A fine holiday birthday weekend held another glorious day; and a hike up to Lake Dorothy in the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Nederland, Colorado. As well as a fine small mountain town with a ski resort, Nederland has some of the most popular hiking in Colorado and some of the best eats for tired and happy hikers. Today I got up at 5am and that was about the smartest thing I did on this busy labor day weekend. The 4th of July trailhead where this hike begins fills up fast, like it's Hessie trail sister down the road; and the cops were having a ticket fest. Beware if you go on a holiday. There is little free parking.
The Fourth of July trail head is at the end of a 6 mile rough road. In August and September a regular car can probably have a go, but it's gonna get you stuck most other months if you don't have an AWD. Out biggest problem was getting past other parked cars along the narrow road. That being said, we went very early and were very glad to get a spot and Not a parking ticket. I have to admit, you could barely navigate when another car came opposite, and I suppose that is why the cops were at it. There were warning signs though, and I don't think they are usually that strict. Just beware.
The end of the rough road is a trailhead for a number of hikes and today we were going up Arapaho Pass to find Lake Dorothy, an unmarked gem, nestled in a beautiful glacier circ. I am very partial to Lake destinations and with good reason. Photo ops usually abound. Today I had no clouds at all but the program executed itself just fine. For a mile or so all the trails are joined and it's beautiful with waterfalls, meadows, mountain views, and wooden bridges. It's steep with some switchbacks but early in your climb you will have enough energy to enjoy the forest. I was surprised and happy to find still blooming and colorful flowers at the beginning of September. Of course, the snow was not melted until late July up here so I'm sure there was a late start.
I was going to take a shot of some nodding sun flowers and at 6:30 was amused to see little bees curled up inside of alot of them. I never knew they were used as bee beds! Breakfast in bed I guess! After a bit of a climb you will come to the first trail cut off. Some go down to Diamond Lake and others continue up to Arapaho Pass, Glacier, and in our case; Lake Dorothy. The path mellows to a gradual climb but you will still feel it as you are nearing tree line. Some rusted mining equipment appears soon on your right and here is the caved in entrance to the 4th of July mine. The meadow behind it is lovely with little streams, still blooming flowers and a lovely peak frame job. We checked it out on the way back as I needed to get to that lake for photo op light.
A bit further up you will come to a Krummholz meadow with lovely little pools of rock and water. It is somewhat like a German fairy tale. In fact, Krummholz means twisted wood and that is what happens to these trees at treeline. The snow, wind, and subalpine atmosphere cause them to be somewhat twisted and stunted resulting in a miniature forest. It is quite charming and the growth of these trees is concentrated at the bottom so they are very full looking. Well worth some admiration and lingering, before you push on.
The last third of your journey takes you along a shale path skirting the side of the mountain. It's not steep but it's a bit hard to walk in the small shale stones and I couldn't believe it when I saw a girl in flip flops at the top! Now that's dedication. Stunning views accompany you the whole way. There are small ponds down in the valley below you and rugged peaks ahead. Soon you hit Arapaho pass with 360* impressive views and all Colorado's glory. Here is the next cut off sign and you will follow the Caribou Pass trail, just a third of a mile hiking left; to Dorothy on the left. There are 2 little access trails and you can tell a lake is nestled there even if not signed for.
The terrain is covered with diverse brush that could probably benefit one who wanted to explore a bit closer up. Red, orange and yellow hues were starting to emerge even on the first September weekend providing a superb fore-drop for the peaks and blue sky. The rock and boulders up here are also muti flecked and shaped making for even more eye candy. Soon we see Ms. Dorothy as we take the left side path and at first I am bummed because she looks a bit gray. I had read about a viewpoint on the left/southeast bank though. Steve settles against a lakeside boulder and I am off to climb the ridge for a photo viewpoint. Very, very good decision. Fun also. I scramble a path through some easy boulders and work my way up the mountain grass ridge. The rocks are impressive and the views continue to improve.
The lake becomes more beautiful from above and this is by far the photographers view point. I can barely barely get her all in one frame. Altitude and reflective sky give me a bit of the blue edge I was craving. The top of this ridge is reward alone though. Unsuspectingly, the other side drops off into a deep and craggy gorge that is a delight and a breathtaking vision in itself. None of my pictures could capture the depth. You are really surrounded by all of the best. Lake, crevasse, vista, and valley assault your vision with mountain serenity and splendor.
After about 5 million shots a scramble back down the boulders and nab the pringles from a chilled out Steve. I find some gorgeous late blooming gentian which are a white hue I have never seen. I get a few last shots shore side and tell a few couples to go up the ridge! Don't be denied!
As we edge back down there is a literal parade going up. Party after party after party. Again, we scored big with an early start. I have a thing about hiking in solitude and this is not really the place to do it. On a holiday. On a weekend. On a sunny day. On a perfect day. I have no regrets. I catch a few spots I missed. I urge Steve down the almost impassable 3 lane jeep road that is meant to be one lane. I see the cop at the end of a row of cars writing furiously. He is on his 30th ticket or so by the looks of things. We had free parking today, and will be rewarded again at the Indian Buffet in Nederland. Happy birthday to me!
Lake Dorothy, Arapaho Pass, Forth of July Mine, Nederland, Colorado, Sept, 4, 2011
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