I had one of those days where I knew I had to get out there and sniff the woods, admire the view and stretch the legs... but I just wasn't all that committed to a long hike and was really unattached to any particular destination.
I decided to head up to Hessie Trail. I'd assess the parking situation, maybe change locations, pick a trail to hike when I got there and may, or may not, go all the way to the destination. High on the list were Lost Lake (recommended but on the short side at just 4.5 miles out and back) and Jasper Lake (much longer, higher and less populated... 10 miles out and back).
I woke early, spilled my glass of water all over the book on my nightstand, half strangled the cat trying to get his collar back on him before letting him outside and then left my coffee on the counter as I departed. Good start!
First stop was Einstein Bagels for coffee and something to fill the void in my stomach that was getting loud at 6:30am. The burrito was ... better than nothing. Enough said.
Second stop was at Nederland High School. This is where the road to Eldora is CLOSED and a sign tells you at by 7:15am, the parking lot at Hessie and 4th of July Trail is already full. They let you park at the school and take a free shuttle 10 mins up the road, then expel you from the vehicle a half mile from the trailhead. Let the hike begin!
The trail head has a large map and lots of info. I took a photo of it.... just as well. Cell signal was already kaput and I had no google maps or AllTrails app to rely on from here. There were a handful of other folks going in similar directions - most had dogs with them, which was actually lovely.
Feeling energized by the half burrito I had choked down while navigating Boulder Canyon, I decided to go the longer hike and began the ascent towards Jasper Lake. Not that many of the signs actually said Jasper Lake, but most did point me in the direction of Devils Thumb bypass trail and then Devils Thumb Pass (which I remembered to be just beyond Jasper).
It was a GORGEOUS day. Cool morning, clear sky.
The trail is rocky up here. I don't think I was super bothered by it as my memories of climbing up and up over stones are kinda vague. I was passed by everyone and found my happy place to be alone, walking as silently as I could and scouting wildlife eagerly. Alas no moose - despite finding moose tracks and a moose bed just off the trail at a pond.
Momma deer and her teenage twins, happy singing birds and the occasional chipmunk was good enough for me and I'll guess, more than most other people saw. The animals up here are not like in RMNP - they are wary and skittish. Pictures are through the trees and opportunities are as fleeting as the wildlife itself.
My watch called out stats every mile and I found myself doing about 1.5m/hr including stops to photograph, de-layer, rearrange things etc. I was mostly 8900 - 10,900' elevation today. Going slowly was one of the things I was practicing. So was nasal breathing - which is harder than it sounds but apparently pays dividends.
This hike winds through trees, open meadows, past ponds, follows a raging stream in places and steps over mini-waterfalls constantly. It's not super challenging but always goes uphill and the trail is rocky - did I mention that already?! Without some attention it's a tripping hazard or an ankle rolling situation just waiting to happen.
I hit Jasper lake in just over 3 hours and at exactly the 5 mile mark. Lunch time... if you count a handful of grapes and some Goldfish crackers. (Admittedly, I could have done more planning for today!)
Up at the lake, I learned a wee something. Ground squirrels literally live in the ground! Not sure why I had no idea or that it hadn't occurred to me, but until today I had never seen one disappear like a magic trick right in front of my eyes, only to figure out it jumped into a 3" hole barely concealed by a tuft of grass in the middle of the hiking trail. You betcha this became a photo-op! Much to the amusement of fellow hikers, I sat on that trail and waited for his little head to poke out the hole again, camera poised.
Then it was time to descend. Thank goodness for trekking poles because I had not realized the steepness or ongoing nature of the incline on the way up and it was taking a toll on the way down. Poles reduced knee and hip stress and add that little extra balance I needed to stay upright on several occasions.
Final thought...
It was 2pm. I had likely just missed the last trailhead shuttle as I was the first in line to catch the next one... a LONG line as it turned out to be.
When the short bus arrived, the driver said "don't worry, plenty of room for everyone" then proceeded to let everyone - dogs and babies included - onto the shuttle. Packed was an understatement. The dogs looked confused, people sat 3-4 folks to a 2-seater bench literally on top of each other and a baby in a hiking carrier was placed on the floor at the drivers side, while the dad sat on the stairs by the door - one hand on his infant! We were all hot, dusty and... fragrant. But smiling and grateful.
Just when you thought the afternoon couldn't get more questionable, I ate the other half of that dodgy burrito that had been sitting on my front seat for 6.5 hours in the sun. It was an act of desperation! This gal is just not cut out to live off a few grapes and crackers. Whatever... I had full confidence in my cast iron gut. It has literally never let me down.
It was nice to get home. Tomorrow is another busy work day and I was glad I had pushed myself out and about today. Saturday certainly didn't pass me by. :-)
According to my Samsung watch:
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