alpine – Page 104 – besthike.com

August 18, 2010August 12, 2010

best hikes Rocky Mountain National Park

Lonely Planet Hiking in the USA recommends:

• Odessa Lake
• Flattop Mountain
• Glacier Gorge & Loch Vale
• Longs Peak

All those are easily accessible out of Estes Park, Colorado.

Buzz recommends making a loop from Bear Lake over the Divide to Grand Lake, returning by a second trail. Or making a loop over Stormy and Mummy passes.

There are many options. The real attraction of Rocky Mountain National Park is that it is so high:

… The park is split by the Continental Divide, which gives the eastern and western portions of the park a different character. The east side of the park tends to be drier, with heavily glaciated peaks and cirques. The west side of the park is wetter and more lush, with deep forests dominating.

The park contains 359 miles (578 km) of trails, 150 lakes, and 450 miles (720 km) of streams. The park contains over 60 named peaks higher than 12,000 feet (3,700 m), and over one fourth of the park resides above tree line. …

I started the short Tundra Communities Trail at 12,050ft (3672m). That’s off the scenic summer Trail Ridge Road the highest continuous highway in the USA.

Longs-Peak — Chapel On The Rock w/ Longs Peak

more interesting photos tagged Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

August 17, 2010August 12, 2010

climbing Longs Peak, Colorado

People get hit by lightning here all the time. Brendan Baker was struck Aug. 4th.

13.6mi (21.9km) – Longs Peak ranger station trailhead

Longs Peak is the most climbed 14,000er in the Rockies. … I’m surprised to hear that. The ascent of almost 5000ft (1500m) is tougher than expected.

Recommended is a 4AM start with headlamp. The goal is to flee the summit by Noon, as afternoon lightning storms are frequent. … I did not start until after 6AM. …

It took me 5hrs to get to the top moving as quickly as I could. Weather was perfect.

Here’s the first view of the summit from the trail:

There are a few backcountry campgrounds en route, but they’re heavily booked. Most people do it as a long day hike, as I did.

If you’ve a weak bladder, know that there are many pit toilets en route. Here’s the Goblin’s campsite toilet throne:

And modern solar composting toilets higher up:

Many hikers turn back at the Keyhole.

They vist the Agnes Vaille Memorial Hut there.

After you climb through the Keyhole it gets tough. Here’s the view into Glacier Gorge, still cold as the sun has not yet reached the trail.

It gets hairy, quickly. Exposure. Potential rockfall. … Many have been killed on this mountain.

I slipped badly on black ice here, the rock still frozen.

The Narrows. The Homestretch. All challenging.

I never did find the register book. This photo is all the evidence I have that I was there.

I left a Summit Stone in this cairn.

Climbing Longs Peak is only recommended for hardy adventurers, agile with no fear of heights.

see all my photos from this scramble

August 16, 2010August 12, 2010

Cirque of the Towers, Wyoming

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

First off, I declare this the second best hike I’ve done in the American Rockies. (Only the North Circle in Glacier National Park ranks higher.)

The Cirque of the Towers is located in the Wind River Range Wyoming …

… the cirque is a very popular destination for technical rock climbers. Climber Orrin Bonney gave the area its current name in 1941 after his survey of the cirque. Prior to this, few if any visitors had ventured into the cirque due to the remote location. The cirque is an almost circular hole or valley carved by a glacier that retreated over 8,000 years ago. As is true with the rest of the Winds, the mountains are composed almost entirely of granite. The Continental Divide spans the crest of the main peaks. …

From Pinedale, Wyoming it’s a long, pretty 55mi (88km) drive, partly paved and partly gravel, to the Big Sandy trailhead.

After being near bugged to death on my previous hike, I was worried about mosquitoes. … Happily, in early August, they were not bad. Not an issue.

Many complain that this hike is crowded. It wasn’t while I was there.

Lunch at the Cirque was a hiker’s paradise. Surreal.

I spotted this waterfall from the top of Jackass Pass 10,800ft (3,290m) and couldn’t resist the sidetrip.

Most hikers finish at Lonesome Lake in the Cirque, then backtrack.

Instead I climbed over Texas Pass:

I placed a Summit Stone atop this spire to the west of Texas Pass.

The vista over to the far side of Texas:

I saw only 2 other hikers cross the pass on this day, peak season.

It’s actually quite pretty from the backside.

At my campsite near Shadow Lake, I jammed my bear canister between a tree and a boulder so no critters could roll it away down the hill.

It’s a long, mellow walk out if you do the full circuit.

The only downside to this hike is that you must share the trail with tourist cowboys.

Horses really muddy the trail.

more photos from my Circuit of the Towers

If you’re interested in planning for this hike yourself check Lonely Planet Hiking in the USA. It lays out the Circuit (sometimes called “Circle Route”) … though it was obvious to me that the authors had turned back before Texas Pass. (They got the map wrong.)

And check out our besthike information page – CIRQUE OF THE TOWERS

Anglers will love it.

August 10, 2010August 4, 2010

Beartooth High Lakes, Wyoming

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

35mi (57km) on the Continental Divide

This lollypop loop circuit, as recommended by Lonely Planet Hiking in the USA, starts and (supposedly) finishes at the Island Lake trailhead on the intensely scenic Beartooth Highway, an access to Yellowstone National Park.

The wildflowers here in early August are insanely great.

Unfortunately, the horseflies and mosquitoes are insanely awful. Fish food, I guess.

For all the wildlife in nearby Yellowstone, I was surprised to see nothing larger than this marmot. … Perhaps the mosquitoes drove them out.

The High Lakes hike is aptly named. You trek from one remote lake to the next. With all the granite, at times it reminded me of the Sierra Nevada.

