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| Some lumpy rock formations on the Lumpy Ridge Trail |
When I first moved to Fort Collins to study wildlife biology
at CSU in 2000, one of my favorite hikes in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park
was the Gem Lake Trail. Because the trailhead was outside of the park proper,
accessible via a conservation easement granted by MacGregor Ranch, it was sort
of a well-kept secret. You often did not need to have a park pass to hike,
since passing through the official ranger entrance was not required, so many of
us cash-strapped students enjoyed this moderate, short hike on a Sunday
morning. Since then, the National Park Service has opened up more trails and
climbers’ access to the Twin Owls rock formations that sit near Gem Lake, and
the parking lot is now paved (about 24 parking spots vs. 8 or 12), has rest room facilities, and
better signage. Last week I returned to
hike the Lumpy Ridge/Twin Owls/Gem Lake trail. Here’s a great link that will
tell you more: http://www.protrails.com/trails/view/17
One reason I really like this trail is that I don’t have to
drive into the crowded tourist town of Estes Park. I actually burn less gas, as
I approach the trailhead from Fort Collins by taking Devils Gulch Road vs.
Highway 34 into park. Not only are there fewer cars on the road, but fewer
people on the trail once you arrive.
Protrails (see link above) states that the entire loop for
this hike is just over 11 miles. We didn’t have that much time, so we did an
abbreviated hike. At the trailhead, you can opt to go right—straight up to Gem
lake—or left. We went left and walked past the stunning Twin Owls. Since 2000,
the park has opened up routes to Twin Owls for climbers. However, from March 1until July 31, these ascending/descending routes are closed so that bird-of-prey species are undisturbed during the breeding and nesting seasons.
This doesn’t mean you can’t hike the trail. You just can’t take the climbing
routes and access trails to the actual formations. (I wanted to post a photo of the Twin Owls, but blogspot keeps turning the photo on its side! So here's the shot, of owls on their backs!)
I have always loved seeing the Twin Owls from a distance
when I enter Rocky Mountain National Park. We got married at the Stanley Hotel
in Estes, very close to the Owls, and actually did the Gem Lake hike the
morning of our wedding. It was a real thrill to be hiking the trail that winds
right in front of these formations.
On our hike, when we got to the fork in the trail we headed in the direction of Gem Lake. This is a steep hike. Keep this in mind if you have people who may need extra time, or maybe some climbing poles for the ascent and descent. Not horrible by any means, but steep. You may be winded.
Rocky Mountain NP can get very busy between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Consider this less well-known hike when you want to see snow-capped peaks, smell forest smells, eat beside a clear mountain lake, and escape for a few hours.
We took a backpack with lunch for our arrival at Gem Lake. Sandwiches, dessert, beverages. It's quite windy up there, so take extra layers to wear once you've cooled down.
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| Gem lake, deliberately blurry and in sepia tone. Many golden-mantled ground squirrels tried to steal our sandwiches. One ran into my backpack. |
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