Rocky Mountain National Park Snowshoeing

I finally went snowshoeing, something that I had been wanting to do for the last several years I’ve lived in Colorado.
It was a difficult trek, taking us to about 10,000 feet about sea level, to Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. But, once there, the view did not disappoint.
Mike, our guide, was Mr. Colorado in 1977 and seemed to have not lost a step since he held his title. He was in excellent shape and trudged ahead of us, leading the way, with such enthusiasm that we were unable to keep up at many times due to several necessary breather breaks.
His humor, understanding and help made it a great trip though and he got us to our final destination, complimented us on our abilities for beginner’s on an intermediate trek, and even offered us an alternate, and longer, way back to the trailhead.
But, unfortunately due to our tiredness, we had to decline and head back the way we came, which was thankfully all downhill.
My friend Scott and I had a great time though and loved every minute of the trip. It was a great experience that we booked through Kirk’s Flyshop in Estes Park, Colorado, and something I’m sure I’ll do again.
Next time I may not take a guide, and instead just rent or buy my own snowshoes, but a hike like that in the winter is something I’d definitely like to do again. It’s a great way to see a beautiful countryside without all of the people climbing everywhere and making noise, as can happen in the summer months in the park.
Instead, the winter was refreshing, quiet and pristine. We only saw a handful of people in our trek, and were always happy to say hello and ask about the trail ahead, or give information on where we’ve been. It was simply wonderful and something I’d recommend for most anyone.
I say most anyone because it was quite difficult. The trek was hard with an elevation change, from the parking lot to the lake, of almost 1,000 feet. And, from Denver to Mills Lake, it was near double in elevation. And, with only another 1,000 feet to the tree line, the air is definitely thin and hard to breath at times. During our hike I had to take several stops on the way up catch my breath. I know Mike didn’t mind, as nice as he was, nor did Scott. I believe he was as thankful for the stops to breath as I was since, on one stop, I saw he was breaking a good sweat.
The hike back down was much easier for me, but for Scott it was definitely much more difficult, having said he prefered the uphill climb instead. A few times he lost his footing and took a spill, as did I, but thankfully neither of us got hurt from it and were able to laugh about it all in good fun since we had a great time on the day.
The hike up through the trees was nice, the walk through the Glacier Gorge on a bunch of snow, which was covering the frozen creek, was great, and the view that we appreciated while standing on the frozen Mills Lake was truly spectacular. It was really something I won’t forget anytime soon.