CO -- Grand Lake, 21 May-24 June 2015

Five weeks in Grand Lake, Colorado…

Why we came…

To explore the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and maybe, the Never Summer Wilderness.

The campground…

Elk Creek Campground and RV Park was great! We really liked the location.  It is just a mile from Grand Lake and backs up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  We walked to both visitor centers and had multiple options for good walks from our front door.  The owners, Don and Rebecca and their staff were great!  The sites are spacious and most are wedged between trees and offer privacy.  We had full hook-ups but no wi-fi.  However, we had a good Verizon data signal.  The facilities are well maintained and the laundry is better than most campgrounds.    We had regular moose visitors that sometimes grazed right outside our front door!  Initially the campground was half empty during the week and full on weekends, but a couple of weeks into June, it stayed pretty full.  Turnover was high with most folks staying just two or three nights.  We liked the campground so much we asked if we could extend a week, but they didn’t have room for us.  We would gladly come back!

Grand Lake, population 456 and elevation 8,437 feet, is quaint and has maintained its western charm.  It’s touristy, but not overly so, especially compared to Estes Park.  It’s also quieter and laid back.  The lake is beautiful and the backdrop is gorgeous.  There are miles of trails and an abundance of good fishing.  It’s an outdoors paradise!

Very comfortable spot at Elk Creek Campground

   

This impressive bull moose visited us several times!

Wet and cold May…

Colorado had a historically cool and wet May.  Usually mountain snowpack decreases in May…not this year!  A skier at a local outdoors shop told us May had the best ski conditions of the year.  Rocky Mountain National Park was unable to clear Trail Ridge Road for Memorial Day.  Snow covered trails, frozen lakes, and blown-out rivers significantly impacted our plans. 

Adventures…

   

Colorado River Trail near Grand Lake  /  The mighty Colorado River

On 25 May we hiked the Colorado River trail…

It was chilly and wet and we had little motivation, but we checked out the Colorado River Trail.  It starts just a couple of miles west of our home and snakes around for two miles to the Colorado River.  It was soggy, but pleasant.  We didn’t see any critters or morel mushrooms, though we got a good workout and enjoyed the peace.

   

Sneaking up on a bear  /  That’s still a bunch of snow!

   

Hike route on the Green Mountain Trail  /  Knee deep snow covered parts of trail

On 26 May we hiked the Green Mountain trail to Big Meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park…

It was still chilly and wet, but we headed into Rocky Mountain National Park for a hike and some fishing.  The Green Mountain Trail climbs steeply and then drops into Big Meadow.  Snow cover increased as we neared the high point, but was solid enough that we didn’t post-hole.  Rain fell heavier as we hit the meadow and then changed to ice and snow pellets and changed again to big wet snow flakes.  We were at over 9,000 feet elevation in the Rockies, so it wasn’t too surprising and it was pretty.  We had fun catching little 4-6 inch, colorful brook trout on dry flies.  They were easy to spook in the small stream so we had to be stealthy.  Our first adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park was a success!

   

Posing at Big Meadow  /  Getting pummeled by snow and ice pellets

   

Fishing the tiny stream in a late May snow shower  /  Monster brook trout caught on a dry fly

   

Having fun with the little brook trout

   

Hike route on the North Inlet Trail  /  We had to detour way around this bull moose.  See the hair up on the back of its neck?  He’s agitated and could be dangerous.

On 27 May we hiked the North Inlet Trail to Cascade Falls and Big Pool in Rocky Mountain National Park…

It was finally starting to warm up though still showery, so we chose a longer route.  Our goal was Big Pool on the North Inlet Trail. 

Most of the trail was a soggy mess.  Thankfully, it slowly climbed through the broad valley and was easy to walk.  Then Arleen spotted a moose standing in the trail.  The bull moose locked eyes with us and the hair raised on the back of its neck…it was agitated.  We walked way around him through an ankle deep marsh.  It wasn’t easy, but it was better than challenging an irritated moose! 

We heard Cascade Falls well before we saw it.  The tumbling stream was roaring with snow runoff.  We had a wonderful break on huge rocks at the top of the falls.  We were alone but could hardly hear each other over the tumbling torrent.  We had fun posing for pictures and then continued up the trail.

