Lake Helene, RMNP
March 27, 2005
Winter is getting old. I enjoy snow and winter as much as the next person, but towards the end of March I always get antsy and twitchy and really need to be taken out and exercised. Most frustratingly, the weather in Boulder at this time of year tends to be quite spring-like with birds, grass, flowers, the works. But winter has another two months to go up in the high country and the avalanche danger has been through the roof lately.
To combat my growing cabin fever and Amy's strange lethargy, we planned a 'casual' trip in RMNP. We would traverse 10 miles from the popular Bear Lake, past a series of high lakes in Odessa Gorge, and down to the Fern Lake trailhead. This would be mostly at or below tree line (sheltering us from the wind) and crossed mostly avalanche-safe terrain. Furthermore, it was a whole area of the Park that we hadn't visitted yet.
We got a leisurely start on Sunday and dropped my bike at the Fern Lake TH. By 9:30 we were on the trail at Bear Lake (ten miles away by trail or road from the bike), and set a moderate pace on the well-packed trail. The day was pleasent with sun and a strong breeze mostly stopped by the evergreen cover. We passed six different people coming the other direction who commented that they'd turned back up ahead "where the wind got really bad". Several of these people were pretty well armed with gear and I had visions of our last forray above tree line on Mount Lady Washington.
At the two-mile mark, shortly before the first large open area, we stopped to gird our loins against the demon wind. We weren't going down without a fight this time! After a brief rest, we ventured out into the blowing snow and bright sun. Not too bad so far, but the well-tracked trail was completely filled with blown snow and I couldn't follow it. Undaunted, I broke trail across wind crust aiming for a likely-looking bit of trees on the other side. Still, the wind wasn't too bad. Perhaps this wasn't the spot the others had talked about.
We achieved the trees on the other side and the wind dropped. We were hot from all the layers we'd put on as wind protection. The snow was tracked here but much softer. Probably hadn't seen any traffic today. We trudged another half mile through beautiful dense evergreens to the first of two boulder fields we needed to cross. I'd been warned about these as the first avalanche hazards of the route. Again, the wind wasn't too bad though it could be seen kicking up spindrift on the gentle slopes above. I stepped briskly across the wide bowl wondering what the avalanche danger was really like. The bowl wasn't large and the trees at the bottom seemed well-preserved and healthy, not the sign of frequent slide activity. Still the slope was pretty steep (30 degrees?) and I was relieved to reach the sheltered half-way point unharmed. Amy came across and we tried the second half which wasn't nearly as steep.
 Amy approaching Notchtop Mountain in RMNP. |
 Yours trully decked out in winter gear at the lookout into Odessa Gorge. The mountain behind me is the Little Matterhorn which doesn't look like much from this angle. |
Shortly, we reached a clearing and could see the Lake Helene basin in great detail. Wow! Spectacular snow slopes on the north side of Flattop lead out of sight to the Ptarmigan snow field. Notchtop Mountain with it's characteristic square pillar and triangular face loomed over everything. Further icy crags decked out in snow flutings extended to the right into the depths of Odessa Gorge.
Below us was the frozen expanse of Two Rivers Lake, the first of four backcountry lakes on the route. We traversed the lake and had lunch in the shelter of some trees on the far side. It was 1 pm and we'd only done 3.3 miles. The remaining six or seven miles should be pretty easy, but Amy wasn't too excited about continuing on. Oh well. We'd reached the interesting part anyway and by turning back, I didn't have to pedal my bike ten miles, up a thousand feet, in hiking boots, and probably in the dark as well. We continued on to the ridge of Joe Mills Mountain and looked down into the gorge. Here it was windy, but still nothing like we'd had up on the Long's trail. Photos were taken and we turned for home.
Odessa Gorge from the flank of Joe Mills Mountain. Flattop is on the left and Notchtop on the right. The small basin down on the left holds Lake Helene (really, I checked!).
I took a brief side trip and explored Lake Helene in the basin down below. If I hadn't known there was a lake there from the maps, I'd never have guessed it from the reality. The view was second to none. I rejoined Amy at the far side of Two Rivers Lake and we retraced our steps. The snow was getting pretty soft and would ball in our snowshoe cleats quite annoyingly. Each footstep compressed the snow further and it got so that we'd have to use my axe to knock it out every hundred yards.
At length we got back across the meadow and gratefully lashed our snowshoes on our packs. The rest of the trip out was uneventful and we arrived back at the car around 4:30.
Not the trip we'd planned, but still a great time with great weather and stunning views. Unfortunately, it hasn't abated my outdoor recreation hunger and I am more eager than ever for winter to be done with so I can go hike and climb in the high country more easily.
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