Sky Pond

Continuing on from last week’s post, we’ve finally made it to one of the coldest but most rewarding hikes I’ve done in a while….Sky Pond! If you don’t know, I posted a hike last week that essentially made up the beginning half of this hike, so go check out that post here for more information!

Trail: Sky Pond Trail via Glacier Gorge, 9 to 9.5 mi round trip

Park: Rocky Mountain National Park

Location: Estes Park, CO

Difficulty: Hard

Incline: 1765 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

Last week we talked about the hike up to the Loch. After this point, there is another mile or so of trail before reaching the waterfall you have to rock climb.

At this point, if you turn and look back on the trail, you can see the Loch in the distance..

When you first come up to the waterfall, it seems pretty daunting to climb. And even as you’re climbing it, you begin to wonder if you’re even going to get back down the waterfall without dying.

Somebody had said in the forums that there is a rope that you can hold on to..but none of us there that day saw one. So..who knows, maybe hundreds of us missed it, or maybe the rope is mythical and doesn’t really exist.

However, once you get to the top, the views are astonishing.

A lot of people will mistake the lake just after the waterfall for Sky Pond. It’s actually the Lake of Glass, so don’t stop here, keep going!

Just make sure you’re following the right trail…we started following a group of people we THOUGHT knew where they were going. They did not, and we ended up off-roading and doing additional rock climbing to the lake. It should’ve only taken an additional 10 minutes to get to Sky Pond from Glass Lake, but it took us about 20-30 minutes.

But no matter what, the end game was worth it.

It was freezing though!

I underestimated how cold it was going to be for early September. So if you end up doing this hike, dress suuper warm. Not only were the temperatures frigid, but it was unbelievable windy. I was struggling with my balance as the wind was pushing me around.

On the way back down from the mountain, we finally found the right trail and got to see the Lake of Glass in full sunlight.

Don’t feed the wildlife!

 

Such a rewarding hike, but my legs felt like complete jelly. Make sure you’re ready for such a hike, if you plan on doing it. Bring lots of food, water, pack warm, and be very careful around the waterfall! It can be slippery, and I hear it freezes over in late September. Enjoy (:

Mary Jane xx