Rocky Mountain National Park

We elected to spend five nights at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), as we haven't been here in about 17 years. We booked three nights at Glacier Basin Campground in RMNP, one night at Mary's Lake in Estes Park, and one night in Aspenglen Campground back in the park. Mary's Lake was our amenities night - power, water, dump, showers, and laundry.

Glacier Basin was fantastic. It's right in the heart of the most visited areas of the park - Bear Lake corridor. While others hoped to get a timed permit to enter the corridor, we were already past the gate and free to explore the area. The park, like many, has become so popular they have to limit entries via a permit system. There are two levels of permits - one to enter the overall park, and another permit to enter the Bear Lake corridor.

The first evening we took a short hike to Sprague Lake. There was an older female moose grazing in the lake, and we sat and watched for a while. Human impact on the ecosystem weighs large. In the 1900s hunters killed off the last of the top predators - wolves and grizzly bears. In the 1980s the state of Colorado brought in 24 moose to the state for tourism and hunting. The moose have proliferated without the top predators to manage their population. Moose eat the willow trees, which the beavers need to make dams and lodges. The beavers are essentially gone from the park now. Years of fire suppression, to protect nearby communities, has resulted in many invasive species growing in the park. And climate change is wiping out the glaciers and stressing many species as they seek higher ground.

Sprague Lake near our campground

The next morning, we got up at 5:15AM and drove to the most popular trailhead parking lot at the end of Bear Lake Road. We went for several hikes. The first one was a 6 mile, 4 lake visit. We gained about 1,200 feet on that hike - and it started at 9,500 feet of elevation! After passing the smallest lake (Nymph) we headed up to Haiyaha Lake. It was the most colorful because it has fresher glacial sediment suspended in the water. We then came back down to Dream Lake and on to Emerald Lake. Near Emerald Lake, there was a very large elk grazing at the side of the trail. It seemed oblivious to all the people streaming past.

Nymph Lake

Elena the mountain climber

Haiyaha Lake

Elena at Dream Lake

Elena and Elk

Paul at Emerald Lake

We returned to the van and had lunch, then headed back out to loop around Bear Lake. This one was only a mile with minimal elevation changes.

Bear Lake

 We then decided to hike to Alberta Falls. That added another couple of miles and 230 feet of elevation gain.

Alberta Falls

When we arrived back at the campsite, we decided to add another couple of miles back to Sprague Lake to see if the moose was out. It was.

The next morning, we got up early and drove a few miles to the Bierstadt Lake trailhead. We hiked up about 700 feet and around 4 miles total. As we came to the first lake view, we saw a moose mom and baby on the other shore. We eventually got around to that side, and they were both out in the lake by that point. We watched them for a long time and visited with an off duty park ranger who was out taking photos on her day off. 

Bebop at our campground

Paul climbing to Bierstadt Lake

Paul & Elena at Bierstadt Lake

Mom and baby moose at Bierstadt Lake

Duck trying to get people to look at it instead of the moose.

We slowed the pace the final few days with several visits to Sheep Lakes to see if the Bighorn came down - they did not. However, we caught a great photo before and during a rainstorm.

Mountains from the Sheep Lakes

Same mountains in the rain with a layered effect

 We also visited the Alluvial Falls, which were formed in 1982 when an upstream dam (man made) failed and sent a cascade of water, mud, and boulders down the river bed. 

Alluvial Falls

Our final night was in Aspenglen Campground in RMNP. The next morning, we drove across the 12,000-foot Trail Ridge Road to the west side of the park. We made several stops and hiked to Rock Cut at 12,300 feet for a top of the world view. We only saw one Elk, but watched many marmots and pika dashing around. We also saw a coyote right along the roadside. Eventually, we descended the west side and are at Stillwater Campground on Lake Granby for the night. 

Paul with Longs Peak in the back

Paul & Elena at 12,300 feet on Trail Ridge Road

Scenic Vista

Our Winnebago Travato getting us up and down the mountains

Marmots on a rock

Pika having lunch

It was a great five days at Rocky Mountain National Park.

- Paul