Above the falls, the stream meanders through a meadow, and is rumored to have cutthroat trout.  I fished for over an hour and saw no signs of fish. 

We headed back and I decided to check out the Summerland Park meadow.  I got nervous as distant thunder rumbled, but the storms missed me.  I thoroughly fished a half mile of the meadow and only managed to hook two small brook trout.  It was pleasant to fish, but I was disappointed with the slow action.

We had a nine mile hike day and were whipped.  Dinner was so good that night!

       

Being silly at the top of Cascade Falls

   

Fishing East Inlet stream above Cascade Falls  /  A colorful brook trout caught in Summerland Park

Kyllian and Ashlynn at Winter Park Resort

On 29 May we met my cousin and his family at Winter Park…

I hadn’t seen my cousin, DJ, and his family in years.  They live in the Central City/Blackhawk area so we coordinated to meet roughly half way in Winter Park. 

We wandered around the resort.  The kids had a great time playing on the train and playing the musical instruments spread along the walk.  Then we had some pizza and went on a geocache adventure.   It was their first time geocaching, but they did great!  Kyllian led us to two caches and we all had a bunch of fun.

   

Making some music  /  Geocaching

   

Near the headwaters of the Colorado River  /  Still a bunch of snow below timberline!

On 30 May we drove up Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park…

The goal is to have Trail Ridge Road open by Memorial Day each year.  Roughly 10 miles of the road is above timber line, crosses the Continental Divide, and tops out at over 12,000 feet.  Lots of snow falls and gets blown around, but usually the Park Service gets the road open.  This year the road opened on 29 May and we toured it the next day.

Initially the road slowly climbs along the Colorado River valley.  Each time we drove through, we usually saw elk and moose.  Then the road climbs steeply to Milner Pass at nearly 11,000 feet.  The scenery gets more impressive as we ascended.  The amount of snow also got more impressive!  In places, snow towered 20 feet above the road.  We stopped at a few pull-outs and were awestruck with each view.  The Rocky Mountains are incredible!

   

That’s a LOT of snow!  /  Still trying to clear the snow

A magnificent place!

   

Hike route along the Colorado River  /  A pretty rainbow trout

On 31 May I fished the Colorado River below Shadow Mountain dam…

Arleen felt like poop and wanted to relax so I checked out the Colorado River below Shadow Mountain Reservoir. 

Area streams were rising rapidly with snow melt, but I hoped the flow below the dam would lag behind.  Nope…the flow was increased and the river was difficult to fish.  I only caught two small rainbow trout and other fishermen had similar reports. 

The highlight of the day were the birds!  I watched American White Pelicans slowly glide into landing on the lake.  It’s amazing how the big birds can be so graceful.  Then I watched a bald eagle harass two ospreys for their trout.  The ospreys prevailed.  The show was incredible!

The Colorado River below Shadow Mountain Reservoir on 31 May

   

An osprey watching for a trout snack  /  American White Pelicans

       

A bald eagle harassing a pair of ospreys for their trout

   

Kayaking Monarch Lake

On 1 June we kayaked Monarch Lake…

The streams were blown out with snow melt and the high lakes were frozen so our fishing options were limited.  You can drive to within a couple of hundred yards of Monarch Lake and motor boats are not allowed.  Plus, there are a bunch of hiking trails, great scenery, and lots of trout…our kind of place!

Initially the lake was calm, but it didn’t long for the crazy mountain breezes to kick in.  We enjoyed watching two active ospreys who had a nest on an island.  The fishing was slow.  I caught a couple of small brook trout and a nice rainbow trout.  We had a good day and vowed to come back.

   

A heavily spotted brook trout  /  A nice rainbow trout

   

This fox was quite bold

   

Hike route from the campground  /  A collared elk

On 2 June we did a loop hike from the campground into the Park…

We wanted some exercise and wanted to check out a small burn area that we could see from the campground.  We wanted to prove the theory that morel mushrooms fruit prolifically in recent burns.

