1/17/97 - Past The Loch toward Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Class 1 & 2 Snowshoeing/Skiing, Elevation above the Loch, ~10,600ft (~1,360 foot gain)

Trekkers:

Ernie Petrocine, Estes Park, Colorado
ernie@rmconnection.com

Mike Molloy, Estes Park, Colorado
mmolloy@mtnds.com

Ernie suggested we try to make it up to Sky Pond, so we headed up. Didn't get on the trail until almost 1:30pm though.

Weather was relatively warm compared to the week before, probably in the high twenties. Conditions were sunny and breezy and the snow was somewhat crusty and wind-packed. We were comfortable, but as usual, worked up a sweat going up the Glacier Gorge drainage.

Very pretty. Realized as I was hiking that I'm starting to recognize the various features of the drainage in the same way I recognize the features of the stores and buildings of downtown Estes Park!

Thought about how right my friend Denny Smith is about how you can go over the same trail (or watch the same movie, etc.) again and again and still find something unique and magical about it. Sure felt that way today.

As we reached the trail junction at the top of the drainage, we saw Bill (from Outdoor World) with two friends. After we talked with them a bit, we continued on toward the Loch. Noticed that the hitching post at the trail junction was covered with more than 12" of snow. (In November, it looked like this.)

Went up the steep drainage to the Loch. Pretty tough as it's steep and the crusty snow makes for unpredictable purchase. As we neared the top, we got out better gloves and face masks to prepare for the high winds we expected when we reached the lake.

The lake had been stripped of its snow cover by the winds and it looked quite different this week, considering the snow was gone, and we had very good visibility.

After a few pictures, we crossed the lake and headed up toward Sky Pond. Climbed steadily for awhile, but it was obvious we were running out of time. We figured we'd need to turn back by about 3:30pm to avoid doing the last bit in darkness. We pushed on ahead a little farther, hoping to look up the valley where Sky Pond was.

This was all new territory for me, as I hadn't been any farther than the Loch. We came upon a very nice spot where we could look back down on the lake.

We reached a high spot where we took quite a few more photos, including the panoramic ones Ernie took and I stitched together with Photoshop.

Headed back down the trail. As we crossed the Loch, I had to stop to retighten the binding on my snowshow. When I started up again, I saw that Ernie as lying down on the ice! He wasn't moving, and I was wondering if he'd fallen, and if so, was he hurt. Turns out, he was just looking for a different camera perspective, because as I got closer, I could see he had the camera out and was taking pictures. Ernie really likes using the digital camera!

Continued on down. I went down a very steep snow bank sitting on the backs of my snowshoes and sliding down. It kicked up all kinds of snow, and when I reached the bottom, Ernie tried to convince me to climb back up the 45 degree bank so he could take a picture of me sliding down. Yeah, right, Ernie! <grin>

We went down in the "standard" pattern determined by the fact that Ernie skis and I snowshoe: Ernie skis down quickly and well ahead, and I trudge on down catching up to where he waits for me.

At one point, I saw him climbing on top of the log going across the Loch trail and then realized that he was going to have some other snowshoers, some CSU students, take his picture while standing on top of the snow piled on the log. He'd mentioned this on the way up and I thought he was joking.

After one of the students took the picture, I offered to take a picture of their group. I said, "If one of you has an email address, I can email this to you." One of them replied, somewhat laconically, "We're college students, we all have email addresses!" A real sign of the times!

Saw three guys coming up who were going to camp up above the trail junction. Ernie gave them some map advice before we continued.

Kept heading down, at a very fast pace. Soon we reached the spot I call "Ernie's Boulder" and sure enough, there he was, poised to ski off it as he does every time we trek here. It's tough because you can't build up any speed before you go off the edge, but as you can see, Ernie did a very creditable job of skiing down.

The rest of the way was fast and uneventful. Though it took us over two hours to get up past the Loch, we came down in a little over one hour! We arrived at the parking lot in time to see some beautiful pastel blues and pinks from the setting sun. Sat in the car and ate a few animal crackers, drank some water, and then headed back to town.

A really fantastic way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Mike, going up the drainage right below the Loch.

The Loch

Mike on the Loch. The week before, the snow here was knee deep (it was blown away by the wind).

Ernie standing on the Loch.

On the Loch. Ernie thought I might say I look goofy here, but with the face mask, you can't even tell it's me.

On the trail climbing up towards Sky Pond.

The Loch, as seen from the trail going on to Sky Pond.

Looking up toward Sky Pond. We turned back here because it was late (almost 4pm). Ernie took a series of pictures that made up a panoramic view from this spot. Another one. (Be sure to scroll your browser to see the whole picture.)

Mike coming back across the Loch. Ernie was lying down on the ice to take this one. Brrrr.

Some CSU students we saw on the way down the trail took this picture for us. Notice Ernie on top of the fallen log!

Ernie about to ski off this boulder.

The sky we saw after arriving back at the parking lot.