping the body strong and able to endure.
 
What is Next for Ely Bordt in the Mountains
 ”My biggest challenge is just bravery” -Ely
 
In past summers, Ely has done a lot of fourth-class scrambling. His goal for this summer is to get into more low fifth-class scrambling. This is the kind of terrain that borders the need for a rope. He aims now to challenge himself on more difficult terrain that is intimidating and more technical. If it is at all possible to be done without a rope, that's the way he wants to get it done. Ely does prioritize his safety, carrying with him what Kevin taught him in the beginning.
 
“When I talk about getting into these technical terrains being my goals next summer, I always go in with what he (Kevin) taught me about having an exit strategy. I'll probably bring a rope and even if I don't use it on the way up, if I get cliffed out and need a way to get out of what I'm on, a rope will always be handy for at least rappelling and getting off.” -Ely
 
Ely wants to get in the right mental space to be able to handle harder terrains such as the north face of Longs Peak.
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“I can see the goals I had and met, and I'm now wondering what I can do next” -Ely

By Jamie Palmesano
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Ansel Adams, America’s most famous photographer said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”  Making photos is one of the most delightful parts of hiking Rocky Mountain National Park. We live in an age where nearly everyone now carries a camera in their pocket. Whether you have a DSLR or an iPhone, a few tricks of the trade can help you create outstanding photos to commemorate your hiking adventures. These are my favorite five tips for creating powerful scenic images and capturing the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. With each tip, there is a photograph to demonstrate how that photography rule looks in real life.
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RULE OF THIRDS
The Rule of Thirds can help you compose a well-balanced photograph.  Imagine that your image is divided into nine equal parts by two vertical and two horizontal lines.  You want to position the most important elements of your image along these lines or at the points where these lines meet.  This will create a wonderful balance to your scene and highlight the key features of your image. 

LINES LEADING TO INTEREST
When we look at a photo, our eyes are naturally dawn along lines.  It’s how we see.  There are lines everywhere around us, whether they are fences or sidewalks or trails or trees. If you place these naturally created lines within your photograph to lead to a point of interest, it will pull the viewer into your image.  Leading lines can take you toward a subject or even move you through a scene.  

POINT OF VIEW
The point of view or perspective may be the most influential tool used to create a powerful image. Just like in life, how we see a situation will determine our success or failure.  Often, if we simply change our perspective, we see a situation through a totally different lens and find treasures, even in difficult situations. In photography, the point of view has a significant impact on the composition of our photo. It truly determines the message we convey with each image. Rather than just standing there and pointing your camera in front of you and shooting at eye level, change your perspective. Consider laying on the ground, climb a high rock, move to the side, get close up or zoom way out. Play around with different angles.  Make your photograph tell a story by showing the object from a different vantage point.  

FRAMING
There are natural frames everywhere we look. Trees, archways, branches, holes in rocks all create natural frames by placing them around the edge of a composition to isolate the subject from the rest of the image. A more focused image will naturally draw your eye to the point of interest. The frame will highlight the main subject in a photograph. This tip works in tandem with point of view because oftentimes you will need to change your position to locate these natural frames.

BACKGROUND
Our human eyes can seamlessly distinguish between different elements in a scene, but the camera struggles to do this. A camera has a tendency to flatten both the foreground and background, unless you are intentional about preventing this. Look for a background that is unobtrusive, especially if you have people in the picture. Be sure a branch isn’t sticking out from behind someone’s head. If you are photographing flowers, make sure there aren’t limbs or weeds distracting from the flower. Always be sure to consciously check your background before clicking the photo. Another trick is to blur the background by either changing the depth of field or using portrait mode on your camera. Blurring the background isolates the main subject and allows it to fully encapsulate the frame.  When photographing wildlife, it is tempting to zoom in as close as you can and only frame the animal. But, oftentimes, if you look carefully at the background, you can use the animal to tell a bigger story.

By utilizing these five techniques, you will be able to create photographs that capture the essence of Rocky Mountain National Park. We often forget that the word photography inherently puts you, the photographer, as the author and creator of an image. The Greek root words, “photo” meaning light and “graph” meaning to write, give us the very definition of the word, photography.  Photography means “to write with light.”

​The next time you lace up your hiking boots and sling your backpack over your shoulder, remember that an adventure awaits where you can write with light and make photographs that will last a lifetime.

By Murray Selleck

There’s not much you can do when you’re inside a thunderstorm cloud with lightning flashing and thunder pounding simultaneously. The crack and flash of lightning hurt our eyes so harshly that even with them closed the light penetrated through eyelids squeezed closed tight.

Being inside the belly of a timpani drum while the drummer pounds out a rhythm might give you an idea of the ear punishing thunder but it wouldn’t describe the anxiety of being caught out and exposed in such a mountain storm.

That was our luck camped way above timberline on a snowfield up in the North Cascades. We were a group of climbers on a month’s long mountaineering course with the National Outdoor Leadership School and we were just about as exposed as a person could be.

The day had been overcast, not unusual for the North Cascades. Across a deep valley from us was Mount Johannesburg with a strange lenticular cloud silently smothering its summit. The sun was setting and an eerie orange, green and yellowish glow was coloring the clouds. It was such an unusual color it created a feeling of unease in all of us. And what felt like a heartbeat, the cloud shifted and moved onto us and let loose its maelstrom.   

We did what we could taking all our ice axes and planting them in a cluster above camp to create a lightning rod. Or so we hoped. We grabbed a couple tents and raced down the snowy slope loosing as much elevation as possible before rain, thunder, and lightning told us far enough. We crammed as many of us that would fit into a few two person tents and waited it out, each of us silent with our own thoughts of adrenalin enhanced doom.

Never again is the take away lesson of that experience. One hopes to never again be so susceptible to good or bad luck or whims of a mythological Zeus. But for those of us who love the  mountains, love being among the highest peaks, we take precautions, plan, pack, minimize the risks as much as possible and return again and again.

Collecting trail tags is a rocky mountain tradition.
by Jamie Palmesano, Brownfield’s
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Nicolette Sowder once said, “Children deserve to grow and learn in a place, and alongside a force, that is as wild and alive as they are.” Wild and alive is a perfect description of Rocky Mountain National Park! There is almost nothing as precious as watching the little feet of a child hike these rugged Rocky Mountain trails, outfitted with a tiny backpack, a cute ball cap, cool sunglasses, and their special water bottle.

They skip and jump, climb on rocks, talk incessantly, look for treasures, and remind us of true childhood wonder. The trails of Rocky Mountain National Park are filled with children of all ages experiencing the joy of nature and a sense of adventure. Though the journey itself is satisfying, there is something powerful about a small incentive to help those little legs reach the destination. The reward is called Trail Tags.

In 1972, Lyle and Marge from Lincoln, Nebraska, founded the company called LYMA and began creating Trail Tags, which are commemorative patches, to give hikers the perfect souvenir. Out of a sincere love for hiking the Rockies, they started a business to give hikers a literal badge of honor. Trail Tags are high quality, custom designed, hand-sewn embroidered patches for popular hiking trails. Each patch features a special graphic as well as a border color that signifies the distance of the hike.

Lyle and Marge fell in love with Estes Park and became passionate about hiking.  They believed hiking was a great way to create life long memories for yourself, your family and friends. The Trail Tags gained in popularity over the years. In the 1990’s, they sold their business to Mary Conway who continued the tradition. In 2005, Brian and Mary Shaw moved from California to Nebraska and bought the business. They have been hiking the trails of RMNP ever since and have brought many new Trail Tags to the collection.

The Shaws have updated numerous tags as well as continually added new destinations based upon customer feedback and requests. Mary said, “We love reading emails from customers who have been buying tags for years and are now passing down that tradition to their kids.”