We took a direct route, navigating through some tough terrain.   We spooked 6 or 7 elk and saw all kinds of mushrooms, but not the ones we were looking for.  We couldn’t make it to the burn.  A raging little stream was in our path.  On the way back, we had some great views.  It was another fun adventure!

   

We enter the Park across from the campground  /  Shadow Mountain Lake and the Rockies

   

Buchanan Creek swollen by snow runoff  /  Keep an eye on those clouds!

On 3 June we went back to Monarch Lake…

This time Arleen wanted to hike and I wanted to fish.  She helped me launch the kayak and then she hit the trail. 

The fishing was slow again.  I caught just one fish, a brightly colored 17 inch rainbow trout.  After a coupe of hours of fishing, I beached the kayak and spotted Arleen.  She had a brown paper bag and claimed to have flowers.  She found the first morels of the year!  We eagerly slipped into the woods to hunt for more.  I found two more right away and then none for the next hour.  We only found six morels, but they gave us hope to find more.  Later that evening, Arleen sautéed them and they were excellent!

       

First morel mushrooms of the year!

Hunting for morels near Winter Park, Colorado

On 4 June we hunted for morel mushrooms near Winter Park and met my parents…

My parents were coming for a 4 day visit from Castle Rock.  We coordinated to meet for lunch in Fraser.  Before that, we wandered around the woods near Winter Park, hunting for more morels.  We searched hard for at least two hours and found a cluster of 15 in a 20 square foot area.  I lifted the skirt of a spruce and eight morels got their first peek of sun.  Again, our success made us excited to hunt for more.

It was great seeing my parents!  We exchanged hearty hugs and enjoyed a good lunch.  Later that afternoon, after they got settled into their cabin, we played Pinochle and laughed a whole bunch.

         

A flock of morel mushrooms found near Winter Park

On 5 June we toured Grand Lake with my parents and beat them in Pinochle…

We planned an easy-going day of touring the area.  We parked in Grand Lake and walked main street.  They poked their heads in a couple of shops and contributed to the local economy.  We had some yummy ice cream and headed back to their cabin.  Finally, we played Pinochle and laughed a bunch.

   

Walking through Grand Lake  /  Pointing at the English Toffee and reminiscing about Grandma’s version

       

At Grand Lake Lodge  /  At Grand Lake Lodge  /  Double aces and two runs…an unbeatable Pinochle hand!

Monarch Lake, Colorado

On 6 June we took my parents to Monarch Lake and later we beat them at Pinochle…

We had another leisurely day.  We took our time getting to Monarch Lake and kept our eye out for critters.  We spotted marmots and ospreys and they were impressed by the beautiful scenery.  They even got to see an osprey dive for a trout!  Later that afternoon, we played Pinochle and shared more laughs.

Rocky Mountain National Park

On 8 June we drove Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park and then beat my parents at Pinochle…

This was our big day.  We met early to make the most out of the trip through the park.

My parents were thrilled to see elk and moose along the Colorado River valley.  Then we climbed.  The views were expansive and there was still lots of snow.  There were also more people.  At times, traffic slowed to a crawl and we had to be leery of unexpected lunacy.  We made it to Estes Park and enjoyed some good BBQ for lunch. 

The return trip through the park was just as good.  We even saw a herd of elk traversing the rocks above timberline!  The ground was still 70% snow covered and the alpine plants were still dormant.  There wasn’t much up there for the elk to eat!  We had a memorable day and topped it off by playing more Pinochle.

   

Momma and teenage elk  /  Bull elk

A moose feeding near the Colorado River

Playing Pinochle.  We won 3 out of 5 games!

The Colorado River is over its banks due to snow runoff

On 10 June we did short hikes in the Park…

The sky was overcast with light rain so we headed into the Park for short hikes.  We saw lots of mountain flowers and a brand new baby moose!

