yatahey
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Last weekend the long anticipated trip to camp and fish Arrowhead Lake, deep in the high lonesome of Rocky Mountain National Park came to be.
This trip has been in the planning since January, procuring the proper permits, renting of bear proof food storage cans, training for high altitude hiking and securing time off from work for some of the participants. There were six of us in the group.
Our trip started at Milner Pass 10, 758' on Friday morning 6 am. The trail would take us to a high point of 12,635' before dropping to Arrowhead Lake at 11,159'.
Even with all the training the hike in was brutal for me. [My bad in part due to bad fitting boots that seemed fine on training hikes]. Once the lungs opened up and you could breath the altitude was not a big factor. The trail was good for most of the trip along the Continental Divide until we neared the long sloping ridge we would descend to the lake.
photo by Rick Shroeder
The first gorge we came to had great views of some small, mostly shallow lakes. But man what a view. The big sloping ridge you see starting from the right in the distance is the ridge we went down to Arrowhead. The lakes are on the other side of the ridge.
photo by Bob Volpe
Our off trail route took us through a few nasty boulder fields that sucked to hike on. We met back up with one of our group who had gone ahead to photograph the lake from the cliffs above and just as we met at the ridge that leads down to the lake the rain and sleet hit.
photos by Rick Schoeder
Finally, we got down to the lake. Two of the stronger guys were so far ahead of us they were already fishing when we got to our camp site and one already caught seven fish.
After a little relaxing, recouping and setting up camp we hit the lake to do some fishing before dinner and darkness. Fish were caught, and there was much rejoicing
photos by Rick Schoeder
photos by Carper
photos by Bob Volpe
Some shots of the lake and surrounding area.
photos by Bob Volpe
photo by Rick Schroeder
The weather was... well, Colorado. Storms blew in and blew out. Wind blew, sun shined, and then Sunday morning the thick clouds covered the peaks and threatened to make the hike out a total pain in the butt.
We made the hike out in 4 hours 30 minutes despite or maybe because of the threatening weather and above timberline route. Hauled fanny. Me with bad feet, hurting quads and a strained groin muscle had the help of some Vicadin and splitting up some of my load to the other guys in order to get out.
photos by Rick Schroeder
After a celebratory Fat Tire ale at the vehicles it was off the GrandLake for some food, libation, and reminiscing.
This trip has been in the planning since January, procuring the proper permits, renting of bear proof food storage cans, training for high altitude hiking and securing time off from work for some of the participants. There were six of us in the group.
Our trip started at Milner Pass 10, 758' on Friday morning 6 am. The trail would take us to a high point of 12,635' before dropping to Arrowhead Lake at 11,159'.
Even with all the training the hike in was brutal for me. [My bad in part due to bad fitting boots that seemed fine on training hikes]. Once the lungs opened up and you could breath the altitude was not a big factor. The trail was good for most of the trip along the Continental Divide until we neared the long sloping ridge we would descend to the lake.
photo by Rick Shroeder
The first gorge we came to had great views of some small, mostly shallow lakes. But man what a view. The big sloping ridge you see starting from the right in the distance is the ridge we went down to Arrowhead. The lakes are on the other side of the ridge.
photo by Bob Volpe
Our off trail route took us through a few nasty boulder fields that sucked to hike on. We met back up with one of our group who had gone ahead to photograph the lake from the cliffs above and just as we met at the ridge that leads down to the lake the rain and sleet hit.
photos by Rick Schoeder
Finally, we got down to the lake. Two of the stronger guys were so far ahead of us they were already fishing when we got to our camp site and one already caught seven fish.
After a little relaxing, recouping and setting up camp we hit the lake to do some fishing before dinner and darkness. Fish were caught, and there was much rejoicing
photos by Rick Schoeder
photos by Carper
photos by Bob Volpe
Some shots of the lake and surrounding area.
photos by Bob Volpe
photo by Rick Schroeder
The weather was... well, Colorado. Storms blew in and blew out. Wind blew, sun shined, and then Sunday morning the thick clouds covered the peaks and threatened to make the hike out a total pain in the butt.
We made the hike out in 4 hours 30 minutes despite or maybe because of the threatening weather and above timberline route. Hauled fanny. Me with bad feet, hurting quads and a strained groin muscle had the help of some Vicadin and splitting up some of my load to the other guys in order to get out.
photos by Rick Schroeder
After a celebratory Fat Tire ale at the vehicles it was off the GrandLake for some food, libation, and reminiscing.