Earning Trail Tags for Rocky Mountain National Park and surrounding destinations has become quite a hobby for many people. One local mom has used Trail Tags as a great incentive to get her little hikers on big hikes. Laura Reese grew up earning Trail Tags sporadically when they vacationed to Estes Park and wanted to make sure her kids got a Trail Tag for each hike they completed.

Their family became serious about earning and collecting Trail Tags when they moved to Estes Park six years ago. The kids love the colors around the edges of the tags to indicate the length of the trail.  The Reese family has pretty strict rules about earning Trail Tags. Laura said, “In our family, to earn a Trail Tag, you have to walk to the destination and back on your own two feet. You can hold a parent’s hand, take as many “breathers” as you want, and fuel yourself on lollipops, but you can’t be carried.”

With the incentive of badges, these kids have become great little hikers.  “Our oldest two kids did Flattop and Hallett at the ages of six and eight, which is almost a 10-mile round trip hike. The longest hike our now 6-year-old has done was Sandbeach Lake, which is almost 9 miles round trip. Our youngest just turned 2, and her longest hike was Alberta Falls, which is 1.6 miles round trip. Our oldest two hope to earn their first gold Trail Tag this summer,” said Reese.

Collecting Trail Tags isn’t just for kids, though. Adults love the challenge as well.  Charlie Garcia became passionate about earning Trail Tags at the age of 22 when he started working at the YMCA of the Rockies. Today, Charlie has earned 113 of the 124 currently available.  Just last week, Charlie walked into Brownfield’s with a big smile on his face and headed straight for the Trail Tag wall.  He completed the last of the blue and gold hikes, which of course, are the most strenuous. When asked, Charlie said the Trail Tag that was the hardest to earn was by far “Mummy Kill.” In order to earn the Mummy Kill patch, the hiker traverses six peaks in the Mummy Range, which is roughly 16 miles and over 5,600 feet of elevation gain.
 
Trail Tags range in price from $1.00 - $2.00 each, depending on where you purchase them. There are numerous establishments selling these wonderful RMNP souvenirs throughout Estes Park and Grand Lake. If you want to start a fun tradition for your family, consider collecting Trail Tags. They are a small, inexpensive way to tell a big story about your Rocky Mountain adventures.  Happy hiking!

​You can purchase RMNP Trail Tags from these retailers:
Brownfield's, Estes Park Mountain Shop, Kirk's Fly Shop, Estes Village, Never Summer Mtn Products, Outdoor World, Rams Horn Village, Scot's Sporting Goods, Village Store, and YMCA of the Rockies.

Trail Tag Display Ideas:
https://shopbrownfields.com/pages/trail-tag-ideas

by Murray Selleck

Summer Solstice: Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 2:50 pm Mountain Time.
Sunrise 5:32 am. Sunset 8:31pm (depending on where you are in Colorado)
Nearly 15 hours of daylight.

I’m not sure where I read the idea of celebrating the summer solstice by sitting quietly, watching, and listening to this day transition from overnight dark skies to morning light. However, once I took the idea to heart I plan my Summer Solstice to do just that… to bear witness to the day’s beginning sunrise and its slow return to darkness at sunset.

Certainly I could do this “ritual” any day of the year and I know it to be a good thing. It is a way to acknowledge our Earth and all its creatures and recognize our true place within the most relevant world wide web.

The subtleness of light and sound are a wonder. The sound of the main creek running through our valley is always the first dominating sound we hear. The sound of flowing water is comforting knowing that drought can easily arrive in a matter of days at anytime.

Robins are the first to add their voices to this current of sound. Stellar jays are quick to follow with their bird song version of a rusty gate hinge opening. You can’t hold a grudge against a bird for who they are or what they sound like but we are grateful when the jays move along.

Woodpeckers take up the beat of the day by drumming their concussion resistant heads against our nearby forest trees. It’s easy to hear the different densities of the trees they hammer on with the pitch of their staccato rhythm.

Not to be drummed out come the honks of a pair of Canada geese as they compare the virtues of the several ponds they can choose to float on. But my favorite soon follows with the jurassic sound of sandhill cranes. Even from a distance their prehistoric sound carries loud enough to make you think they are nearby standing on their stick thin legs or flying leisurely on the flaps of long slow motion wings.

Our morning dark sky and few lingering stars fade to a dull sky the color of mourning doves. The sky’s deep blue color will appear as a whisper until we recognize its sudden appearance. Morning clouds catch the first hint of sunrise color and high along the ridge line across the valley sunlight hits the very top limbs of the spruce and pine forest. Sunshine arrives and the contours of the valley’s hills and dales define themselves in shadows where side creeks and springs carve their downhill watery courses.

However, towards the end of the day as the sun sets in the west our pause in life’s daily responsibilities will again stop as we settle back into our patio garden chairs to watch and listen. The colors of the sunset becomes lowlight alpenglow and this shadowless light slowly fades into darkness. The sounds of the day become quieter. Deer slowly climb the hill to our east. A few elk dash for cover across the meadow to our south. A fox slowly one steps it nearby as she pauses and listens for any tell-tale burrowing underground. Coyotes sing-song and yip their excitement for the day’s end.

Slowly, almost one by one, until there are too many to count, stars appear above and this longest day of light comes to a close. The named constellations take form and begin to trace the short summer season towards autumn and the cold and dark days of winter to come.
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So we give our thanks to a Summer Solstice day and remind ourselves to remember that every day is special and unique and worthy of our acknowledgement, our witness, and gratitude, if only for a moment…

Middle school, high school, college students, and young adults from Brownfield’s team are doing the same thing in the wee hours of the morning. A group of dedicated and devoted hikers meet at 4:30am to pile into a couple of cars and head into Rocky Mountain National Park before the 5am reservations are required.

Without knowing their work schedules a month or more in advance nor being able to plan for weather, this group of committed hikers needed to adjust to the new reservation system. Before the reservation system, they could freely enter the RMNP and make hiking plans based upon their work schedules and the weather forecast.  Rather than give up their special hiking tradition together, they opted to start their hikes before the break of dawn.
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In a digital world filled with distractions, it's remarkable to think that young people from 14 years old to their late-twenties would get up hours before most alarms sound and venture into RMNP to embrace all the glory of nature. If this weren’t impressive enough, the number of miles they log is mind-blowing. The hiking group will often hike upwards of 15 miles before they put in a full day of work at Brownfield’s.

Breath Book Review by Murray Selleck

Breathing is a pretty natural thing. We humans average 25,000 breaths a day without even thinking about it. How would it feel, though, if we did think about each individual breath and reap the benefits of more efficient breathing? This is what I’ve been trying to practice for awhile since reading the book, BREATH - The New Science of a Lost Art, by author James Nestor.

I wouldn’t call this book a scientific study or even place it in the genre of self help. However, I do find the ideas presented to be compelling and the book is an intriguing read. I should also say that the ideas presented are controversial to some, not wholly based as accepted or proven science, and the ideas regarding the healing benefits or reversing chronic illness just by changing how a person breathes are mostly anecdotal.

One benefit that I have realized through circular breathing is I can maintain a very consistent pace whether backcountry skiing or hiking summer trails. My new  breathing pattern controls the pace and not the pace controlling my breathing (gasp)! When I start out I am less likely to start fast and try to get away from the trailhead as quickly as I can. Part of that way-too-fast pace at the start is the excitement of getting out on a trail. With better breathing I can be more “in the moment” from the very start, be more aware of my surroundings, and feel more calm and less inclined to “cover some distance.”

Another benefit dawned on me this past winter. I consistently came home saying I was overdressed and overheated. I didn’t realize until later in the winter that by breathing “circular” I was changing my metabolism. My new breathing was making me warmer even on the coldest of winter days while I was layering up in my usual old way. I adjusted my clothing layering system and finally towards mid-winter I once again maintained a comfortable temperature during my outings.

