50-Plus Rocky Mountain Ramble and Scramble, Colorado

The Trip

Join other 50-plus-year-olds as we ramble and scramble through Rocky Mountain National Park, allowing us to experience one of the most beautiful places in the world while creating new friendships with amazing people from across the country. The leader and co-leader are former Rocky Mountain National Park rangers and have hiked nearly every corner of the park. They promise to take you to some of the most awe-inspiring areas in one of America's most spectacular national parks.

We'll stay in beautiful accommodations located adjacent to the park. The lodge provides meals, evening nature programs, horseback riding (not included in the trip price), fishing, and Internet service. The lodge also has other recreational facilities available for our use, including swimming, volleyball, miniature golf, ball fields, basketball, and tennis courts.

From our lodge, we will take day trips into Rocky Mountain National Park. Hikes are designed to be suitable for those of us who have reached the half-century mark and beyond and therefore will allow for an easier group pace. On the days that longer hikes are offered, a trip participant may choose to stay behind to rest, go horseback riding, or take advantage of the lodge’s outstanding recreation-related programs. Each day’s hike will end with plenty of time to enjoy a nice buffet-style dinner back at the lodge. The evenings are then free to spend time on your own or with the group while enjoying the lodge's many recreational and educational facilities.

The trip starts with lunch at our lodge, which is within a stone's throw of Rocky Mountain National Park. Following lunch and a brief orientation, you'll have the chance to explore the resort grounds or just relax. Before dinner, we will gather to review logistics and answer any last-minute questions before starting our hiking adventure the next morning.

Hikes are planned so that longer day hikes are typically followed by an easier day. Participants should understand that mountain weather is often unpredictable, which makes each day's route somewhat weather-dependent. When the weather is stormy, we will hike in the lower elevations and enjoy the lakes, streams, and waterfalls. When the forecast calls for blue skies, we will try to head for the high-country peaks, meadows, and glaciers!

All participants are invited to gather after dinner on the last night of the trip to celebrate the week by going into the town of Estes Park for ice cream and/or souvenir shopping. The next morning, we will head back to the Denver International Airport at 8:00 a.m. 

We will be hiking on lands that were historically dominated by two tribes, the Ute and Arapaho. However, the Eastern Shoshone, Apache, Comanche, and Cheyenne all may have passed through this landscape or had a minor presence in the area. The Ute were historically hunter-gatherers and nomads who roamed this area in search of food, shelter, and resources, which were found in abundance.

Because hikes are weather and group-suitability dependent, possible destinations include:

Ouzel Falls: From Wild Basin, we will enjoy a leisurely hike past several smaller waterfalls to Ouzel Falls, a spectacular cascade where one can also find water ouzels. Miles: 6. Elevation gain: 950 feet. Highest altitude: 9,450 feet.

Emerald Lake: From Bear Lake, we will hike to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and then on to Emerald Lake for lunch. We will descend via Alberta Falls back to the trailhead. Miles: 3.5. Elevation gain: 650 feet. Highest altitude: 9,475 feet.

Andrews Glacier/Flattop Mountain, or Lake Haiyaha: We’ll head up Flattop Mountain to the Continental Divide and then follow the Divide south to Andrews Glacier, one of the last remaining glaciers in Rocky Mountain National Park! Or we will once again hike up near Emerald Lake to Lake Haiyaha for lunch, descending back to the Bear Lake area via Alberta Falls. Miles: 11. Elevation gain: 2,850 feet. Highest altitude: 12,325 feet / Miles: 4. Elevation gain: 865 feet. Highest altitude: 10,240 feet.

Lulu City: We'll drive over Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the world, to the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, while stopping at several spectacular overlooks. From here we will hike along the headwaters of the Colorado River, taking some time to dip our toes into the Colorado and skipping a few stones before venturing into the mountain community of Grand Lake for some ice cream! Miles: 1. Elevation gain: 350 feet. Highest altitude: 9,360 feet.

