​​In The Shadow of Longs Peak

Bierstadt Bear Loop
01 January 2008

What a grand way to start off the New Year!  Cross Country skiing and on a new trail no less!

Actually, I have skied about half this trail, but this is the first time doing this particular loop. 

We parked at the shuttle bus parking lot in the Glacier Creek area of the Glacier Gorge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.  This parking lot is after the Moraine Park area, after crossing the Big Thompson River.  There is lots of parking today, the first day of the year. 

We geared up and headed west across the parking lot to the Bierstadt Lake Trailhead.  Quite honestly, I really thought that this trail never had enough snow for skiing.  Needless to say, I was really impressed with the coverage.  So up we went.  And the trail is somewhat of an uphill hump with a chance for kick and glide in-between.  The sign says Bierstadt Lake is 1.6 away, and I would say that is about correct.  There is one trail junction that you pass, this one for the traditional Bierstadt Lake trailhead that is along the Glacier Gorge Road.  Pass this and continue upward.  It really is a series of uphills and relatively flat areas.  At each flat area I think we must be done…and now we’ll contour to the lake.  Each time I was disappointed.

The trees today are coated in a snow white frosting.  The air was crisp but the sun was out.  The first time in a while that we’ve been out in the sun. 

We do eventually reach the trail that goes around Bierstadt Lake.  Some folks along the way mention that the east trail is fairly wind blown so we go around to the west and of course never really see the lake.  It’s noon now, I am out of energy despite that bite of peanut brittle, so we find a log in the sun and take a break. 

Our original plan was to come in this trail, go out the regular Bierstadt Trail, and return to the car for a pleasant short loop.  But somewhere we decided to go to Bear Lake then head down the Glacier Gorge Trail to Sprague Lake, continue to Glacier Basin campground, across the road and back to the car. 

So we pack up and continue.  We pass 2 trail junctions to Hollowell Park and Mills Basin.  I have long thought about exploring these 2 but not today. 

Now, back in my Colorado Mountain Club days, I did skied many times from Bear Lake to Bierstadt Lake.  So I know the way here.  Its really a pleasant tour though still uphill;  none of the uphill pieces seem nearly as steep as the first leg.  And easy with the right wax, which I seem to have finally figured out.  Before long, we’ve reach the bench and start down toward Bear Lake.  I was concerned about this piece as it gets lots of use and thus can be packed down and icy.  Not today!  We glide down – actually, it was faster than gliding but definitely not an out of control tornado.  Just above the lake we stop and access – who exactly does this trail go?  We end up picking our way down, avoiding the horse trail and just heading downhill though we quickly abandon that idea and traverse.  Somehow we missed the trail but it all worked out and soon we are by the lake, and turn toward the signs for Alberta Falls.  Down we go, this is a nice quick downhill but still not out of control to Glacier Gorge.  We turn up that trail then take a quick left for the glide to Sprague Lake.  Though it turns out to need a lot of kick to keep gliding.  Then we were at another trail junction.  Boulder Creek, Storm Pass, East Portal, the YMCA, and Glacier Basin Campground.  My intuition says to turn left and head to the road.  But we go right and follow the Glacier Basin Campground, which is of course where we want to go.  And on we go, another 1.7 miles, passing the turnoff to Storm Pass.  Now we start climbing?  What’s up with this I wonder and by this time I’m getting tired though I know for sure we did park across from that campground so on we go.  Before long, we have nice downhill again.  And before long, we are at another junction.  Either .3 miles to one loop in the campground or .5 to another.  The .3 is a steep downhill and I am tempted to lobby for that one but we take the .5 instead, pass the cutoff to the east portal and the YMCA.  Now finally we are in the campground.  But the site numbers are going up and I wonder about our route.  But down we go.  I see a road and head for it.  Ah, the road is less than ¼ mile ahead.  We cross and another ¼ mile and we are at the car.  A wonderful day.

Some notes to go back an incorporate.  Views of Hallett and that canyon between Hallett and Flattop.  That steep part of the trail down to Bear Lake is below the Flattop junction.