|
Last Friday, I was invited to join a group on a trail hike to the top of Flattop Mountain, an 8.8 mile (round trip) trek with a 2900' elevation gain. It's a strenuous climb but at this time of the year, it's not the trail that's the challenge but the weather as you transition in less than 3 miles from forest into the alpine tundra. Two members of the group had tried to reach the top before but weather made it impossible. We got lucky, as an early morning shower turned into a clear day. That said, the well-defined path through the treeline leads you into open rocky tundra with a snow covering at 12,324'. The real challenge? Winds blowing at 35 mph offering a wind chill temp of 21 degrees! I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story of this great journey.
10 Comments
Hardly! Aside from becoming oh-so-crafty, I have been spending my free days outdoors. I neglected to mention that the "Y" is at 8,000 feet so I've been adapting to the elevation with plenty of water, some slow pedaling, and 2-to-10 mile hikes with little gain. Most of the hikes I've taken in the National Park are from trailheads at over 9,000 feet, so even hikes with less than a 1,000 foot elevation gain offer astounding views! Rocky Mountain NP is over 400 square miles & I plan to see as much of my little corner as I possibly can. I like this area because we're on the "dry side" of the Continental Divide so the downhill skiing (& its culture) is an hour or more away. This area is for hiking, snowshoeing, and x-c skiing, and in turn, Estes Park is not like Aspen. Don't get me wrong, there's money here but people are unpretentious. We're also in "rut season", a new concept to me, and the male elk are butting horns and bugling on a frequent basis. I heard one 2 days ago, and when I looked out my window, I saw a huge elk walking right up the middle of the road in front of my dorm. Bizarre and amazing! For nearly 2 weeks, I've been settling into the Y of the Rockies. This is not like any "Y" that I've ever seen; in fact, they don't have a fitness center. It's a small village surrounded on three sides by the Rocky Mountain National Park. We have our own post office, library and museum, and you can do nearly any indoor or outdoor activity imaginable. Deer, elk, and yes, bears roam freely in this area!
I found this volunteer opportunity online, and will be here for 6 weeks working as a "Craft & Design Instructor" in exchange for full room & board (a private room!), wifi, all activities, and a community of very nice people. My schedule is a grueling three, 8-hour days then 4 days to play. If winter weren't on its way, I'd definitely stay longer! I've already biked, hiked, and visited the Park but I'll save those photos & stories for next week! |
Archives
December 2025
AuthorCyclist, writer, teacher, avid reader, bike/ped advocate, nomad, pie lover Categories |
RSS Feed