   

Red columbines  /  A momma moose and it’s brand new baby

Calypso orchids

   

Hike route to Lulu City  /  The old town site

On 12 June hiked to Lulu City in Rocky Mountain National Park…

We mainly did this 7 mile hike for exercise.  The trail slowly climbs along the Colorado River to the old town site of Lulu City.  Stretches of the trail were a muddy mess and the river engulfed the trail a few times forcing us to take difficult detours.  We startled a few deer and nearly made friends with a bold marmot.  There is very little evidence that Lulu City ever existed.  We took pictures of the sign and imagined 200 people living in the beautiful meadow along the upper the Colorado River. 

   

The meadow along the Colorado River where the town was  /  A marmot

   

Hike route to Long Lake  /  Hell Creek

On 13 June we tried to make it to Long Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness…

Long lake, I learned after research, is tough to get to, but has bigger than average cutthroat trout.  We started at Monarch Lake and hiked a couple of miles to Hell Creek where we made a left turn up the steep hill.  After an hour of bush-whacking and blazing our own trail, we made little progress and decided that it was too tough for us.  We took the long way back around Monarch Lake and enjoyed the great scenery. 

   

Reflection on Monarch Lake  /  That’s cold water!

   

Heather and her pups near Winter Park  /  Arleen and Mary looking for morels

On 14 June we hunted for morel mushrooms with Mary and Heather…

We met Mary, Kendal, and Heather in Winter Park for a nice lunch and some mushroom hunting.  We methodically searched a few miles in a controlled burn area from last year and found just two dried out morels.  Oh well.  We got some exercise, enjoyed the expansive views, shared good stories and a lot of laughs! 

Fly-fishing the Colorado River where it enters Lake Granby

On 15 June we fished the Colorado River below Shadow Mountain Reservoir…

We started at the Shadow Mountain dam and followed the Colorado River downstream a couple of miles.  Our goal was where the Colorado River enters Granby Lake.  Even with the high run-off, it was a pleasant place to fish.  As the river hits the big lake, the current slows and the river widens.  Most importantly, there were a bunch of cooperative fish!  We caught mostly small rainbows and a couple of feisty lake trout.

   

Lake trout in the Colorado River!

   

Hike route to Lone Pine Lake  /  One of many waterfalls along the route

On 16 June we hiked to Lone Pine Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park…

Our second attempt to reach a high alpine lake was successful!  The hike to Lone Pine Lake is 11.5 miles round-trip with over 2,000 feet of climbing…near our day hike limit.  The day started overcast with light rain.  Then it was sunny for a couple of hours, and then we had nearly continuous thunder for the hike back.  The views over Grand Lake were excellent as we traversed across a high rocky point.  There were many waterfalls roaring with snow melt and mountain flowers were blooming everywhere!  As we climbed over 9,000 feet and got further up the canyon, sub-alpine fir and spruce trees dominated and there was evidence of glacial activity everywhere.  Lone Pine Lake was pretty.  I waded into the icy cold inlet and let the current take my flies far into the lake.  However, I got no bites and saw no signs of fish. 

   

East Inlet creak above Adams Falls  /  Flowers growing high above Grand Lake

   

Posing above Grand Lake  /  High in the Rockies… our favorite environment

Fishing Lone Pine Lake (the blue speck is me)

   

Hike route to Timber Lake  /  One of many waterfalls

On 17 June we hiked to Timber Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park…

Our third attempt at a high alpine lake was barely successful!  The hike to Timber Lake should be about 10 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing, but is further now due to a tough detour around a landslide.  Plus, we took a wrong turn when we lost the trail in the snow.  Arleen headed back after that mistake.  I trudged on alone and made it to the lake, but the last half mile took me an hour as I negotiated snow fields and post-holed in the deep snow.  The lake was 98% frozen!  I didn’t even string up my fly rod.  I took a couple of pictures and raced down the mountain to meet Arleen.  Our cell phone signal was just enough to occasionally send texts.  She warned me of a bull moose by the trail so I proceeded carefully.  He was bedded in the sun, about 40 feet from the trail and calmly watched me pass.  I caught Arleen about to tackle the challenging detour.  She was spooked.  A mamma moose with a yearling had charged her!  After some profanity, Arleen ducked behind a tree, and the irritated mamma abruptly turned and headed down the hill to her youngster.  The rest of the hike was uneventful but we were tired after hiking over 22 miles and climbing more than 4,000 feet in two days.  We needed a break!  We stopped at the Rocky Mountain National Park visitor center on the way back to share info about the trail, snow, lake, and momma moose.  They were happy to get our report.

