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Elevation defines Rocky Mountain National Park, with the world of the Alpine being an exciting place to be during the month of July. This Land-Above-the-Trees is the last place winter holds its grip in the spring and the first place it descends upon in the fall. That makes summer in the alpine zone short but spectacular. The burst of little tiny flowers can change almost daily. To truly appreciate these little gems, you really need to get on your belly. Now is the time to hike some high-elevation trails. Here are three hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park to enjoy this July. Note: As spectacular as alpine hikes are in July, it is also a time for thunder and lightening storms. So know before you go, start super early, and always be prepared to decend! For more on lightening safety tips, read more here.
A Rocky Mountain National Park classic, this hike will take you right up to the east face of Longs Peak, known as The Diamond. Waterfalls and wildflowers greet the hiker with a little bit of rock scramble on the final push to the lake. For more on this trail, visit: Chasm Lake trail
Starting at Milner Pass on Trail Ridge road, this trail quickly gains in elevation and most of the hike is spent rolling across the open tundra before making a final push for the Mt Ida summit. The views are 360 with the Never Summer Range to the west. For more on this trail, visit: Mt Ida trail
Accessing this trail involves driving up the one-way Fall River Road to the Chapin Pass trailhead. The trail up these three summits is not maintained by the Park, so pay attention to where you are while you enjoy the thrill of tagging multiple summits. For more on this trail, visit: Chapin, Chiquita, Ypsilon trail
Hiking in the rarefied air of the alpine is truly a rarefied experience, and July is prime time to be there. You won't want to miss this!
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"The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and animals and birds, ford the streams and cross the ridges, and tell a good story when we get back home." ~ Gary Snyder
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“Hiking -I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of the word ‘saunter?’ It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, A la sainte terre,’ ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.” ~ John Muir |
