At the end of June, we visited my parents in Longmont for a week. They generously offered to watch our three kids so Lindsay and I could go away for a night. We decided to stay in Estes Park and spend two days exploring Rocky Mountain National Park.
The night before we leave, my parents give us the run-down on the timed entry system and we secure our spot for 9 am the next morning. Thankfully, the National Park Service releases 40% of timed entry spots the night before at 7 pm so it’s possible - like us - to plan a last minute visit and still get timed entry!
Day 1: Trail Ridge Road
Our first day in RMNP, following my parents’ suggestion, we drive Trail Ridge Road. We show the ranger at the Fall River Entrance our 7-day park pass on my phone and our timed entry confirmation and by 9:30 am or so we’re in the park. We really don’t have much of an agenda other than hitting the viewpoints along the way to the Alpine Visitor’s Center. It’s a beautiful day, and I’m glad we are escaping the high 90’s heat in Longmont.
Shortly after leaving the entrance station we arrive at the Sheeps Lake Information Station. A lot of people are stopped here, hoping to see wildlife in the meadow. The views of Horseshoe Park are beautiful. As soon as we get in the car to drive away we see a NPS volunteer walk quickly to the road to stop traffic - a handful of bighorn sheep cross the road from the mountainside and walk to the lake! It all happened so fast so I wasn’t able to take any photos.
We stop at a few overlooks before we reach the Forest Canyon Overlook at 11,716 feet above sea level. The views of the mountains and the canyon are stunning. Fragile alpine tundra surrounds us.
Forest Canyon
Next, we stop at Rock Cut at 12,100 feet. The air is thin up here! We walk about a half of a mile up an asphalt trail to some beautiful rock formations and the Roger Toll Memorial. At the end of the trail at the top of the rocks we find a large, very interesting geological marker that my Dad encouraged us to keep an eye out for.
Looking down at a cyclist on Trail Ridge Road from Rock Cut
Our final stop on Trail Ridge Road is the Alpine Visitor Center. We suck wind climbing the stairs to a viewpoint (well worth it!) and see elk in the distance.
From the viewpoint we look back across to the parking lot and see a trail heading down into the valley. We decide to wander over and check it out and how glad I am that we did because it was the highlight of the day! The views of the Never Summer Mountains from the Ute Trail are stunning. We look for elk and see them behind us in the distance. For the millionth time today I lament that my telephoto lens is sitting in my closet back in Portland.
Lindsay gently pokes fun at me for sprawling out on my stomach on the trail to take some shots of the mountains (below) with lovely yellow wildflowers in the foreground (no tundra was harmed during this exercise to get “the shot”!).
We walk close to a mile down the Ute Trail before we decide to turn around since we didn’t bring any food or water. While the parking lot at the visitor’s center was jammed, we encounter only one other couple on the trail.
Not a bad shot considering I was in the passenger seat of our moving car!
Back in Estes Park, we check into our hotel and enjoy a rest before having a delicious dinner at Bird and Jim! We decide that we are energized by our time in the mountains and get timed entry so we can hike to the Loch (and perhaps also Mills Lake) in the morning.
Day 2: Glacier Gorge to the Loch and Mills Lake (7.5 miles, 1,700 ft gain)
We have delicious breakfast burritos and Americanos at our hotel before we head into the park. Our timed entry slot is 8 am. We park at the park-and-ride as parking at Glacier Gorge trailhead was already full by 8:20. A shuttle is waiting for us and by 8:45 am we arrive at the trailhead.
The trail starts at about 9,000 feet and climbs gently. The trail is lovely, and I realize that it is the first hike Lindsay and I have been on together without our kids since the summer of 2021. I’m just grateful to be here, now, with her, hiking this beautiful trail. Since my twin pregnancy and c-section two years ago, I’ve struggled with a lack of confidence with returning to hiking, biking, and running. But, as we climb up, I feel strong and confident. Considering we haven’t hiked much in three years, our pace is fairly quick, and, at close to 10,000 feet, I barely feeling the impact of elevation (we live close to sea level in Portland) on my breathing. I think, Hey, maybe I can be a strong hiker again. My body remembers.
We continue up the trail, and I find my mind wandering. Just a few days before, we learned that my uncle had passed away. He was an avid hiker and lover of nature and wildlife. According to my parents, he loved the high alpine and said to them the year prior that he’d like to return to Colorado and do some hiking in RMNP. Unfortunately, he was not able to. I find him heavy on my mind as we hike in this beautiful place that he would have loved so, so much.
We reach Alberta Falls close to a mile up the trail and stop for a few photos and some water before continuing onwards.
About 3 miles into our hike we reach the Loch. It’s pretty socked in and I wonder if we might get rained on (thankfully we don’t). Here, we decide we’re feeling good enough that we’ll push on to Mills Lake before hiking out to the trailhead.
A few miles and some climbing later, we reach Mills Lake and sit down at the lake’s edge for a snack. I notice an interesting peak (pictured in the photo below the two portrait style ones) in the distance and later learn from my parents that it’s called the Spearhead. I’d like to return here someday and hike up there. What a rugged peak.
The Spearhead
As soon as we leave Mills Lake the sky brightens and I’m pleasantly surprised by the blue sky breaking through the clouds.
We set a quick pace to get back to the trailhead and between Alberta Falls encounter some interesting folks - including a man pulling a cooler on wheels. Apparently he wanted his beverages cold?
Close to 7.5 miles and 1,700 feet of elevation gain later we make it back to the trailhead. I’m a little tired but overall feel great considering we spent a few hours between 9,200-10,200 feet.
Per my parents’ recommentation, we drive the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway and stop at the Chapel on the Rock for a coffee. As we pull in to the parking lot, we notice a moose through the brush! This place is amazing! If I were a religious person, this would be the spot to which I’d come for spiritual reflection and meditation. Despite my lack of Catholic spirituality, though, I still appreciate the beauty and peaceful nature of the place. It’s hard to imagine a church in a more beautiful setting than this, with Mount Meeker prominent in the distance.
While our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park was short, it was invigorating and boosted my confidence. I’m grateful that my parents encouraged us to get away and undertook the heavy lift of caring for our three kids so we could fill our cups and breathe in mountain air. RMNP, we’ll undoubtedly be back!
The Chapel on the Rock