Went for my first solo backpacking trip Monday and Tuesday. I've only been backpacking a handful of times, so this was a little intimidating. My biggest decision was whether to fast pack my tent rain fly and footprint, or pack just the tent with no fly. Forecasts indicated a high chance for rain, so I decided to take the tent and see how it would do without the fly. Of course, I still pack too much, but I suppose it'll get me in shape if it doesn't kill me.
I chose what I thought would be a relatively easy hike. The King Lake trail starts at the Hessie trailhead just outside Eldora, Colorado and travels a relatively easy 7% grade most of the way up to Rollins Pass. The last .5 mile or so changes drastically and climbs steeply up to the pass, which is also the Continental Divide.
It was pretty busy at the trailhead and I passed lots of people the first mile. About four other trails start at Hessie, and as soon as I got to where King Lake trail split off from the others things quieted down significantly. After that I saw only a few people.
I started a couple hours later than I wanted and could see dark clouds gathering just behind me so I tried to keep a steady pace. I was averaging only 1+ mph. Pretty slow. Around 1pm I started looking for a place for lunch. When I saw a clearing and looked up to see the tressles of Rollins Pass road I knew it was a good time to stop. I've never been this side of the collapsed tunnel on Rollins Pass road, but I knew immediately what I was looking at.
A little farther and the trail started getting pretty wet, with several very muddy areas to cross. Nothing a good set of boots can't deal with, though. I knew I was getting close to the steep climb. I was originally planning on camping before the climb and if I felt like it would climb up to Rollins Pass the next morning. I just didn't see anywhere I really wanted to stop and kept going. The next thing I knew I was going up some switchbacks. Very slowly. By this point I had already gone well past my 3.5 mile plan and was getting pretty tired.
Finally the trail started to level out again and I saw another backpacker sitting on a rock ahead. He found a great rock that overlooked a fast moving run-off stream and the large bowl area just below the pass. Beautiful! The guy's buddy showed up just then from taking a quick peek up the Bob & Betty Lakes trail which branched there. They were fairly new to Colorado, one being from Kansas and the other Mississippi I believe. This was their first backpack trip. They had come up Devil's Thumb trail, and hiked along High Lonesome (CDT) and were headed back down the way I had come. It's like a 15 mile hike or so. Quite a first hike!
I noted here that the maps I had don't show the trails quite right in this area. The Bob & Betty Lakes trail is marked as starting after the run-off stream, and the switchbacks go up also after the stream.
I knew I was getting close to King Lake now. If everything went well, I was planning on camping near King Lake. The clouds were moving in, so I crossed the stream and started climbing again. During a rest I briefly talked with another couple that were dayhiking with their two dogs -- oh, actually three. The guy was carrying a pup in a backpack. Must have been trying to get it used to hiking!
One more switchback and I started to feel rain drops. I also started to see promise of some camping spots. I explored briefly and came across a small lake (which turns out to be just below King Lake) with a huddle of low trees about a hundred feet away. Clearly been used before as a camp, and it suited my requirements perfectly -- need one now before it rains!
A little drizzle and as soon as I get my stuff inside the tent a steady rain starts. Perfect timing. Time to test the tent. After several minutes, I'm still dry. One or two slow leaks through the seams started up, but nothing to worry about. One zipper started flowing pretty good, though, and a small puddle formed in the corner. I was able to push on the zipper and got the leak to stop. With no rain fly I was pretty happy I was still dry. Good job Sierra Designs!
Exhausted, I took a nap. Woke up a couple hours later around 6pm or so and noticed the rain stopped. I could see Rollins Pass from camp so I figured without the backpack I should be able to make it the rest of the way pretty easy. I passed King Lake on the way. I suspected my little lake wasn't King Lake.
At the pass I noticed a guy coming up the trail behind me. He had some fishing gear. It was getting kinda late and I was curious where he was headed. Then he said, "I'm just parked right over there." I completely forgot about Rollins Pass road. From the Winter Park side, you can drive right up to the Continental Divide. After 4-5 miles of hiking, finding a guy parked less than a half mile away kinda gets you a little. But that passed and I walked with the guy back to his Blazer.
Back down at camp I relaxed a little and read a magazine. It started to get pretty chilly and I noticed low clouds starting to come in. Several more minutes and I couldn't see my lake anymore. The low clouds made it misty, but it didn't start raining again. It got dark pretty quick and I started getting cold, so I slipped into my sleeping bag for the night.
The next morning was bright and clear. My tent was soaked and the door was wet on the inside, but I stayed dry. I'll have to seal the seams, but otherwise I was quite happy with my tent. After the sun started getting a little warmer I moved the tent to dry out, had some breakfast, and laid on a rock for a while. I wasn't in any hurry to pack and leave this place. But eventually my tent dried out and I packed everything back up. Now for the tough part, to put the backpack on my back again! Oof!
I had all day to make it back down to Hessie, so I meandered back to Bob & Betty Lakes trailhead and decided to check the lakes out. My legs were not too happy about the idea, but about three quarters up I got a glimpse of something moving. I stopped and looked. About 50 yards out was a cow moose! She mosied behind some trees so I moved up the trail a little until I saw her again. Looking straight at me with her ears perked. I stood there for a while. She eventually started chewing again, and soon enough she mosied along into some more trees. I moved up along the trail some more, but never saw her again. That was excellent!
Betty Lake comes up first, just below Bob. Spectacular! I also found several good camping spots. I kept following the trail towards Bob Lake. At one point the trail just disappeared. My legs were awfully tired, so I took my pack off and looked around for the trail. Eventually I spotted some stacked rocks. Looking carefully, I was able to continue, seeing some stacked rocks now and then. Eventually I made it up to Bob Lake. The bowl around Bob was still covered heavily in snow and the lake had little iceburgs in it all over.
Just before getting up to the lake I spotted another backpacker across the lake up the cliff a ways. He was just sitting there with his dog. By the time I got to the lake, the guy had left. I probably interrupted his morning view. There is a beautiful waterfall the feeds Betty Lake from Bob. Just one heck of a gorgeous spot!
Going back, I rounded a corner and saw my pack laying on the ground with something on top of it! There was a marmot looking at me. He scurried off quickly and hadn't done any damage. Pack back on and I strolled back down the trail.
I was a mile or two still away from the trailhead when it started to rain again. It was about noon. It wasn't too heavy so I trudged along. It was actually kinda warm and felt pretty good. The rest of the way down it continued to rain. At the trailhead it stopped and the sun started to come out as I got back into my truck.
I listened to my diesel start up and turned on the radio. A good rock 'n roll song was playing, so I rolled the windows back up and turned it up! After all the quiet a little loud music was kinda nice to bring myself back into the real world.