Other benefits of better breathing are reduced stress, lower blood pressure, reduced lactic acid build-up in your muscles, increased energy, improved immune system, and increase the feeling of being in the moment, present, and calm.

I do recommend reading BREATH - The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor for those who are interested. In the Appendix of Breath, Nester offers several different breathing techniques from the basic to pretty involved. It’s all interesting and worth experimenting.

So as you begin a new hiking season in Rocky Mountain National Park think about each breath you take. Are you gulping for air? Are you short of breath? Are your legs tired soon after starting? Change your breathing. Practice breathing more efficiently. All you might risk is better well being!

by Murray Selleck

Snow is the lifeblood of Colorado. It is the surface of our winter playground and it is the source of our springtime and summer water. Without snow, Colorado itself (and lots of other western states) would be impossible!

All snow is good and there are all kinds of it. No matter how it falls, or floats, or gets blown from the sky we need every flake. However, just because all snow is good doesn’t mean all snow is easy. Some snow is difficult if not outright dangerous. Heavy wet spring snow is tough to shovel and when snow layers pile up on top of one another avalanches are a constant hazard, especially in Colorado.

The good news is more times than not snow is fun, beautiful, and inspiring. Fun with all its options to go out and play in it. Beautiful in the way it changes color when its surface reflects the light from our sunrises and sunsets. And inspiring in the way that your imagination can run with possibilities. Snowmen, snow caves, snow forts, igloos, and snow sculptures all show how creative and malleable snow can be.
 
Snow is not monolithic. There is not one kind of snow and it is constantly changing as it falls, as the wind blows, or as temperatures rise and fall. With those thoughts in mind here is a list of snow types, conditions, and a bit of winter time slang that you may encounter in Rocky Mountain National Park. What follows is our best attempt at naming all the different kinds of snow we could think of and a brief sentence on how to use it in a conversation.

The food group of defined snow:
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Corn snow is typically found in springtime after a few freeze/thaw cycles. Clear starry nights with bone cold temperatures followed by warm spring-like temperatures will form corn snow. Early in the morning the snow will be crusty hard but as the sun works its magic the crust layer loosens. It is this thin loose layer on top that is corn snow. It becomes easy to ski since it is so carvy and the firm crust underneath supports your weight so you won’t break through.
“We harvested that corn like it was nobody’s business!”
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Sugar snow is found deep within the snowpack often right at ground level. The earth gives off heat even in the dead of winter and the first few snowfalls of the season often transform into an incredibly weak, sugary layer that will not bond to itself or anything else for that matter. It may also be referred to as rotten snow due to its loose nature. You’ll sink right through it if you find a pocket of it close enough to the surface.
“This sugar snow ain’t sweet.” 

Chowder is a mixed bag of wet, clumpy, and really thick snow. Homemade chowder is good eating but chowder snow is nasty skiing. You have to show a great deal of determination to keep your skis going the direction you want them to. Skis tend to deflect off chowder snow sending you and your skis in different directions!
“This chowda sucks!” (Say it like you’re from Maine).

Mashed potatoes snow is similar to chowder in that both snow types are thick and heavy. The only good news is mashed potatoe snow is a bit more consistent but no less energy draining.
“Nothing but mashed potatoes and no gravy today.”

Butter snow is dreamy. Think of a hot knife slicing through butter in your kitchen. Then think of a pair of skis slicing through a layer of snow so easy all you can imagine is carving butter. As with skiing and French cooking butter is an essential ingredient.
“It was sooo good. It was butter!”
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Champagne snow is synonymous with the Steamboat Ski Resort. Champagne snow is some of the driest fluffiest snow on earth. Other definitions of this type of snow are listed below including blower. Snow so light all you have to do to clean your windshield is blow and viola, your done!
“Champagne don’t make me crazy.”

 The Soft Stuff:

Powder snow is the friendliest. Light and soft and the deeper the better. Easy to ski through, easy to break trail through whether on skis or snowshoes, easy to shovel, and easy to exaggerate its depth.
“36 inches easy. In places I bet the powder was up to here!” (Lift your hand up as far up as you can above your head).

Fluff is powder snow… so fluffy it almost doesn’t fall from the sky it is so light.

Blower snow is mentioned above with champagne snow. Blower snow can leave a snowy airborne contrail behind a skier as he or she is making turns. So light and blower it becomes airborne a second or third or fourth time!
“I sneezed and my windshield cleaned itself… it was blower.”

Der is short for powder.
“There's der in those woods!”

Freshies is slang for fresh snow that has fallen overnight.
“Freshies are the best!”
​
Pow Pow is when you just can’t think of another description for powder snow.
"Nothing’s greater than rippin’ (making turns in) pow pow!”

The Tough Snow Conditions. Mean snow. Unforgiving snow:

Crud snow is just as it sounds. Cruddy, chopped, inconsistent, and windblown all together at once.
“I can’t ski this crud. I’m going home.”

Mank is another name for cruddy snow. Mank has a wetter and heavier element to it beyond just cruddy. Mank is thick and not funny snow.
“I can’t ski this mank. No joke. I’m going home.”

Sierra cement could be used for home construction right up until the sun shines. Before then sierra cement is the most humid, wet, and thick snow to fall from the sky. While the Sierra Mountains made this snow type infamous it can fall just about anywhere in the mountains if the conditions are right. Three feet of sierra cement could fall overnight and you would still only ski the top few inches of it because of how thick it is.
“This sierra cement is a poor man’s champagne.”
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Suncupped snow is amazing to look at and tough to ski tour or snowshoe over. Think of an empty egg carton… the side that holds the eggs. The deep depressions with curved upped peaks defines suncupped snow nicely. Suncups form in the spring and typically are found on large snowfields. They are a challenge to hike through or ski over since the uneven surface with potentially deep pockets and substantial ridges inhibit an easy stride or surface to balance on.
“Suncups suck but they’re amazing to look at.”

Snow on the Surface:

Hoarfrost are some of the most beautiful snow crystals to be seen. It is worth one's while to look at hoarfrost crystals closely. They occur in an intricate variety of forms. Some of the most beautiful hoarfrost appears like leaves of a fern or feathers from a bird. Hoarfrost can develop on the snowpack surface, tree branches, ski poles left outside, pretty much anywhere. It forms on the ground by direct condensation at temperatures below freezing. See photo above.
"A hoarfrost is beautiful to see but it is also the next weakest layer once new snow buries it."
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Crust forms after sunny warm days followed by freezing nights. Crusts are typically found on south facing slopes, or certainly, where the sun shines brightest including open meadows. Crust snow is very loud snow as you travel over it. If a strong enough crust forms that will support your weight it can be quite fun to ski. Nordic skate skiers will ski a backcountry crust for miles on end and have a blast. Timing is everything since once the day warms up your solid crust may become thick like a slushy.
“Nothing beats a great spring crust day.”
 
Breakable or Fry-able crust is a nasty crust. The crust layer may support you up to a moment, typically just as your confidence builds, only to have it give way underneath you. You may rasp your shin against the crust that remains as it rakes into your legs. It can hurt. It’s worse than snow snakes in powder because of the painful element to your lower legs. Once you have broken through a crust it is tough to regain your balance and get back on top because it will only giveaway again.
“This breakable crust is like the worst *&^#{!!  yuck I've ever tried to ski!”

Dust on crust is when a light snow has fallen overnight on a crusty snow layer. There really isn’t enough snow to make it carvable or to quiet the loud crunch underneath your skis or snowshoes. Dust on crust considered a why bother snow?
“Coma se coma saw… it’s just dust on crust.”
 
Windblown and Spindrift are just as the name suggests. Windblown snow races along the surface creating solid drifts and filling in snowshoe and ski trails until they completely disappear. Windblown snow and spindrift can hurt when it hits you in the face. Little stinging shards of icy snow will have you trying to moonwalk to keep your face out of the wind. On the other hand spindrift can beautiful as it catches sunlight and become tiny airborne rainbows.
1st skier - “This spindrift hurts my face!” 2nd skier - "Your face hurts my face, too!"
 
