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All That Glitters is Not Gold; Fall Hiking Goes Beyond Aspen Groves in Rocky Mountain National Park

Posted on: Monday, 26 September 2005, 12:00 CDT

On the hunt for that perfect golden aspen leaf, you might have missed this -- a white ball of fluff on a ramrod-straight stalk.

It grew from a glossy green vine that wound around a Douglas fir branch, partially hidden in the shade of the Fern Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The trail is a favorite fall hike among those who know this park. It offers occasional glimpses of aspenered mountainsides as well as up-close views of glittering groves. But like most trails in the park, it also has some hidden treasures, like this gone-to-seed rock clematis.

Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park is a time to celebrate the aspen, but it's also a perfect time to hike with all your senses, looking for more subtle seasonal changes.

Asters still dust the ground with their lavender petals and grasses turn golden in meadows this time of year. The sun still warms the air, but it seems to have mellowed when its beams hit the Big Thompson River.

Gone are the riotous fields of wild iris and penstemon. The wild geranium's blossoms have dried up and blown away, and its leaves now turn shades of red and orange. Indian paintbrush is tall and green, with just hints of its orange and pink blossoms remaining.

In their place is a softer palette of golds and browns, deep greens and surprising touches of red and orange.

Look along the Fern Lake Trail for thick ferns turned rusty by the cool nights, purple-pink gentian that still bloom well into September and creeping holly grape with ragged-edge leaves that have turned red for fall.

In celebration of the season, Out There offers this guide to hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park using our Happy Trails boot rating system:

FERN LAKE TRAIL

A favorite of locals, this trail should be called "best of Rocky."

TO GET THERE: Take the south entrance into the park, along U.S. Highway 36. Turn left onto Bear Lake Road, right toward Moraine Park Campground, then left to the Cub Lake Trailhead. Pass that parking area. You can drive all the way to the Fern Lake trailhead, but that parking area is often full. There are several places to park along the road.

TRIP LOG: About 7.6 miles round trip; 1,375-foot elevation gain, ending at 9,530 feet. (Add appropriate mileage depending on where you park. For example, if you walk from Cub Lake, add 2 miles, round trip). Two boots.

THE HIKE: Aspens crowd the road that takes you to this trailhead. Begin your walk by heading west through a mixed-growth forest of aspen, fir and pine. This trail is nearly level at the beginning, with a few steps and rocks to maneuver.

Soon, you'll hear the Big Thompson River on your left. If it's a warm day, stop and cool your feet in its cold, shallow water. You're heading uphill gradually. At the one-mile mark, you'll walk between Arch Rocks, an appropriately named formation caused by the shift of glaciers. At 1.7 miles, you'll reach The Pool, where the water swirls and pools under a wooden footbridge.

After The Pool, the trail levels a bit and takes you into the open, climbing toward a deep woods. It climbs again nearly 500 feet before you reach Fern Falls, the second place to stop and cool off. After the falls, the trail heads uphill to your destination -- Fern Lake, one of a collection of high-altitude lakes in the park that beckons you to linger.

ALBERTA FALLS TRAIL

A trail that absolutely glows, with an easy hike to a picturesque waterfall.

TO GET THERE: Enter the park from the south and turn left onto Bear Lake Road. Follow to the end and park at the trailhead.

TRIP LOG: 1.2 miles round trip, 160-foot elevation gain, ending at 9,400 feet; one boot.

THE HIKE: Alberta Falls is a crowd pleaser, and word has gotten out -- you'll rarely have it to yourself. But it's worth the effort anyway. Start at the trailhead at Bear Lake and begin a slow, gentle walk uphill. You'll soon find yourself in a thick tangle of young aspen trees and tumbled boulders.

Along the way, you're walking alongside Glacier Creek. Halfway up it offers a rock balcony view along the vertical rim of Glacier Gorge.

In the fall, be alert on switchbacks; several times, we've rounded a corner here and come face to face with an elk. Stop and allow it to move off the path, then continue on to the falls.

You'll know when you're nearing the falls -- even in autumn the narrow chute of water roars.

BIERSTADT LAKE TRAIL

A forest-locked lake is your destination on this classic hike.

TO GET THERE: Take the south entrance into the park and turn left onto Bear Lake Road. Watch for the trailhead on your right as you near Bear Lake.

TRIP LOG: About 2.8 miles round -trip; 566-foot elevation gain, ending at 9,416 feet; two boots.

THE HIKE: Start at the trailhead off Bear Lake Road, and begin your walk uphill. This is a gradual climb that's never steep but rarely levels out. The trail starts in a dense pine forest, but aspen soon take over; a fire in 1900 took out the pines here. As you near the lake, you'll plunge again into a lodgepole pine forest.

The lake sits in the middle of that forest, in a basin carved by the joining of two moraines. Stop and take in the view of Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain before you head back.

BOULDER BROOK TRAIL

A horse trail at the beginning, this route pays off for those who persevere.

TO GET THERE: Take the south entrance into the park and turn left onto Bear Lake Road. At the sign for Sprague Lake, turn left and park in the lot there.

TRIP LOG: Five miles roundtrip; 1,400-foot elevation gain, ending at 10,250 feet; three boots (for higher ending elevation).

THE HIKE: Start this hike at the trailhead kiosk at Sprague Lake off Bear Lake Road. Walk up the Storm Pass Trail.

Be forewarned: This is a horse trail, so for about a halfmile, you will walk on a wide, badly eroded roadway reduced to sand and horse apples. But don't let that discourage you.

Forge on to the junction with Boulder Brook Trail. Turn off Storm Creek and begin climbing a steep, narrow trail.

Watch your step because the path is covered with round, softball- sized rocks. Head uphill with the brook bubbling on your left. You're in deep shade here, even in the fall.

After a mile and several creek crossings, the trail levels off. Head through some willows and then begin climbing again. Soon, the path opens up with a sweeping view of Longs Peak ahead. A 1900 fire took many of the trees here, and their silvery carcasses are still strewn about.

Soon, you'll reach the junction with the North Longs Peak Trail that hooks up with the main Longs Peak Trail three miles to the south.

RATING SYSTEM

A scale of one to four boots. One is most gentle, with little elevation gain at a reasonable altitude. Four is most difficult, with severe elevation gain, difficult terrain or extreme length or altitude.

OTHER SPOTS

TO CELEBRATE THE FALL

Mueller State Park: Aspen nature hikes will be offered at the park on weekends from Saturday through Oct. 2. The threemile, naturalist-guided hikes begin at the Grouse Mountain Trailhead at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and last about two and a half hours.

Barr Lake State Park: The Seventh Annual Fall Birding Festival gets under way from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, with a banding station for migratory songbirds, guided bird walks, rides on the Eagle Express, kids activities and live raptors.

Hikes: For a list of other local fall hikes, check the Almanac on Page 3.

Online resources:

For updates on the changing fall colors in each of the parks, visit www.parks.state.co. us/fall and select "Current Conditions."

A free brochure featuring eight driving tours of Colorado State Parks to see fall colors can be downloaded from www. parks.state.co.us/fall or can be obtained by calling 1-303-866- 3437.

SUGGESTED FALL DRIVES IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Hidden Valley

Aspens dominate the southeast-facing hillside on U.S. Highway 34 (seven miles from park headquarters), just west of the Beaver Ponds Boardwalk.

Bear Lake Road

This is a popular location for viewing color. Alberta Falls is a 1.2-mile round-trip hike full of fall sights and scents.

Fern Lake and Cub Lake trails

These trails in Moraine Park off the Bear Lake Road provide easy hiking and aspen viewing.

Twin Sisters

See the "Butterfly Burn" on the west slope of the peak seven miles south of Estes Park on Colorado Highway 7.

Longs Peak

Travel south 8 miles on Colorado Highway 7 to see colors on the lower flanks of the peak.

Wild Basin

Drive to the Finch Lake Trailhead and hike for 1.5 miles into the aspen forest.

East Inlet Trail

A three-mile, one-way hike on this trail leads to spectacular fall color.

Kawuneeche Valley

Drive through more than 10 miles of prime aspen country along Trail Ridge Road. Start at Grand Lake and travel to just north of the Timber Lake Trailhead.

SOURCE: Rocky Mountain National Park

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

To get there: You can get to the town of Estes Park two ways: Take Interstate 25 north to Loveland and U.S. Highway 34 west to Estes Park through Big Thompson Canyon, or take I-25 to Denver, C- 470 to Colorado Highway 93, and then outside Boulder take U.S. Highway 36 to Estes Park.

Enter the national park at the south or north entrances; watch for signs. It's about three hours from Colorado Springs.

Fees: Entry is $20 per car, good for seven days, or $35 for an annual pass. Camping is $14 per night in the off-season, $20 per night during summer when reservations are taken and water is available.

Campgrounds: Longs Peak, Timbercreek and Moraine Park are open year-round. Glacier Basin is closed in the winter. Aspenglen is open through late September.

Roads: Trail Ridge Road, which crests at 12,183 feet and is the country's highest through road, is paved and open from late May through mid-October, depending on weather.

Old Fall River Road is gravel, narrow and winding (unsuitable for RVs), and is open one-way (bottom to top) from July 4 through late September.

Bear Lake Road is paved; it is open year-round and ends at Bear Lake, a popular year-round destination.

Shuttle buses run between many trailheads, Moraine Park and Glacier Basin Campgrounds and the Moraine Park Museum on the Bear Lake Road, weekends to Oct. 1.

ABOUT LEAVES

Q. What makes the leaves turn gold, and why do a few aspens turn shades of red or orange? A. As aspen leaves mature, the green pigment engages in photosynthesis, converting sunshine to food and energy. When that happens, the green chlorophyll dominates all other colors. In fall, as the weather turns colder with fewer hours of light, green colors fade, and yellow, orange and red pigments -- carotenoids and xanthophylls -- are revealed. Sunny days and cool nights produce the best spectrum of colors.

SOURCE: National Park Service

FOLIAGE TALES

Planning a trip to see Colorado's blazing fall colors? Send us photos or descriptions of your best views, hikes, bikes and drives, and we'll share them with readers in Travel sections through October. E-mail your photos to webmas ter@gazette.com. Send your descriptions to Dena Rosenberry, Features Editor, at dena.rosenberry@gazette.com or P.O. Box 1779, Colorado Springs 80901.

Source: Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.

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