It’s the Rocky Mountain High,
I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky
I know he’d be a poorer man
if he never saw an Eagle fly
Rocky mountain high
– John Denver, “Rocky Mountain High”
Lately, I’ve found myself reflecting on the lyrics of this song. There are lots of interesting places to visit. Usually, places are noteworthy because of the things you can do there or people you can meet. But for me, the mountains are unique in that just being there is enough to fulfill some inner desire of mine. I think John Denver had this same feeling, and I think his term for it is the best explanation: rocky mountain high. The truth is that I love Rocky Mountain National Park, which is the reason I made two separate hiking trips there in the span of a month!
Mt Ida
Ute Trail
My first trip was a camping trip with the goal of climbing Mt. Ida. Ida is well known as one of the highest rated trails in the park, and at 12,865’ of elevation it’s no walk in the park either. Fortunately, I had some great friends to take the trip with me.
Taking advantage of the labor day weekend, we camped for two nights at the Timber Creek campground in the park itself. The campground is fairly sparse, having suffered a large fire a few years prior, but had decent amenities for a primitive campground.
After setting up camp and getting settled in, we decided to go on a short introductory hike to see some of the park and to get a better idea of what we were in for. The hike we settled on was the Ute trail from the Alpine visitor center down to Milner Pass.
This trail included an inspiring vista of the Never Summer mountain range, certainly a view that can never fully be expressed by image.
There was also some great opportunities for some portraiture with this excellent view in the backdrop.
At the bottom of the Ute trail is an impressive outcropping of rocks. These made for some good pictures too!
Mt Ida Summit
The next day we woke up at 4:30 AM and prepared for the hike to the summit of Mt Ida. We picked the perfect day for the trip and enjoyed excellent weather all the way to the summit. The temperature was completely comfortable and there was little to no wind. The beginning of the trek was through a thick forest and there was no shortage of interesting wildlife to observe.
I got to see one of my favorite birds, the partridge!
Shortly after, the trail broke free of the treeline and we got to hike through some of the greatest alpine tundra I’ve ever seen!
With no trees, the same excellent vista of the Never Summer mountains that we saw the day before was even more marvelous.
At about the half way point the terrain became momentarily rocky before returning to the grassy status quo.
At the base of the summit, we arrived at a large boulder field absolutely covered in Pika. They were everywhere, collecting grasses and food for their nests.
Finally, the summit was a truly rewarding experience. With little wind and comfortable temperatures it was great to just relax and enjoy the view of Grand Lake and even all the way out to the snowy range in Wyoming!
I managed to take one of the best panoramas I’ve ever captured!
Mt Chiquita and Mt Ypsilon
On my second trip to the park, we stayed in a cabin in Granby and hiked two days in the park. I have fewer pictures from this hike as it was much more challenging and I was significantly more tired throughout!
Gem Lake
We decided to do our first hike on the day we arrived in the park. Approaching the park from the Estes Park side, we found ourselves at the trailhead for Gem Lake. This short but steep hike rewarded us with a scerene mountain lake and one of the best views of Longs Peak I’ve ever seen.
Three Summits
This time I traveled with a slightly different but equally enjoyable group. The goal this time was to climb the three summits of Mt. Chapin, Mt. Chiquita, and Mt. Ypsilon. These mountains lie in a row one after the other just a few short miles from the alpine visitor center. Climbing is no easy feat, considering the elevation of Mt. Ypsilon is 13,520’! It was well worth the journey, as the summit of Ypsilon was definitely a unique location!
After starting the hike and realizing how much we’d signed up for, we decided to skip the Mt. Chapin summit. This was the lowest elevation of the three and the most out of the way. The trail to Ypsilon would naturally take us up Mt. Chiquita, while Mt. Chapin required a short but steep side hike. Once again I was blown away by the incredibly pristine alpine tundra in the park.
Eventually we reached the summit of Mt. Chiquita. A surprisingly broad and gently sloping field of rocks and boulders, it provided some much appreciated shelter from the intense wind. Once we broke tree-line, the entire hike was performed in high wind conditions. After a short rest and snack, we proceeded up the trail towards the summit of Ypsilon.
After a slow, arduous climb, we reached the summit. Ypsilon had a truly unique summit, with jagged ridges and steep drops. The boulders were still present, and a time capsule was placed at the top of the mountain. There was still some snow present, even in September!
After all these magnificent views, we slowly descended back to the car. After a coffee break at the visitor center, we returned to the cabin to eat and sit around the camp fire.
Bear Lake
Our last day in Colorado was spent on the short, peaceful hike around Bear Lake. While this isn’t the most challenging or the most prestigious hike in the park, it may be my favorite. After walking 3/4 of the way around the lake, we found a particularly good spot. Standing next to the lake, surrounded by good friends, I could understood more what John Denver was trying to convey in his song. It was a poetic and peaceful end to a great trip and a great hiking season. I can’t wait to return.