Bullet proof is similar to a crust snow only this snow is so hard it feels like it could stop a bullet. Bullet proof snow can be formed by freeze/thaw cycles or a hard wind or a long duration between snowstorms. It is so hard you can’t even kick step your way up a slope and climbing skins on your skis are borderline ineffective.
“Ice axes and crampons are the way to go when its bullet proof.”

Falling Snow:

Charlie Brown Snow. There is a scene in a Charlie Brown Christmas when Charlie and Linus and walking to the Christmas tree lot. Snow is falling so lightly you can practically count the snowflakes as they descend. This kind of snow falls with no trace of wind and falls gracefully, smoothly, slowly, magically.
“I love that scene in a Charlie Brown Christmas with the snow falling and a nice mellow jazzy riff as a background soundtrack."

Wind driven, stinging, white out, or blizzard snow can be horrible to be out in. These kind of snows are horizontal snow. It is blowing so hard the snow has zero chance of landing. Of course, it will accumulate somewhere and that will typically be in your ears, nose, eyes, against your back and legs pretty much everywhere you don’t want it to be.
1st person, “I can’t hear or see you!” 2nd person, “What did you say? I can’t even see you!”

Silver dollar snow are snowflakes that are as big or bigger than silver dollars. They’re huge. Typically silver dollar snow falls in the spring as remnants as a storm is on its way out.
“If I had a silver dollar for each of those flakes I could _____ (fill in the blank).”

Graupel is a kind of styrofoamy hail but it is softer than hail and never becomes as big as hail can become. I once had the pleasure of skiing in the backcountry down a slope with practically a foot of graupel. Very unusual to see that much accumulation but really fun to ski. Graupel is a mix of snow crystals and ice but softer and styrofoamy.
"I usually don't grovel about graupel but today I'll make an exception."
 
Snirt and Snain. Are these even real snowflakes? Snirt is snow mixed with dirt. In Colorado the dirty snow that falls can come from the Utah desert or even as far as the Gobi desert. The unfortunate fact about snirt is come springtime dirty snow melts faster than clean snow. Dirty snow can shorten the spring runoff time reducing the amount of moisture that soaks into the ground versus just running off downstream. Snain is snow mixed with rain. Talk about yuck. It is neither snow or rain it is just wet and miserable.
"Snirt, snain, burp, snort, poop... It kinda is all the same thing."

This sums up our snow effort. March can be a banner month for adding to our snowpack. Typically, it is a warmer month so the snow that falls is wetter and heavier. But as we said at the outset... All snow is good snow so the more snow the better. No matter what you call it!

 "A National Park is a fountain of life. It is a matchless potential factor for good in national life. It holds within in its magic realm benefits that are health giving, educational, economic, that further efficiency and ethical relations and are inspirational. Without parks and outdoor life, all that is best will be smothered. Within National Parks is room, glorious room, room in which to think and hope, to dream and plan, to rest and resolve. This is the proudest moment of my life. I have lived to see the realization of a great dream come true. The day is at hand when these wonderful hills and matchless valleys are to be the playground of the world." Enos Mills. Founding Father of Rocky Mountain National Park. Quote from the Day of Dedication establishing RMNP. 1915

​I fell in love with Rocky Mountain National Park in 1971 when I worked a summer at Cheley Colorado Camps. I spent the next 47 years trying to make the Estes Park area my permanent residence. During those years, Rocky was always "home" to me in my heart. For the past 10 years, I have been able to call Rocky not only the home of my heart but the home of my daily life. Helping to preserve beautiful landscapes and wildlife habitat as a steward of the park is my true love. Karla H - NSCU Education

I remember being 6 years old. My family drove to Rocky Mountain National Park each summer when we were kids. We would set up a tent at Glacier Basin campground in the late 1950s and early 1960s. No reservation needed. We would spend 2 weeks each summer hiking the same trails that I now enjoy as a retired, 71-year-old. I moved to Estes Park in 2016. I hike every day that it is safe for hiking. I have every trail tag I can get except for summiting Longs Peak and the hikes that require ropes and/or an overnight on the trail. I get goose bumps every day I drive in to the park. - Kathy Granas, Estes Park resident and hiker.

 Rocky Mountain National Park is like the partner you constantly can't believe you're lucky enough to be with. Its stunning beauty is the backdrop to our lives, and its recreational opportunities feed our souls and make us feel complete. We're so fortunate to have Rocky in our big backyard and we're thankful every day! Rachel Ward Oppermann - Director of Advocacy and Sustainability at Visit Estes Park.

My Beloved Rocky Mountain National Park

Why I’m in love with Rocky.  In 1974 Rocky changed my lifestyle forever!  From 1974-1976 I hiked, climbed, skied, snowshoed in Rocky more days than not. Then came a career, however I always made time to spend in Rocky Mountain National Park.  This Park defines who I am from wildflowers to summits and the  best thing Rocky Mountain National Park gave me was life-long friendships. Marlene Borneman, Author, Mountaineer, Naturalist, Backcountry Skier, and Estes Park resident.

I've written before how I had lost interest in national parks for a very long time. The news reports of visitors behaving badly with wildlife, long lines of traffic, and packed parking lots only confirmed I wanted no part of that scene. However, it was reconnecting with a friend, and going on a multi-day backpacking trip into Rocky Mountain National Park that made me realize how mistaken I had been. Seeing and feeling the grandeur and beauty of RMNP's backcountry after such a long time was overwhelming. How could I have stayed away for so long?

My Valentine thoughts go out to all of RMNP's Rangers, staff, volunteers, and visitors that love RMNP as much as each of us do. Thank you for caring for our national treasure. Thank you for  acknowledging its importance to our world and all that this park offers: beauty beyond measure, solitude and sanctuary, peace and quiet, reflection, and inspiration. Murray Selleck - Rocky Mountain Day Hikes contributor, skier, snowshoer, hiker, and backpacker. 

​Oh Rocky, My Rocky (with apologies to the Bard)

Oh Rocky, my Rocky
How do I embrace thee?

I love thy terrain and elevation
Thy montane, subalpine, and alpine

I roam beneath your budding aspen in springtime,
Their quaking leaves of summertime,
Their illumination of brilliant yellow, rich gold, and
Autumn shades of orange.

I meander beneath your towering Ponderosa Pines of the montane,
Your snow-laden Engelmann Spruce glens of the the subalpine,
Your gnarled and twisted Limber Pines 
Clinging to the rock outcrops in the windswept terrain

I close my eyes and soak in the radiant rays of sunlight
beside your icy lakes, your glassy lakes, your Lake of Glass, 
Your Lion Lakes and Spectacle Lakes, Your Odessa and Spirit Lakes.

I long to rest along your clear and cold, babbling Boulder Brook, 
Your Icy Brook, your Roaring Fork and Roaring River,
To feel the exhilaration and force of your Grace Falls, 
Your Timberline Falls, Your Cascade Falls, Your Thousand Falls

I love to listen to the spring song of the Green-tailed Towhee
To dream of the Dark-eyed Junco, 
To marvel at the agility of the Pygmy Nuthatch, and
To gaze at the sharp eyed Mountain Chikadee-dee-dee,

With adoration I outstare the Stellers Jay and the Clark’s Nutcraker, 
I soar aloft with Birds of Prey and dance to the rhythm of the American Dipper,
I spy the hidden White-tailed Ptarmigan in summer and winter, 
I follow the fluttering Mountain Bluebird in the early spring and
Ruby-throated Hummingbird appraising the mid-summer flowers.
I am over-joyed to give ear to the solitary song of the White-crowned Sparrow 
As I approach the hushed sound of Crystal Lake lying beneath Fairchild Mtn.

