Solo at Fern, Odessa, and Cub Lakes

RMNP

I am blessed here in Boulder with a plethora of hiking and climbing partners (heck, I'm married to one of 'em!) and I realized it's been over 18 months since my last significant solo expedition. This is not in and of itself a bad thing, but going solo exposes you to a different mindset and outlook on the experience. Time to start the year with a good head-rethreading solo trip.

The impressive Jaws icefall along Big Thompson Canyon.

I adopted an ambitious plan, to climb Taylor Peak via Andrews Glacier in RMNP, a trip of about 12-13 miles, round trip, and some significant elevation gain. This was what we'd planned on doing last May when we ended up camping at the Loch and I knew it was ambitious. As a backup plan, I would start from the Fern Lake TH at Moraine Park and explore up some of the vallies in that part of the Park. As usual, the weather in Boulder was lovely, but up in the mountains things didn't look so good. Snow plumes could be seen blowing off the high peaks and a solid gray wall of clouds was moving in fast. Being solo, I opted for Plan B.

I made good time with a heavy pack (loads of emergency gear) as far as the Pool. From here, I donned snowshoes and climbed up the switchbacks to Fern Lake on tracked but windblown trail. Conditions at Fern were pretty exciting; wind howled across the lake and the towering spires that surround it were mostly hidden in blowing snow and fog. I took shelter behind the cabin and had a hasty lunch.

Next stop was Odessa Lake about 400' above and a kilometer distant. The summer trail traverses the steep talus slopes above Fern Lake. Given the elevated avalanche danger from the wind-loaded snow, I opted for a safer ascent following the drainage through the trees. This was untracked and I again relied on my GPS to keep me pointed in the right direction.

By the time I got to Odessa and found my way down onto the lake itself, the weather had greatly improved. The Gable and Little Matterhorn loomed over the lake and I could see up Odessa Gorge toward Lake Helene and Two Rivers Lake. The north face of Flattop and Notchtop were visible as well. It is a deeply impressive place. It was 1pm and I still had 5 miles of trail to get back to the car, so I turned the trip and retraced my steps to Fern Lake, down the switchbacks, to the Pool.

Notchtop, Flattop and Odessa Gorge from Odessa Lake

The aptly-named Little Matterhorn from Odessa Lake

My feet were sore from 9 miles of trail and I was tired from two miles of off-trail slogging, but I opted to detour to Cub Lake on the way out. This added a mile or so to the trip, but let me see a different trail than I'd seen on the way in. Cub Lake was nice enough, but I was anxious to get back to the car. The last, easy 2.5 miles to the car along the edge of frozen beaver ponds and grassy fields was painful and slippery and I began to remember some of the downsides of solo hiking; you have no one to talk to to distract you from the pain and tedium. At dusk, I made it back to the car and headed home. Total distance: 12 miles and about 2300' of elevation gain.

The Wilderness Journal

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