Better Outside Than In: Rocky Mountain

Monday, September 4, 2017

Rocky Mountain - part 1

9/3:
After getting information the previous day I was up early heading toward the first hike (Mt Ida). Getting up early pays in many ways. You beat the crowds and you usually see a lot of animals in the AM. In the first 10 minutes in the park I saw a bear standing up scratching himself on a tree. I stopped and got out of the car to watch. I don't think I spooked him as he kept scratching for a little while longer and then jogged off. Also Elk and deer in the road and the sides of the road. The road up to this hike is the main road that goes up to 11K feet and has views in all directions.
Mt Ida was going to be a test for how well I was acclimated after Glacier and Teton. This mountain is 12,880 feet. The hike starts out high at 10,700 so I quickly got above tree line after seeing more elk in the woods. It was a nice hike on a wide ridge with views for almost the entire hike. Hiked with a nice couple from Kansis City. They told about some nice prairie hiking near the Manhattan exit in Kansas. I put it on the list of possibilities but never made it.
The top of Mt Ida is fairly dramatic. Steep drop offs off three of the sides and some snow fields just below. Interesting hike all day because you are up high in an artic tundra type zone. The trail stops after a while, and becomes a rock jumble, but it is easy to see the top of the mountain and follow the ridge. 9 miles round trip. I felt fine at elevation all day so it seems I am acclimated. Good to know.

A few pictures driving to the hike:

Mt Ida on right as shown in next picture of sign

Hike starts below tree line but quickly moves above it:

Top of Mt Ida

Marmot near top

The "trail"

A few more from the cell phone:

Sunset at camp site

9/4:
This was a great day! Loop hike up Andrews Glacier to Hallet peak at 12,700, flat top mountain and then down a different canyon. 14 miles and a fair amount of elevation gain/loss.
The trail started in the trees and went to Alberta Falls. Nice area with some rock cliffs surrounding the stream. Further along I got to "The Loch" which is a narrow lake with rock walls around it. Next was an area of loose rocks and walls going up to Otis peak and the sharks tooth. The sharks tooth is a dramatic peak. Next was Andrews Glacier which was interesting. It is a fairly steep glacier with a lake at the bottom. A fall would direct you into the lake! I made my way up the left side of it near the rocks. I could have used my katolas (sp?, ice spikes) which were safely back in the car. At the top of the glacier you are around 12K feet in a another tundra area that also has some large rock jumble areas. Again the trail went away for a while but I could see Hallett Peak so you follow whatever path seems good until you get there. Went up Hallet peak which had great views of the surrounding mountains and then down to the top of flat top mountain. The loop continues down a different canyon and ends up at bear lake. A great day. Clear in the AM and then smoke moved in toward the afternoon.
I did the loop in the right direction. I would not want to go down Andrews Glacier and down the rock jumble after it.
At this point in the trip I was staying at Glacier Basin camp ground right in the park (3 nights). This had the fewest amenities of any camp site I had been in. No showers and marginal bathrooms. But it is surrounded by peaks and elk walk through the camp ground every night.

Andrews Glacier - you really need to go up the glacier as the rocks on both sides are a lot harder than they look.

You fall... you swim

Hallett peak

Bear lake (end of day, smokey)

Sprague lake

And a few more from the day:

Sunrise

Sunset from camp ground

9/5:
Two hikes today. Went up twin sister peaks in the AM. It was a cloudy morning so few views but a nice hike and you could tell it would be a great view of Longs Peak if there were less clouds. This was a 7.5 mile hike with some pretty good elevation gain. A few ravens coasting on the wind at the top of twin sisters.
Elk all over today. In the camp ground and on the hikes.
In the afternoon it was deer mountain which was a nice 6 mile round trip walk through meadows and then switch backs up the mountain. Views were not great again due to clouds and smoke. Nice walk though and some wild flowers.