Waking up early is not a problem for me, as my body naturally wakes up at six o’clock a.m., and I am well-rested and always a morning person. I love mornings because they are a fresh new beginning to the day and whatever it may hold. This morning, our plan was to get to the Bear Lake Corridor entrance in Rocky Mountain National Park before five a.m. We wandered down to the hotel coffee machine and made ourselves two coffees each. There was a gentle light from the fireplace in the lobby and the smell of fresh ground beans that helped wake us up to make the drive in the dark up the side of a mountain.
When we made it to the parking lot, we found our headlamp and gear and started walking on the trail toward a series of alpine lakes. The sun was slowly starting to rise over the peaks of the mountains in the distance, and we decided to stop and take a look. It was truly magnificent — the hues of blood orange blending with light orange, reaching to the blue sky at the top, hugged by countless trees on the mountain sides. Little did we know, this spot on the rocks is called Sunrise Point, and it truly was a perfect place to take in the breathtaking view of the sunrise.
There is something so rewarding about being up before the sun rises. There’s a stillness in the morning, and there are so few people on the trail that you really get to enjoy it and take it all in. As the sun crested the mountain side, the light took over the haze of morning and brightened up the trail with its warm tone. You could still see the silver moon in the sky along with the sun’s warm glow and the towering peaks that rolled one after the next across the view.
The trail is not too difficult and is well-maintained since it gets a lot of travel time. When I hike, it’s to get away from people and immerse myself in nature’s wonders. When you’re visiting a highly trafficked area like Rocky Mountain National Park, you are not going to be the only one enjoying the trail and the views, so it’s important to be considerate of others. For example, if someone is walking uphill and you are going downhill, yield for that person. If someone is taking in the view, don’t step in front of them to snap a photo. Personally, I don’t speak loudly or yell on the trail because I’m in a meditative state of nature, so I think those are things to consider. I also love to offer encouraging words to people who might be struggling with the hike a bit and give information on the trail if there are snowy or slick spots coming up. Remember, there is no rush — you are already where you need to be, and the other people out here in the early morning to enjoy this trail are important, too. Make it a joyful experience that you share with others, whether you are with a group or solo on the trail.
When you start out at the low point of the trail, it is Bear Lake, and it is such a wonder to think you can access an alpine lake by just driving there. Most alpine lakes you have to hike many miles to see, so this is a treasure all on its own. After you have hiked a bit, you will reach Nymph Lake, which was covered in lily pads and a dark green color, circled by trees with just a hint of the mountains beyond. Once we made it to Emerald Lake, the morning sun’s rays were reflecting on the water so beautifully. I see why photographers are always searching for the quicksilver in their photos, because it was so dreamy to see the perfect reflection of the pine and fir trees on the shoreline and the sun and clouds in the sky mirrored onto the water. We stood there and took it all in and spotted a few greenback cutthroat trout in the long, thin alpine lake.
As we continued the trek, we saw waterfalls of rushing water against the gray and white rocks flowing into Emerald Lake. I love a trail that has running water alongside it — the sound is so calming and soothing to the heart, and to see such pure and beautiful water in an alpine forest is amazing. There is so much life inside of the water, and I listen to its ancient wisdom as it turns white with froth and bubbles passing over the worn rocks. With each beautiful stop, we kept getting closer to the mountain peaks in the distance, as the sun illuminated them in a yellow beacon calling out to us to keep climbing higher.
As we walked across the trail over elevated bridges in the swampy parts, and over old snow packs that were slick and worn down and mostly the color of mud, stepping over big rocks and logs, we arrived at the most stunning view of Dream Lake. It is nestled at the very top of the mountains and is striking with its own character and grace, its rocky outcroppings and sparse trees lining the lake’s edges, with just a minimal amount of snow still on the mountain sides in mid-June. Large boulders roll out across the edge of the lake, and time-worn, towering, twisting bristlecone pines dot the area.
As we made the descent back to Bear Lake, it was so beautiful — a little family of ducks and ducklings paddled by as we sat on the wood-carved bench and took it all in one more time.
As we were leaving, trail traffic was picking up, and we were glad to be wrapping up the hike since we were only spending one day in the park before heading out to drive Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, is indeed the highest continuous paved road in the United States. It reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 meters) and traverses 48 miles across the park, connecting Estes Park and Grand Lake during the summer season. The road was amazing — and also terrifying at the same time — since there is just a scraggy line of rocks to mark the edge of a sheer drop-off down the mountain. Thankfully, Jeremy was the brave one who drove us, and he did great.
It takes you across the glacial landscape, formed over the past two million years, as polar climates caused glaciers to form and move down the canyon. We drove toward Hayden Gorge, a U-shaped glacial valley with glacial cirques that imprint the landscape. Lakes called tarns often fill the depressions left behind when the glaciers retreat. As we drove along Trail Ridge Road, we did spot a few elk in the hills and a moose in the distance — this is where your binoculars come in handy. I was a bit sad we didn’t see more wildlife on our visit and would have loved to see them up close.
We arrived in Grand Lake around lunchtime and stopped at Not-Cho Mama’s Grill and Cantina for a cold beer. I had the taco salad and Jeremy had the smothered burrito — it was divine! The town is so cute, basically two rows of wood buildings filled with shops and restaurants. It feels like an old west town with Grand Lake situated in the background. The Grand Lake Community House is located in the center of town, a beautiful log cabin that has been there for over 150 years. We had previously planned to tent camp at a local KOA that night and stay in Grand Lake before heading to Pagosa Springs to wrap up our adventure. But the heat was so terrible, with an unexpected heat wave that week, that we decided to just hang out in town for a few hours and then make our way to Breckenridge, planning to go to Pagosa Springs the next day.