Fern & Odessa Lakes: A spectacular hike that traverses terrain just below the Continental Divide. On our way to Fern and Odessa lakes, we’ll have phenomenal views of the Little Matterhorn, a lookalike of its namesake. Miles: 9. Elevation gain: 1,215 feet. Highest altitude: 9,900 feet.

Lake of Glass/Sky Pond: From Bear Lake, we will hike past beautiful Alberta Falls and the Loch on our way to Lake of Glass and Sky Pond. Sky Pond sits below the vertical east face of Taylor Peak and just above a waterfall, which we will climb to reach the lake. Lake of Glass is a spectacular tarn surrounded by granite peaks that form a dramatic semicircular wall around the lake. Miles: 9.2. Elevation gain: 1,660 feet. Highest altitude: 10,900 feet.

Black Lake: We’ll hike to Mills Lake and then up a spectacular glacial-carved valley, taking some time to enjoy an amazing waterfall or two before reaching Black Lake, a seldom visited gem located just below tree line, surrounded by sheer granite walls. Miles: 9.4. Elevation gain: 1,390 feet. Highest altitude: 10,620 feet.

Getting There

The closest major airport to Estes Park, Colorado, is Denver International Airport, approximately 75 miles from our lodge. From the airport, you can rent a car, take a shuttle, or meet the trip leader at a designated rental car facility near the airport at 10:00 a.m. on day one for transportation to the lodge by van. The trip to Estes Park is spectacular, so you will want to make the trip during the daylight hours. Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member.

Accommodations and Food

The trip price includes lodge accommodations. Each room sleeps up to five people (two people assigned per room) and has a private bath, two queen beds, a futon, and a telephone. All towels and bedding items are provided. Wireless service is available in your room and other public areas of the lodge. The facility also offers a variety of recreational activities to enjoy in your free time, including a craft & design center, horseback riding, hiking trails, fishing, archery, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, miniature golf, disc golf, and a library.

Note: Single-trip participants (one person in a room) will be charged a single-room supplement of $750.

All food is served cafeteria-style. The group will eat all breakfasts and dinners in the cafeteria, and all lunches will be prepared for us by the lodge staff and eaten on the trail. Vegetarian options are available.

Trip Difficulty

The various day hikes will typically be of moderate difficulty (Level 3), except the hike to Andrews Glacier, portions of which range to strenuous (Level 5). We will hike both on and off-trail, although the vast majority of the trip will cover very well-established and maintained trails. We will be hiking between 7,000 and 12,325 feet. Although most of our hikes will be below the tree line of 11,000 feet, we will spend a portion of our hiking time above the tree line on the tundra. Each of our hikes should last no longer than eight hours; there will be plenty of time to rest and enjoy the amenities each night at the lodge.

Trip participants should have experience hiking with a backpack or day pack over long distances. High-altitude experience is not necessary, but you must be comfortable hiking at a high altitude on steep trails. To fully enjoy the trip, participants should participate in a regular aerobic exercise program before the trip.

Equipment and Clothing

Trip members are expected to furnish their backpack (day pack) and personal gear, including raingear (pants & jacket), lightweight insulating layers, and adequate hiking boots or hiking shoes. Please make sure all gear has been field tested, especially hiking boots! The leader will send a more detailed equipment list to registered participants within a month of the trip.

References

Maps:

• Rocky Mountain National Park trail maps can be obtained from the Rocky Mountain Nature Association at: http://www.rmna.org/rmna.cfm/, or via telephone at (800) 816-7662; or, by writing RMNA, c/o Rocky Mountain National Park, Highway 36, Estes Park, CO 80517.

Books:

• Dannen, Kent and Donna, Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Trails. Made available by The Rocky Mountain Nature Association.

Websites:

• Rocky Mountain National Park: http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm/

Conservation

Our discussions will center on the following wilderness themes:

• The importance of clean air and water.
• Global warming: Are the RMNP glaciers melting away?
• National parks: Why are they so important for our future?
• Park budgets: Are national parks falling behind?
• Wildlife & exposure: Know when to play it safe!
• Local topics of special interest.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and operates with a Commercial Use Authorization authorized by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, to conduct services in Rocky Mountain National Park.