5/8/97 - Gem Lake, Rocky Mountain
National Park, Colorado
Class 1 Hiking, Elevation at Gem Lake, 8,830ft
(~1,090 foot gain); 2.0 miles each way
Hiker:
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The trailhead parking lot. Can you see the herd of about
40 elk in the center of the picture?
Couldn't resist this almost cliched photo op.
This great view of Estes Park and area mountains is from
a rock outcropping about 20 minutes from the trailhead.
Note the small ground squirrel posing for me in the
bottom center. What a ham! Here's a multipanel
panaroma (71K JPG)
of the view from this hike (be sure to scroll left-right
to see it all).
This rock formation known as Paul Bunyan's Shoe is always
a big hit with kids.
The view toward Gem Lake (nestled in the bottom of the
"V" in the center). This is about 2/3 of the
way.
Here's a very agressive ground squirrel trying to scratch
his way into the trash in my pack. (No, I didn't feed
him!)
At the north end of Gem Lake looking south. You can see
Twin Sisters. Here's a 3
panel photo of Gem
Lake.
 This high-altitude toilet (with a special
solar-powered waste processing system is near the top of
the trail. Too bad there's no window inside!
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