You are going to get your feet wet, for sure. But normally there is a way across the widest streams.

Many love this wilderness for the remote tenting options. Set up wherever you want.

Lonely Planet rates this adventure easy-medium, the worse misranking of any hike in the book. It is correct here:

… Waymarkings and signposts are unreliable. …

The Beartooth High Lakes circuit is very challenging due to the many rocky and wet scrambles. The snow that stays into late July. The lack of signage. Trails that often fizzle out completely.

In fact, I’d not recommend you try it without a good topo and GPS. One lake looks like the next up here.

Here I am wandering out through charming alpine meadows, looking for a good spot to leave a Summit Stone.

Though I was blissfully unaware at the time, I was far lost.

I ended up at the Clay Butte lookout tower, miles from my vehicle. … It was a long highway walk back to my car.

I loved the High Lakes hike. But I’d never do it again until after the mosquitoes are mostly gone. Perhaps September.

The best day hike is the section up to Becker or even Albino lakes.

See all photos from my High Lakes hike.

August 9, 2010

climbing Kilimanjaro

by site editor Rick McCharles

Of our top 10 hikes in the world, the only one I haven’t done myself is Kili.

Price is one concern. Getting to Africa, another.

You cannot do Kilimanjaro independently.

Bobby Tours has 6 day climbs starting at $1100.

Bobby Tours – Kilimanjaro

Leave a comment if you’ve a recommendation for other good companies.

August 9, 2010August 4, 2010

Beartooth Wilderness, Wyoming – BUGGY

When I checked with a Ranger in Yellowstone National Park regarding conditions in Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness he looked up sharply:

There’s a lot of mosquitoes up there, you know!

I laughed it off. How bad could it be compared with the Canadian Rockies?

… There are 700 miles (1,100 km) of trails in the wilderness, hundreds of lakes, a few dozen streams and a similar number of small glaciers can be found in the wilderness.

… The Beartooths have the largest unbroken area of land in excess of 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in altitude in the U.S. outside of Alaska. Animals found in the wilderness include bald eagles and the threatened grizzly bear, lynx, bull trout as well as the endangered wolf. …

Here’s the Beartooth itself, as seen from the Montana side.

Wikipedia – Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

… We’d recommend you wait until September to hike here. Or take a shotgun to disperse the bugs once-in-a-while.

August 5, 2010August 7, 2010

high in Colorado?

by Rick McCharles

As besthike editor I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never hiked in Colorado.

Until now.

I’m en route to Estes Park.

I’ve got a couple of weeks … Where should I hike?

The only MUST DO on my list is Maroon Bells.

August 3, 2010August 1, 2010

best hikes Rainier – Burroughs Mountain

trip report by best hike editor Rick McCharles

Mt. Rainier is an outdoor playground scary close to Seattle.

… Although Mount Rainier is an active volcano, as of 2010 there was no evidence of an imminent eruption. However, an eruption could be devastating for all areas surrounding the volcano …

… a mudflow might also reach down the Duwamish estuary and destroy parts of downtown Seattle, and cause tsunamis in Puget Sound and Lake Washington. According to USGS, about 150,000 people live on top of old lahar deposits of Rainier …

Of all Mt. Rainier day hikes, I like Burroughs Mountain best, 7mi (11.3km) return.

You start high at Sunrise trailhead. This is 6400ft (1,950m), the highest point in the park accessible by vehicle.

The approach is via a gorgeous ridge walk. … We LOVE ridge walks.

If conditions allow, you can side trip up one, two or three Burroughs Peaks. Here’s the start:

Check with Rangers at Sunrise (not open until 10AM) on local conditions. The day I was there, many turned back at this point:

Rainier looks awesome from the top of Second Burroughs (7402ft).

Of course if the weather is terrible, as it normally is, don’t bother. You won’t see a thing.

more photos of this day hike on Burrough’s Peaks

August 2, 2010August 1, 2010

best hikes Rainier – Camp Muir

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Mount Rainier is a large active stratovolcano, Washington, USA, located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It towers over the Cascade Range as the most prominent mountain in the contiguous United States …

The mountain and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Rainier National Park. With 26 major glaciers and 36 square miles (93 km2) of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. …

This quote greets the hiker at Paradise trailhead, Mt. Rainier, Washington:

Wild flowers are terrific on Rainier. But …, I’d love to take John Muir to Waterton/Glacier and the Canadian Rockies during wildflower season. … To compare.

Wildlife is another highlight of the Rainier alpine meadows:

The 5000+ft climb to Camp Muir (10,080′) begins on the excellent Skyline Trail 5.5mi (8.9km), a good alternative to Muir if conditions are not safe for the snowy ascent up high on the volcano.

We find it troublesome to recommend Skyline, however, as it’s so busy. It’s ideal, though, for children and visitors who have not seem much snow. Rainier is one of the snowiest places in the USA!

The maze of trails out of Paradise are confusing. Get advice and a free map from the Ranger’s desk.

If the weather is GREAT, as it was the day I was there, best hike is to scramble up to the historic base camp, the most popular for those climbing Rainier.

You’ll often need an ice axe for this scramble. But not in ideal conditions.

It’s hard to imagine a better place to be than Camp Muir on a sunny day like this.

Here are some climbers, prepping for the ascent:

I descended 2mi in 40min on a plastic bag toboggan like this. Great FUN.

more photos from this hike to Camp Muir

July 23, 2010

Salcantay Trek to Machu Picchu

by site editor Rick McCharles

I did Salcantay in 2004. It’s well covered on our Salcantay information page.

Now there’s an even better resource for those considering using that route to get to Machu Picchu. salkantay trek is a blog, trip report and photo journal all-in-one.