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June 29 - July 30, 2007 Other Trips
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For Day 2 of our Wild Basin adventure, Emily and I planned to hike from our N. St. Vrain campsite into the Lion Lakes region. We arose at about 5:30 and hit the trail by about 6:30. The days are so long this time of year that it was already light out. Still, we planned to beat the heat today by getting up to the lakes before the sun was to high in the sky.
The trail to Lion Lakes splits from the trail to Thunder about 1 mile past the N. St. Vrain backcountry site. As you can see, the trail to Thunder goes up, but the trail to the Lion Lakes goes up-er!
(Place cursor over picture for caption. Click on picture to enlarge.)
The trail climbs steeply in elevation, but the forest actually grows denser and cooler as you climb, becoming very similar to the lower Wild Basin. Finally, the trees part to present a wondrous view of Chiefs Head peak towering over Lion Lake 1.
The Lion Lakes region is the most beautiful area of Rocky Mountain National Park I have ever visited. The trees recede and Lion Lake 1 is surrounded by a beautiful marshy-meadow tapestry of wildflowers. Exploring this region is like strolling through a private garden hidden deep in the park. I think it is a good thing that these lakes are so difficult to reach, as the meadows would quickly be trampled to oblivion if they were more accessible.
The area between Lion Lakes 1 and 2 is particularly beautiful. We rested here and took more pictures.
The trail ends at Lion Lake 1, but it is not difficult to ascend alongside the stream which cascades down from Lion Lake 2. Trio Falls begins near the top of the shelf which cradles Lion Lake 2.
Cresting the shelf, there is a small stretch of krummholtz to navigate before reaching Lion Lake 2. The immediate reaches of this lake were much more barren than its predecessor. A very large snowfield still clung to the north end.
We decided to venture no further than Lion Lake 2. After resting in the meadow between the Lion Lakes and refilling our water, we headed back down.
We decided to take a different route for the descent. It is possible to bushwhack directly between Thunder Lake and the Lion Lakes. It is a steep route, but there are many narrow meadows which allow fairly unimpeded passage. On the way up, we passed along the east bank of Lion Lake 1. On the way down, we went along the west bank.
We aimed to follow the stream draining out of Lion Lake 1 because we wanted to find Thunder Falls. Thunder Falls is very impressive – I would rate it right up there with Ouzel, Alberta, Timberline, and Bridal Veil.
We made a mistake in attempting to follow the stream further south beyond Thunder Falls. While this is the surest way to rejoin the trail to Thunder Lake, it is a longer, steeper, and trickier descent. You'll find the trail faster, and have better footing, if you head directly towards the east end of Thunder Lake.
After reaching the trail, we quickly descended back to camp, arriving by about 2:00 p.m. Rather than stay another night in the tent, we decided to pack out and head back to Denver so we could get an early start back home the next day. This time, we took the Ouzel Falls Bypass back to the TH to save. some time and distance. Overall, a very fun and successful trip. The Lion Lakes hike is one of the best I have ever done.
All images © Brad Mirakian. Please contact me to obtain pricing information for prints and licensing.