I knell to honor your Fairyslipper, your Snow-lily, and your Elephantella,
I sing praise to your Colorado Columbine, your Parry Primrose, and your Mountain Iris, 
I bow bedazzled before your Alpine Forget-me-not, your Old-Man-of-the-Mountain, and 
Your Arctic Gentian, 
I wish to be the buzzing Bumble bee probing the depths of the glorious Golden Banner.

How can I not be astonished by the bugling bull Elk, and the head-butting bighorn,
How can I not wonder about the elusive black bear and the stealthy mountain lion,
How can I not grin at the spectacle of the Least Chipmunk, the Chickaree, and the Abert’s Squirrel.
How can I not adore the hairy feet of the Snowshoe hare and the rounded ears of the Pika.

My eyes lift upward in spiritual wonderment at your jagged peaks that divide a continent,
With awe I am inspired by the Ypsilon Mtn, the Pagoda Mtn, and the Notchtop Mtn.
I ponder the miraculous centuries of creation of the Little Matterhorn, the Spearhead, and the Hayden Spire,
I long for Longs Peak giving its Diamond to Mt Lady Washington.

Oh Rocky, my Rocky,
Rocky of the masses,
Rocky of the ages,
What a rogue and peasant slave am I.
I am that merry wanderer of the trail.
A merrier hour was never wasted.

Dave Rusk, rockymountaindayhikes.com & Hike Rocky Magazine publisher, hiker, backpacker, photographer, Estes Park resident, RMNP volunteer and philosopher. 

Winter is magical. It is awe inspiring and... mythical. Some of the mythical part comes from people believing in lots of misconceptions about winter. These wintertime myths keep far too many people cooped up indoors. Repeated often enough folks believe these myths to be true and they wind up resenting winter or worse, hating it. Their misery only intensifies as the days become shorter and the snow deeper. Symptoms like seasonal affective disorder (sad), boredom, depression, and lethargy are no way to live. The cure is to not believe everything you hear about winter.

At Rocky Mountain Day Hikes we love winter and all it has to offer. So as we debunk as many of these myths we can think of put on your warm clothes, hat, jacket and gloves. Grab your snowshoes or skis and lets get outside and enjoy winter for all its worth!  ​

​Myth: XC skiing and snowshoeing are boring. False. “We just went for a snowshoe tour.” I use to hear this disparaging remark often when I worked retail in a mountain shop. This phrase, with the emphasis on "just" discounts these activities as if the only worthy winter sport is downhill skiing. In fact, xc skiing and snowshoeing are equally as exciting or even more so. Hands down these two winter activities provide a major boost to your overall physical and mental health. They provide a great cardiovascular workout increasing heart and lung health. And, arguably, they allow you to connect with nature in a more significant way by slowing down and acknowledging the beauty surrounding you.

​Myth: If avalanche risk is rated at low or moderate you can ski or ride anywhere. False. Always keep your guard up when traveling through the backcountry whether you are snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, or hiking. Avalanches can occur year round. A reduced risk does not eliminate risk. Take avalanche awareness courses to educate yourself and your backcountry partners. Be aware of the overall avalanche danger by checking the CAIC website. And always play it smart.
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Myth: If avalanche risk is rated at high or extreme stay out of the backcountry no matter what. False. There are many places that are safe to travel in the backcountry when conditions are ripe for avalanches. It is easy to avoid avalanche terrain. Stay on flat or very low angle terrain. Tour through wide open meadows. Avoid all suspicious slopes. Be aware of potential avalanche terrain above you. You may be on flat terrain but what do the slopes and ridges above you look like? Avoid terrain traps where an avalanche (big or small) might trap you. Do not take unnecessary risks, stay off all slopes that look suspicious. Typically when avalanche risk is at its highest the winter weather is at its stormiest. While it can be fun to ski or snowshoe during a winter storm take all precautions to stay safe and warm so you can and enjoy many winter days to come!

Story and photos by Barb Boyer Buck

Back on skis after 20 years!

​I broke my back 21 years ago.  It was a fracture which resulted in spondylolisthesis and it brought on years of physical therapy, chiropractic treatments, loss of mobility, and pain.  It was the time when orthopedic surgery was very much feared, and outcomes were relatively unpredictable.  It was also the time when conservative treatment was recommended and surgery was avoided at all costs.   

I was told to give up skiing altogether, and especially snowboarding.  "One wrong fall and you could be paralyzed," was the doctor's advice.  Pretty scary stuff.  

But by 2018, I could barely walk, had to quit my job waiting tables (which supplemented my writing career) and I had pretty much given up most of the things that gave me pleasure, most notably outdoor recreation in the form of hiking and of course, skiing. 

I finally went to an orthopedic center to have an x-ray.  After seeing the results, the surgeon scheduled me for an emergency 3-level spinal fusion the very next week.  

I can see why people avoid this surgery, recovery was long and extremely painful.  To make a living, I crocheted and sold hats.  It was incredibly boring, to say the least. 

But today, I am almost back to normal!  So, I decided to try cross-country skiing again, something I had enjoyed for many years before my back injury. 

Dave Rusk, the publisher of Hike Rocky Magazine and an extremely patient man, agreed to accompany me and give me a refresher lesson.   Here's a video of that day, which took place on March 1 of this year. 

We rented equipment from the Estes Park Mountain Shop, and I was very pleasantly surprised at how far cross-country skis had come!  I definitely want to get the kind of skis I was using that day. 

In order to get the most out of my "lesson," I needed to start from scratch.  The patience I had developed during my nearly three years of recovery helped with this.  I approached xc skiing as if I had never done it before and thereby, I was able to take advantage of tips that Dave provided.   

First, I want to talk about the equipment.  These days, you can opt for skis that have scaling on the bottom of them,  where your boots clip in on the other side.  This helps you when going up inclines - you can literally walk on the snow with them.  Technically, they are called backcountry skis and you can "walk" up slopes and ski down them, which many people like to do at Hidden Valley.  I'm not ready for that yet, by the way.  Marlene Borneman explains about these type of skis in her piece, "Ski tracks in Rocky," published in the February, 2021, edition of HIKE ROCKY magazine. 

It's so much easier than waxing skis, or even putting on skins when you are doing a cross-country tour on sloped trails (most of the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park are sloped, by the way).  

The bindings on these new skis are so convenient. You can just toe-kick into them, and twist to take them off.  I rented the entire package, which included poles and boots, too, for about $20. 

​The place we chose for my first time back was Endovalley; the road to the picnic grounds is closed for the winter and can be used for skiing, snowshoeing, or when the snow melts off, walking.  It extends past the Fall River Road fork and ends at the picnic grounds.  The road is fairly level. 

I put on my skis just after the "road closed" gate and tried to recapture the feeling of skiing by taking a few tentative kick/glides.   On the newer skis, it felt more stable.  

If I stood straight, putting my full weight on the middle of the skis, they stopped sliding and I could "walk" on them.  In order to ski, I needed to learn forward slightly, bend one knee and kick backward, with the other leg extending out.  Alternating legs, eventually I started to feel a rhythm and began gliding. 

When I started to feel unsteady, I just straightened up again.   This was a big difference from the skis I used to have; my cross country skis from the late 80s were much more narrow with very smooth bottoms.  Stopping was always an adventure on those. 

The poles helped keep me steady, too - these need to fit into your hands while your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle.  

Skiing on the road was a bit difficult because it was icy in spots and melting while we were on it.  As you learned in the above video, the only time I fell was when I tried to ski off the road to a picnic bench, missing a turn on the slight downhill slope. 

It was a wonderful adventure and even though I'll probably need to wait until next year to do it again, I'm looking forward to it! 

by Dave Rusk

The forecast was billed as clear and mild, but there was a high level of thin clouds screening the sun with a mild breeze. Walking out of the treeline, there was also a dark and somewhat ominous lenticular cloud hovering like a giant UFO off somewhere over Netherland, or maybe Ward.

