![]() You ALSO receive a 16:9 ratio panoramic image, which you will find in the ZIP file! To me, this is one of the most beautiful spots in the vista-rich Rocky Mountain National Park.įor the highest quality print, the images are provided at 300 pixels per inch. Sitting at 11,800 ft at the foot of The Diamond, a nearly 2500-foot high wall with world-renowned climbing routes, the setting of Chasm Lake and its blue-green water is absolutely spectacular. Also, if entering between 9am-3pm, you must have a timed entry reservation during peak season.Chasm Lake and Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Special Considerations: Located in Rocky Mountain National Park, so fee applies. Trail Conditions: Snowpacked, with slush later onĬell Service: Hit or miss, depending on where you are on the trail (Verizon), definitely nothing reliable Total Mileage: 8.92 miles per Strava/Garmin Vivoactive 4s Chasm Lake was definitely a fantastic hike, even with the snowy conditions. He was lugging a heavy pack up the trail for training, so I was happy I wasn’t the only one on the trail with gear that seemed a bit out of place! I did not catch his name, but it was a nice break and always so nice to chat up another mountain fanatic.Īt 12:30pm I made it back to my car, so just about 5 hours on the money! By now there was a steady stream of people hiking up the trail and the parking lot was full. At treeline I spent about 10-15 minutes chatting with a gentleman who was stopped for a snack break about mountaineering, my pink ice axe, his upcoming Pakistan climbing trip, and how I need to climb Mount Baker (everyone keeps telling me that for some reason?). I’m a slow descender, and I accidentally left my trekking poles in the car, so I took to slipping and sliding all the way back to the car. I took to hustling back, hoping things wouldn’t get postholey. View of Twin Sisters Peaks as I headed back down. Snowfield crossing on the way back The snow softened a lot, and I postholed a bit through the krummholz. The glissade chute off the lake was solid and a bit of fun! It has a solid run out, so probably can send it without any means of controlling speed, but this was a chance for me to practice some skills with my ice axe. I arrived about 7:15am in mid-May, and was able to get a spot, but things looked pretty full by the time I finished in the afternoon. Considering I just got back from spending eleven days at sea level, I must admit I was feeling the thin oxygen by the time I hit 11,000 feet by the lake! This trailhead is extremely popular, and will fill incredibly early in the summer months (most hikers begin a Longs Peak summit attempt at 2 or 3am). ![]() The hike begins at the Longs Peak Trailhead, which is at 9400 feet in elevation. ![]() This would also give me a little bit of a chance to practice with my crampons and ice axe – yes, the crampons were overkill (I’d argue an ice axe is very smart for the final snowfield crossing to the lake), but practice makes perfect!Ĭhasm Lake sits at the base of Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park’s highest peak and one of Colorado’s iconic “14ers.” This hike is classified as strenuous by the park service, as it is 8.6 miles long and climbs over 2500 feet, much of it above treeline. With the impending start to summer and timed entry reservation season at RMNP, I decided to squeeze in one last adventure before the hoards of tourists arrive and do the very popular hike to Chasm Lake. If there’s one thing I’ve done in the last six months, it has been exploring Rocky Mountain National Park and area surrounding Estes Park more than I ever had. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |