Trail Log 1995-1997 - Lamar at Colorado State University

68
Sept. 23-24, 1995. Backpacking trip to Fern Lake with Will Aiken. Left Saturday 8.00 a.m. with
threat of snow in the evening and on Sunday. There had been a major snow storm in town a week
before, broke all kinds of limbs off trees, left 10,000 people without power half a day. But Friday
had been gorgeous. Saturday was a very good day. Left Bear Lake about 10.45 and hiked around.
Lunched at about the high spot before the drop into Odessa Lake stops, good view of Notchtop.
Nice temperatures. Continued, and reached Odessa. Nice view of a dipper walking out from it.
Reached Fern Lake about 3.00 p.m. A young coyote was dragging off somebody else's daypack;
we saw it just after somebody else had interrupted this. Pitched camp, and cooked early supper,
not knowing what was going to happen. Walked back and tried to make it up to Odessa again, but
didn't have enough time before dark.
Started snowing rather soon after we crawled in the sack, perhaps 8.30 and snowed all night, a
rather fine flake/pellet mix much of the time. I knocked it off the tent in the night by hitting it from
the inside. About 5 inches by morning, but not all that cold, and still snowing. We packed up and
went round to the lake, thinking to cook breakfast on the ranger's cabin porch, but there is none.
So we found a bit of shelter under trees and cooked breakfast with a nice view of the lake. Hiked
out in intermittent snow, with only l-2 inches underfoot past the Pool. Nice blue grouse, close in,
on the way down. We had two cars, took one back to Bear Lake and separated there. I lunched
with a nice view of Moraine Park in the snow, half sunshine. Returned to town, snow disappearing
in the canyon, and nearly 60 degrees and sunshine in town. Giles drove a motorcycle to Phonenix
this weekend and had a safe trip.
September 30, Saturday. Hike into Mirror Lake and out, with Will Aiken. We had packed to stay
in overnight, but there was 2-3 inches of snow at the trailhead and the weather report was
discouraging. So we set out for the day thinking to make only the river and perhaps west into the
lower part of the Hague's Creek drainage. Left Jeep about 10.00. But we moved well; weather was
broken clouds and rather pretty, so we went for the Lake. Reached the lake about 1.30. Blood in
deer tracks in the snow on the way up. Also spooked one nice bull elk and saw him well, though
briefly in a small open area. Perhaps 4 inches of snow at the lake, with some open spots on the
rocks. Lovely view. Clouds are nice drifting in and out the mountains, mostly cloudy with some
brights spots and occasional sun through blue sky.
Lunched at the lake and headed out, with steady hike out, reaching Jeep about 5.30 (and an hour
until dark). 12.5 miles, and my feet did better than expected, only slightly sore 2nd toe on right foot.
Drove on up the Long Draw road to its end at Poudre Pass, where there is a trailhead in to Lulu
City. Also there is a nice new campground for tents above the Long Draw Reservoir, with a nice
view over a big meadow. Drove home in the dark and actually hit, slightly, a buck about Poudre
Park, though it did not damage the Jeep and presumably not the buck. Jane is in Richmond,
keeping Marc Bryant's kids while Ann and Billy are in Europe.
October 14, Saturday. Hike to Chasm Lake with Will Aiken. Left 7.30, not a cloud in the sky all
day. No snow at the Long's Peak trailhead, but by the time lodgepole gave way to spruce there
was a little snow underfoot, and it was variously blown in, blown out, packed down by previous
walkers on up above tree line. Lost the trail a bit coming up on Mills Moraine, though only