Hallett Peak looms over aptly named Dream Lake like some great cathedral, while the jagged south edge of Flattop Mountain belies its name. Dream Lake was the second of seven high lakes I hiked past on June 28.

I awoke to a chilly morning with the sun lighting up the yellow rainfly of my tent. The thermometer I’d placed on the picnic table said it was 36 degrees. I didn’t linger in camp for long on my last full day at Rocky Mountain National Park, because it was going to be a long one. The plan was get an early start and park at the Glacier Gorge trailhead, then take a shuttle to Bear Lake trailhead and hike back. However, I didn’t get an early enough start, so the tiny parking lot at Glacier Gorge was already full. Fortunately, the lot at Bear Lake was not, else I would have to retreat to the Visitor Center. By the time I started hiking toward Bear Lake, it was almost 9 a.m., and the sun was high in the deep blue sky.

Today’s looping agenda would now begin with a leisurely stroll around Bear Lake (9,475′), followed by a hike up Tyndall Gorge past Nymph Lake (9,700′) to Dream Lake (9,900′) and on to Emerald Lake (10,100′), the highest alpine lake in this gorge. Backtracking to Dream Lake, I’d take a trail which cuts over the ridge dividing Tyndall Gorge from Chaos Canyon, and on to Lake Haiyaha (10,220′), where I was likely to encounter snowdrifts. They hopefully would not prove impassible, as I would have to backtrack to Bear Lake. If I could get past Lake Haiyaha, I would hike between the Glacier Knobs into Loch Vale. In that gorge, I would visit The Loch (10,180′) and hike up a likely snow-covered slope to Timberline Falls (10,480′) and hopefully Glass Lake (10,820′) and Sky Pond (10,900′) beyond. Backtracking to The Loch, I’d then head into Glacier Gorge to visit Mills Lake (9,940′) before passing Alberta Falls (9,400′) on my way to the Glacier Gorge (9,180′) trailhead and a shuttle back to where I parked (9,450′).

The trail around pretty Bear Lake is mostly level and mostly handicapped accessible (save one stretch on the southwest shore that’s pretty steep). Because of its proximity to a major trailhead parking area, it is probably one of the most visited lakes in the park. Walking counter-clockwise from the trailhead, the first impressive sight is the sheer north face of Hallett Peak above a tree-lined shore. Continuing around, views across the lake include Longs Peak, the highest summit in the park, and Glacier Gorge, pictured above. The Glacier Knobs are two lowish mounds of granite peeking over the trees. The bare rock slope of Thatchtop is the prominent peak in the middle of the frame. Behind it is the Continental Divide.
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Tags: creeks, glacier gorge, hallett peak, jun09 colorado trip, lakes, loch vale, longs peak, mills lake, reflections, rocky mountain national park, Snow, the loch, timberline falls, trees, tyndall gorge, waterfalls

Two days ago, I hiked more than 13 miles in a loop from the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. Part of that hike took me deep into Loch Vale, one of several spectacular gorges falling east from the Continental Divide.

Here are photos of the Loch, the largest lake in this particular gorge, which sits at 10,190 feet above sea level. Clouds were streaming over the Divide, reflecting in the sometimes still, sometimes churning waters. Thatchtop is the hulking mass along the left shoreline, and The Sharkstooth is the jagged peak on the right (The vertical photo shows it better.).

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Tags: alpine vistas, cirques, clouds, jun09 colorado trip, lakes, loch vale, pine trees, reflections, rocky mountain national park, Snow, the loch, timberline falls, water, waterfalls