Timber Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

   

Me and DJ at Willow Creek Reservoir watching an osprey  /  Being silly

On 18 June we hung out with my cousin…

This was a whacky day that did not go as planned.  Late that afternoon, we met my cousin, DJ, and his wife, Heather, in Granby and then headed to Willow Creek Reservoir.  Arleen and I were eager to share info and they were a very receptive audience…it was cool!  We watched an osprey fly over the lake and hoped for a splashy dive, but apparently the osprey didn’t spot its dinner.  We also watched a thunderstorm slip by to the north.  The wind kicked up some waves and thunder rumbled, but we stayed dry.  I caught a small rainbow trout and missed a few others.  We posed for some cheesy pictures and had a good time.

Me and Brian in Rocky Mountain National Park

On 19 June we toured Rocky Mountain National Park with my friend, Brian…

Brian and his border collie, Maggie, visited us from Colorado Springs.  Though he’s been to the Park many times, he hadn’t spent much time on the west side.  As we drove up the Colorado River valley, we spotted lots of elk and lots of tourists taking pictures of the elk.  We got above timberline and stopped for pictures and to read the informative signs.  Compared to our last trip up Trail Ridge Road, 11 days prior, there was much less snow.  We did a few quick hikes and posed for a few pictures.  We were thrilled to a see big bull elk posing for pictures right off the road at nearly 12,000 feet. Then three mature big horn sheep rams also mingled near the road.  Between the elk and the sheep, traffic got backed up pretty good.  On our way back down, we spotted moose along the Colorado River valley…Brian’s first Colorado moose! 

   

Big horn sheep rams and a bull elk posing for pictures along Trail Ridge Road

Tossing snowballs at 12,000 feet.  Longs Peak, elevation 14,259 feet, is on the left.

   

Hike route to Columbine Lake  /  Maggie at Columbine Lake

On 20 June Brian, Maggie, and I hiked to Columbine Lake…

This hike starts at roughly 10,000 feet near Meadow Creek Reservoir and climbs to 11,000 feet in three miles to Columbine Lake.  The reservoir road opened the day before and we were surprised to see numerous campers and cars at the trail head.  The first half of the trail was in good shape, but snow increased as we climbed.  The last half mile of trail was 90% snow covered and took us an hour to tackle.  We post-holed a bunch which sapped a lot of our energy and strength.  The pretty lake was 98% frozen.  A deep channel near the outlet was open so I had hope that we would hook a cutthroat trout.  We fished for an hour and saw no signs of fish.  The trip down was quicker, but still tough because of the snow.  The three of us were whipped.  We enjoyed a big dinner before Brian left for home.

   

Brian and Maggie about a half mile from the lake  /  Me fishing the sliver of open water at Columbine Lake

Brian and Maggie at Columbine Lake

Misc…

Veteran’s breakfast on Memorial Day in Grand Lake, Colorado

   

Memorial Day Parade in Grand Lake, Colorado

   

A pizza with a pound of porcini and a pound of chanterelles  /  Two pounds of shrooms going into a risotto

Getting rid of old mushrooms to make room for fresh ones…

Mushroom hunting is one of our favorite hobbies.  We eat some fresh, but dehydrate the majority so we can use them later.  They’re good for up to 18 months when dried.  Some of ours were about that old so we had to use them.  Plus, we had to make room for the many fresh ones we expect to find in Colorado this year!

Next…

We just spent a week near Kremmling, Colorado and now we are in Breckenridge for the next two weeks. 

Parting shots…

   

Pretending to be a deer  /  American three-toed wood pecker

   

A weeping rock above the East Inlet trail  /  Purple fringe flower near Shadow Mountain Lake

   

Lupines…one of our favorites!  /  Skyrocket, larkspur, and phlox

   

Bright rainbow over Grand Lake  /  Colorado River rushing over the spillway at Lake Granby

Evening thunderstorm over Lake Granby

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