The tundra above treeline had been swept clear of any deep snow with the only snow accumulations occurring on the leeward side of willow shrubs. The Diamond of Longs came into view, obscured partially by Mt Lady Washington. We also could see our immediate destination, Granite Pass, to the north. 

We had anticipated an increase in wind once on the west side of Granite Pass, but it continued to stay mostly calm with occasional gusts, pretty pleasant for this first day of February. 

Threading through the Boulderfield now, we turned our gaze to the north of Longs Peak along the north ridge to our destination, Storm Peak. Appearing as mostly a knob on the ridge next to the dominating Longs Peak, the summit of Storm is at a very respectful 13,326'. 

Having traveled the 6 miles to get to the base of Storm Peak, the unknown question we had was what kind of snow would we find. It needed to be hard enough to make solid steps in. We had brought crampons if the conditions warranted them.

While there was some soft stuff layered on the surface, there was also some more solid footing underneath, so we continued to work our way up.

The sun made more of an appearance moving into the afternoon and when the wind wasn't blowing, it felt a little balmy. But when those wind gust did come up, picking up and blowing small snow particles into our face, we had to turn away and wait for the gust to blow off.

About three quarters of the way up, the slope angle became too steep for my comfort zone and I perched myself on a rock outcrop, pulled out a thermos, and took a coffee break while Kip completed the ascent to the ridge giving him a commanding view into the Glacier Gorge, with frozen Black Lake below and endless peaks to the west and north.

With shadows starting to grow long in the afternoon light, we descend through the Boulderfield.

Story and photos by Barb Boyer Buck
 
A hike to Emerald Lake, that was the intention.  It had lightly snowed overnight and the sky was a cloudless, cobalt blue.  Most importantly, there wasn’t any wind. If you don’t know about the wind in the eastern foothills of Colorado – most notably in the valleys– well, It’s brutal.  When air is forced over the Continental Divide and combines with Chinook upslope winds, the result is a cacophony of directionless and fierce wind. It’s just as crazy-making as the sound of a symphony warming up. 

When I was the renewable energy manager for the Town of Estes Park, my team thought perhaps wind turbines would be able to harness this crazy wind, but no.  The wind comes from too many directions, is too fast (70-90 mph is not uncommon) and is never consistent.  It’s either windy or it’s not, at least from October through April. 

​I was excited to take a hike in the fresh snow with no wind.  But it was a late start – we probably didn’t reach the Emerald Lake Trailhead until close to 1 p.m.   I brought my snowshoes just in case, but micro-spikes and poles worked just fine.

From its trailhead, Emerald Lake is 1.8 miles, so we figured we’d get there around 3 and have plenty of time to get back down before dark.  It was nearly a month after Winter Solstice and the days were getting a bit longer. 

​But we were stopped quite literally in our tracks with almost every step. 

​Snow doesn’t usually stay on the tress very long in RMNP (again, the wind) but that day, it covered every branch like fluffy icing, it sparkled in the full sun. 

The views along the way were spectacular and even with my cell phone, I was able to capture amazingly clear photos with great detail. 

​This was a function of the afternoon lighting as well, which became increasingly rich as the day wore on.  

​The Emerald Lake Trailhead is by far the most popular one in Rocky Mountain National Park, any time of the year.  This day, a Tuesday in mid-January, was no exception.  There were a lot less people than in the summer months, but the route was still fairly crowded. ​

Here’s the etiquette for passing on the trail: those traveling up have the right-of-way.  This is especially important when the trail is snow packed and/or icy.  Further measures to take during these COVID times is to step aside, pull up your mask (if it’s down), and turn your back to the trail.  Six feet of distance is just not possible on these popular trails. 

​But I found myself stopping many more times than I technically needed to because of the stunning sights, especially of the Keyboard of the Winds formation on the “back” side of Longs Peak.  The wind I was talking about earlier can make some unearthly sounds as it passes through this jagged ridge.
The trail to Emerald Lake is packed full of amazing views and destinations – if you count Bear Lake (which is just a few steps from the trailhead) you see four lakes, amazing views of Longs Peak, many other stunning peaks, and beautiful geologic formations. 

The first destination along the trail is Nymph Lake.  In the winter, when the lakes are frozen over “winter trails” are established at each lake which cross over the frozen waters.  Be very careful when you do this – sometimes the ice is thin in places you cannot see.  Make sure that every lake is completely frozen on all edges before you try to walk across it.
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Views of Hallet Peak, first seen over Bear Lake, were now joined with the spires of Flattop Mountain. 

A bit further up, and you reach Dream Lake with more  stunning views of  these features.   

​Other things we noticed at Dream Lake were the limber pines (colloquially, twisted pines).  These trees are actually shaped by the wind as they grow, and they are some of the oldest living organisms on earth. 

​Some limber pines in RMNP date back over 1,000 years, according to a report by several federal forestry agencies, “Limber Pine Conservation in Rocky Mountain National Park,” published in 2013.  

​At this point on our hike, the sun was setting – as it sank over the peaks shading Dream Lake, a final alpenglow lit the scene in a spectacular way. ​

Emerald Lake was not to be, not that day.  But it’s days like that which make me glad to be alive. 

​For me, rushing past the gifts of Nature, especially when they were laid out so beautifully for us to experience, is unforgivable.  Emerald Lake isn’t going anywhere, and neither am I.  ​

By Dave Rusk

It was 20 days past the Winter Solstice last week when we ventured up into the Glacier Gorge area. Even though it was still 60 days until the Spring Equinox, the snowpack at the trailhead was very thin and it seemed like it wouldn't take much warmth to melt it away. But on this day, the trail was still snow covered, the skies were blue, and there was hardly a wiff of wind. The morning temperature was still cold.

We quickly moved up the trail to where the mostly snowed over Icy Brook dropping out of the Loch Vale joins with Glacier Creek.  The snow was deeper here where it is sun and wind protected. 

We climbed up out of the drainage heading toward Mills Lake. The lake was frozen solid and there was still a couple of inches of snow on the lake that had fallen a few days before. We trudged across the middle of the lake to the far end.

Once at the south end of Mills Lake, we followed the short drainage that connects Mills Lake to the small Jewell Lake and crossed it. At the south end of that lake, there was an area where Glacier Creek flows into Jewel Lake where the snow did not stick, like maybe the warmth of the water melted the snow, but left these odd puff balls of large flakes. It was kind of an odd phenomenon that was hard to explain.

After Jewel Lake, we returned to the trail and worked through the blowdown area from a Nov 2011 wind event and started to move into the upper part of Glacier Basin with Arrowhead appearing to the west and then finally McHenry's Peak. 

Once at Black Lake, also with a thin layer of of snow on it, we moved up the drainage that leads to the upper hanging valley. Part way up, now at about noon, with the sun at it's zenith for the day, we stopped for a bite to eat and take in the amazing view. The day had been warm and we were casual on our break. In the summer, there are lots of seeps, water that flows out of the cracks on down the rock face. These had turned into ice flows as the winter temperatures settled in.

Up to this point, the trail to Black Lake was pretty well packed from snowshoers the previous day and shoe spikes was all that was needed for travel. But for moving into the upper basin, we decided to go with snowshoes.

We climbed up into the Upper Basin that sits at the western base of Longs Peak. There was only one set of tracks and they were several days old, someone without snowshoes. Despite being mid day, the sun sat low on the horizon and I needed to use my gloved hand to shade the camera lens.

From the upper basin, McHenrys Peak and Arrowhead rise dramatically to the west and turning behind us, we could see all the way across to the Mummy Range in the north. Jet contrails were the only things breaking up the blue sky.

We navigated our way through the boulder fields heading for Green Lake. There was snow coverage over the krumholtz shrubs, but grass, willows and rock cairns were poking through the thin layer of snow.

