We did a hike that was very beautiful but a little on the long side. In fact, it’s such a long trail, there are actually 3 other trails within the trail with amazing end points. I took soo many photos during this hike, I decided to split it in half so I wouldn’t overload this post! Let’s do this.

Part One is The Loch..

Trail: Loch Lake Trail, 5.4 mi round trip

Park: Rocky Mountain National Park

Location: Estes Park, CO

Difficulty: Moderate

Incline: 1072 ft

Shade and Seating: Most of the trail is fairly shaded. No seating.

Wheelchair Accessible: No

Parking: Minimal parking, must get there very early to get a spot.

Shuttle Service: Yes

Price: $25 for a day pass, $35 for 7 days

As usual, we got to the trailhead very early. We left Denver around 3:45 am and started our hike at 5:45 am.

In my experience so far, the sunrises in Rocky Mountain National Park have been breathtaking.

 

One of the biggest reasons why we start our trails so early is because there is hardly anybody on the trail. You get the sunrise to yourselves, and an empty pathway to enjoy the beauty around you.

There is great wildlife on the trail, too. One of my favorite things to do is look out for birds…like this Stellar Jay.

Unfortunately, I’m not skilled in taking photos of animals, but I just had to snap a picture of that striking blue against the greens of the trees.

Along the way to the Loch, you’ll see Alberta Falls. I…didn’t get a great shot of the falls. I don’t know why..I guess I forgot I had a camera when we came to the lookout point.

About a mile and a half pass Alberta falls, you make it to the charming Loch.

Above the lake, you can see the glacier. Nestled just in the crook of the mountain over the hill and just underneath the glacier was the end of the trail..we weren’t quite halfway there yet. So we took a breather and enjoyed the Loch.

 

Beware of the ginormous hornet’s nest lingering above your head..

And just past the lake, in the distance, you can see the waterfall that we needed to climb up to get to the end of the trail…

At this point, I did feel a little crestfallen. We still had miles to go, and several feet to incline. But perseverance got the better of me, and we pushed through…excited to see what was on the other side.  And next week, you’ll see it, too!

To be continued…

Mary Jane xx