The sun had now dropped behind Chiefs Head Mtn and the temperature started to drop and the downslope wind picked up. But the Key Board of the Winds rock formation continued to bask in the afternoon light.

Finally at Green Lake at the base of Pagoda Mtn, we stopped for some more food and water before heading back down. We had caught a beautiful day in the Park.

The weather prediction for Estes Park was for sun on this first day of winter, the shortest day of the year, but a blanket of clouds hung low on the mountain peaks as we began our trek up the Flattop Mtn trail from Bear Lake on our way toward Odessa Lake.

The trail was mostly packed, but there was enough soft snow that we decided to put the snowshoes on early, we knew we would eventually. Morning sun filtered through the trees and the temperature was moderate.

Most of the trail along the lower eastern flank of Flattop Mtn was packed and as we looked east into the Estes Valley, we could see that it was sunny, and lacking snow. But where we were, at just over 10,000ft, there was about 1-3 ft of settled snow. A little further on and you can see the fire scar on Mt Wuh.

The trail travels through subalpine spruce and even though we were close to treeline at this point, there are some big spruce trees in this part. This is also a difficult section of trail to route fine in the winter as the trail often gets covered over with blown snow off Flattop Mtn in an area known in the winter as the Flattop Drift.

Keeping track of where to go can be difficult if no one has traveled through recently. It can also be a spot where you can follow the tracks of someone who doesn't know where the trail goes and you end up wandering around until you eventually happen upon the trail, or just make your own way.

Once around on the north side of Flattop Mtn, before the trail descends into the Odessa Gorge, there are two smallish ponds, Two Rivers Lake and Lake Helene, that most people pass by in the summertime on their way to Odessa Lake, but become the common destinations in the winter. On a clear day, Notchtop Mtn rises dramatically and there are fabulous views from these two lakes.  But on this day, unless the clouds began to lift off, most of Notchtop Mtn remained hidden from view.

It was very windy at Lake Helene as is usually the case in the winter, and the lake was frozen over but free of snow. We braced ourselves against the wind and crossed over. We could tell we were right at the edge of the clouds, looking north Joe Mills Mtn kept appearing and then disappearing into the clouds. It would be like that all day. We continued past Lake Helene and started up towards Ptarmigan Glacier and into the clouds.

We really didn't have a specific destination at this point. It was a matter of how far could we safely go and leave enough time for the return before dark. Higher up, there is an unnamed tarn that sits roughly at the bottom of Ptarmigan Glacier. 

We crossed over and marveled at the designs of the frozen air bubbles. 

We had switched from snowshoes to spikes at this point and the travel up was slow, but it was easy to pick our way up the hillside. We were getting into some steeper terrain and in certain places there was a lot of debris on the snow that had come down from above. 

We crossed over a snowfield to a rock outcrop and decided we had reached our high point for the day. 

It had been our hope that as the day went on the clouds would begin to lift and give us that magical site of mountains emerging through the clouds. ​But the clouds just hung in there only giving us glimpses of the sunny day beyond. We made our way over to Two Rivers Lake before returning to the trail. 

It had been a great first day of winter!

Yesterday was Winter Solstice. Over the last 48 hours or so, on the last day of Fall, we have been experiencing a winter wind storm with steady nonstop high winds and incredibly forceful gusts. The kind of wind that if you were a pica up in the tundra, you would want to be deep in your little cozy hole, far below the surface, surrounded by lots of dry flowers and grasses, curled up in a tight ball, fast sleep with visions of sugar-plums dancing in your head, while the wind ravaged those poor little tundra plants at the surface. It’s the kind of wind that sculptures bristlecone pine trees into marvelous twisted living art. The kind of wind that is so forceful it inspires awe.  

​Having completed our shakedown trek to Sky Pond two weeks earlier, my brother and I felt ready to take on winter as it is on the east side of the Divide. So, late in the week last week we decided to head to Andrews Glacier, one of the eight named glaciers in Rocky Mountain National Park. Andrews Glacier sits between Taylor Peak to the south and Otis Peak to the north. Andrews Tarn is nestled at the base of the Andrews Glacier which, over the centuries, carved out a very high hanging valley that sits on the other side of The Sharkstooth Ridge from Sky Pond.

Still, it was warm enough that as we worked our way up, I would occasionally pull off my cap off my head to regulate my body temperature. Once I cooled down enough, the cap went back on. We continued up the Sky Pond trail until crossing on the footbridge that spans Andrews Creek, and then branched off the main trail and began heading into the Andrews Creek drainage.  

Once down into the treeline, we did not follow our tracks out, but choose instead to stay in the basin until we reached the Sky Pond trail, completing our loop. Our legs were tired, but we knew darkness was approaching quickly. We barely beat the darkness back to the parking lot and found that we were the last car in the lot. Cheers went up at what had turned into an adventurous day.

It was 17 days before the Winter Solstice and the sun was getting low on the horizon. The temperature above 9,000ft had stayed below freezing, but on this day, the temperature hovered near the freezing mark and the sun felt warm, even spring like. 17 days after Winter Solstice would put us into early January and I would hope by then the temperature would feel considerably colder.

(Click on the photos for a larger image)

In other words, it was a pretty mild day, on top a string of mild days, for our first winter venture out for the season. My hiking partner and I were heading up the four and a half miles to Sky Pond. We found the trail covered with packed snow, but not icy, so we knew there had not been very many days above freezing, which would make the trail icy with the melting and freezing.

Alberta Falls was pretty well frozen over with thick ice for the winter, though we could hear the water flowing below the ice, but snow had not yet covered over the falls. It had been a while since there had been any significant snowfall.

Not far past the falls and a short step off the trail there's an overlook that looks off to the north. To the left, the crags of Flattop Mtn above Emerald Lake are barely visible. In the foreground, the Bear Lake Road switchbacks up, and off in the distance were the snowy Mummy Range. Normally, those would be the notable features to point out at this spot. But this year, sitting in the middle of all of that is Mt Wuh and the burn scar visible on its' western slope from the recent Troublesome fire. That part of the Park is currently closed to hikers.

We continue on, following the windy trail around the east Glacier Knob until, finally around its east flank, the Loch Vale comes into spectacular view. Even though it was near mid-day, the low sun cast bands of sunlight across the scene. But in the far distance, the Taylor Peak massif basked in the midday sun. 

It was quite a stellar day once we reach The Loch. The lake had completely frozen over and there were many tracks that headed across it, which we followed. There was about and inch of snow on top of the ice, which indicated that there had not been even a wiff of wind since whenever the last little bit of snow fell, very unusual. Timberline Falls was, of course, spectacularly frozen over and on the return, we watched as a couple of ice climbers make short work of a one pitch ascent of the right falls.

This was a shake down hike. We had gathered our winter gear and needed to figure out what we had forgotten for future trips. But we felt we scored a pretty good first winter day out with fantastic conditions.
​Now, bring on the snowstorms!! We're ready!!

At mile 3, we stopped at Chasm Falls.  At this point,  the most notable fall color were much lower to the ground.

The trees were starting to lose their leaves, but the ground cover was spectacular. 

Colors below and above Chasm Falls were the most vibrant. ​

In Willow Park, young Engelman spruce and lodgepole pines thrive against the backdrop of the "grey ghosts," killed by pine beetle.  The last pine beetle infestation was unprecedented.  It began in 1996 and extended well into 2014, killing most of the established lodgepole forests in RMNP. 
​
"Hard winters with cold temperatures can kill beetle eggs and larvae wintering under a tree's outer bark. Related to general climate warming, average winter temperatures in the Rocky Mountains have been higher than normal over the past ten years. Trees have also been weakened by a prolonged period of low precipitation. The combination of milder temperatures and low precipitation has aided a vast outbreak of beetles." - NPS/ROMO

After the most recent snow on October 11, both Old Fall River Road and Trail Ridge Road closed.  Trail Ridge reopened today, but it is unclear whether Old Fall River Road will again this season.  Since 2016, Old Fall River Road has closed for the season on the first Monday in October (it used to be Labor Day) but it stayed opened this year five days after that, to give firefighters access to the remote areas in the Park.

I am very grateful for this, because my mother got the birthday present she wished for.  ​

Rocky Mountain Day Hikes has developed a free app for smart phones (either Apple or Android) called GPSmyhike to help with these concerns.  
​

• Step one:  download the app by following instructions on the GPSmyhikewebpage.

 

• Step two:  select an RMNP hike on the app from several hiking categories.

​

• Step three:  download the trail map before you enter Rocky Mountain National Park and lose reception.

​

• Step four:  refer to the downloaded map which uses GPS to tell you exactly where you are while hiking on the trail you've selected.

The downloaded topographic trail map indicates the trail with a red line and a moving blue dot (which we've named ED) tells you exactly where you are at any point along your hike. ​

RMDH founder and app developer Dave Rusk had an opportunity to test the app's efficacy in early June, while hiking the Flattop Mountain Trail.  Portions of the trail were covered in snow and it quickly became unclear where it went. 

"Even if there are tracks in the snow, it doesn't mean that it's the actual trail," Dave said.  GPSmyhike helped him to find the trail which he & his hiking partner had wandered away from.   Read his report of that hike here. ​

This hike was done several weeks ago, on September 2. Before the area received several days of hot, dry winds that blew up the Cameron Peak fire and eventually closed Trail Ridge Road due to heavy smoke conditions. And before the dramatic change in the weather that dropped temperatures by nearly 50 degrees overnight and kept Trail Ridge Road closed for many more days with as much as 16" of snow. Conditions can change very quickly in the mountains.
 
​I left the Bear Lake parking in the dark with other hikers wearing headlamps to see their way on the trail. My destination on this day was Powell Peak via the Flattop Mtn trail and across the tundra, rounding the backside of the many peaks that make up The Front Range. Because of the extended amount of time cruising above treeline, it was important that there was a zero percent chance of thunderstorms in the forcast.

I started up the Flattop Mtn trail like a race horse out of the starting gate, but then settled into a steady pace as I rose in elevation with the sun.

I worked my way around the western flank of Hallett Peak until I could see Longs Peak and Taylor Peak, two prominent landmarks. I needed to go around Taylor Peak to get to Powell Peak, so I headed for a low spot to the right of Taylor and kept that spot in my sights while I navigated the terrain.

After passing Otis Peak, a visible trail appeared that led to the top of Andrews Glacier. I took a peek down to The Loch Vale before continuing on my tundra traverse. 

Once I reached the high point on the shoulder of Taylor Peak, I found I was still not far enough around to see my direction to Powell Peak yet. But I was able to see across the valley to the southwest at the dramatic range, with Andrews Peak to the the left and Ptarmigan Mtn to the right, and I could also see the two lakes, Nakoni and Nanita, that sit below them.

The actual summit of Powell Peak is hard to make out. It is not as prominent as many of the other surrounding peaks are, especially from the back side. And because of the rising elevations, some things are hidden. I kept an eye on a really prominent peak which at first I thought was neighboring McHenrys Peak. But later I realized that Powell Peak was hiding McHenrys Peak and what I was looking at all along was Chiefs Head Peak.

It wasn't until I was on the actual summit of Powell Peak that I realized my error. Right in front of me, sticking up like a sore thumb, was the backside of McHenrys Peak between Longs Peak and Chiefs Head Peak behind it. The topography can be confusing, and very dramatic when trekking across the tundra. 

At 13,208 ft, Powell Peak is slightly lower than McHenrys Peak by only 19ft, but higher than the more prominent Taylor Peak by 55ft. But the distance to get to Powell Peak is considerable, and I began to make my way back. It took me six hours to reach the summit of Powell Peak from the Bear Lake Parking lot, but only four and a half hours on the return.

Every week, the sights, smells, and sounds are different, making it a shame to limit yourself to just one trip.   

The road closes when the first snows start accumulating at that elevation, usually at the beginning of October.   September is a beautiful month to drive it as well, with the aspen leaves in full color (not just gold, but often orange and red, too) and the tundra becomes a sea of rust-gold.
​
Old Fall River Road travels from Endovalley (near the Alluvial Fan), where it passes through several ecosystems as you travel up.  These include the montane, subalpine, and alpine. In some spots, rich riparian areas offer a rare east-side Rocky look at the sights and sounds of this ecosystem. You move from dense forests to tundra in only 11 miles. 

This will be one of the longest 11-mile drives you will take.  But especially if you’re used to city traffic logjams, you couldn’t ask for a more pleasant delay.  There are plenty of places to stop and I recommend stopping at all of them, if you can.  ​

Glorious wildflowers, wildlife, lush forests and stunning views greet you the entire way. When its approximately three months of vehicle access is over, you can hike or bike this road (weather permitting). 

Of course, I love the sights and sounds I witness from my car & the short hikes I do when I stop at certain places.  But just as enthralling to me is the rich history of this road. ​

Construction of the road began in 1913 and lasted seven years, with a brief interruption caused by World War I in 1914. When it was finally finished, it connected Estes Park to Grand Lake.  When Rocky Mountain National Park was dedicated in the Fall River Valley in 1915, attendees could observe men, using only hand tools, widening the path that Native Americans had weathered for 10s of thousands of years.

This actually caused an issue for some of the more refined and prominent representatives at the RMNP dedication.  Because at the time, Colorado State Penitentiary inmates, housed in nearby cabins, were the men building the road. (A construction company took over building the road before it was fully extended to Grand Lake.)

​Congressmen, Colorado’s governor, prominent local businessmen, and local women associations attended the dedication; seeing the convicts carving out the road was the not the proper aesthetic and the men could be dangerous, some thought.  In my opinion, seeing slave labor at work was not very palatable for the higher-ups of the time. ​

But after Fall River Road finally opened to create vehicle access from Estes Park to Grand Lake, the story changed a bit.  Eventually, Estes Park was not the place to stay for weeks or months at a time; it was a place to stop for a few days on the way to points west.  Grand Old Hotels gave way to roadside motels, especially in the 1950s and 60s when vehicle travel became America’s favorite pastime. 
​
Do yourself a favor and make Old Fall River Road part of this summer's adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Be sure your vehicle does well in high altitudes, has a full tank of gas, and my advice is not to drive large vehicles up it, it’s much more difficult that way.  But above all, remember it’s only ONE WAY, going up – you will have to take Trail Ridge Road to go back down, either to Estes Park or Grand Lake. ​

“I set out, all prepared and with every intention to summit. I didn’t get very far, only 4-5 miles in, when I reevaluated the time it took me to get there, the time I still had ahead of me, the weather, and the time of day. I decided I’d gone far enough & turned around there.”​

This thoughtful attitude hasn’t been Simon’s strategy his entire life, however.

He was born and lived in Germany for eight years after which his family moved to New York. He moved to Colorado for college in the early-1990s. ​

The gratitude he feels while on these trips reinforces this connection. Suddenly, he is no longer the outcast and trying to fit himself into a shape society asks him to fill. These days, Simon works as a freelance contractor and carves out considerable time for traveling and mountaineering.  While standing on these mountaintops alone, he sees these moments as wonderful gifts– that are uniquely for him alone.

“I experience a rush of endorphins, that weird chemical euphoria that I used to seek out artificially,” he explained. “I become grateful for being a human on this planet, for having legs to get me to the summit.”
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Simon is continuously honing his preparation for hiking, after every trip he has figured out a way to lighten his pack a bit more and reduce the amount of water he carries. His advice for hiking is similar to his advice for achieving and maintain sobriety.  ​