12/2/21 A work trip to Colorado allowed me to take a fairly spontaneous side trip that would become one of my all-time favorite adventures.
1 After making the almost 2 hour drive up from Denver, I was ready to get started at the Glacier Gorge trailhead. An extremely dry winter so far meant that there was much less snow than normal. It was a chilly but perfect morning.
2 The trail almost immediately turns to an ice sidewalk. Good thing I brought my Yaktrax, or else I would've spent most of the day on my behind.
3 Made it to Alberta Falls. Normally this would be a roaring cascade flowing from right-to-left, but it's almost entirely frozen over.
4 Heading-up the gorge. It definitely has a slight Cerro Torre feel to it.
5 Miles of beautiful snowy (and very icy) trail.
6 The Glacier Knobs make for some awesome terrain along the trail.
7 This would normally be Vale Brook flowing down the gorge. It's hard to judge scale here, but those icicles on the cliff to the left are massive!
8 We need more of these on our trails in SoCal!
9 Approaching the Loch. Perfectly blue skies and amazing lighting made for a very photogenic day.
10 The Loch. It was pretty much non-stop jaw dropping views the rest of the way from here.
11 A couple folks came along to take a picture of this goofy guy. I think this was my first time walking out onto a frozen lake. I was definitely a little more nervous about it than the locals!!
12 The trail continues along the edge of The Loch.
13 Looking back along The Loch.
14 Approaching the crux of the hike. I had read about this section and it had me a little nervous. Seeing it in person now has me REALLY nervous. The trail goes right over that smooth section of ice. It's really steep with a dropoff to the left that might be survivable, but would definitely mean a broken body. The ice is crystal clear, at least six inches thick, smooth as glass, with a slick wet surface. It's the most slippery surface I have ever been on, and it's not even close. Absolutely zero traction. I was really wishing I had my Microspikes instead of the Yaxtrax, but I had to travel light. The coils are great for relatively flat terrain, but they aren't made for this. I tentatively started heading up.
15 It took me a long time, pretty much crawling up the incline, trying to get traction off slight bits of exposed rock where I could, but I finally made it to Timberline Falls. Totally frozen and very cool looking. This is probably roaring in the Spring. But was the worst of the icy section over?
16 Not a chance. I was dismayed to see that there was at least another 100' of wet glass. Pictures just don't do it justice. This section is REALLY steep. I sat for quite a while debating about if, or how, to attack this. It was probably the closest I've ever come to giving-up and calling it a day. And of course I knew getting down would be even harder. Finally I decided to try to at least make it to the next rock. Then from there I just barely got to the next rock. And then to the next. And eventually I actually made it!
17 The payoff at the top was the aptly named Lake of Glass. Yet another jaw dropping vista. And there was actually someone ahead of me walking straight across the frozen lake. I wasn't quite so confident in crossing. It looked a little thin in the middle, and I don't know how to "read ice" like the locals.
18 So instead, I followed some tracks that went up and around the lake. It was probably an unnecessary detour, but oh well. Before all too long I had successfully made it to the day's destination.
19 Sky Pond at just under 11,000'. Definitely on the short list of my all-time favorite spots. I'm sure the adrenaline rush from the sketchy trail to get here magnified the awe.
20 Another view of Sky Pond. I'm definitely glad now that I hadn't given up at Timberline Falls!
21 And a panorama. I was later told that it's normally impossible to stand here for long in the winter because of howling wind and sub-zero temps. Today it was definitely cold (probably in the teens), but not much wind, and I was able to hang out and enjoy the view for quite a while.
22 Heading back now and looking down the ice cliff alongside Timberline Falls. How the @!&?# am I going to get down that!?
23 After a nerve wracking descent, I finally made it down. A couple others passed me heading up. Here they're just about to hit the very bottom of the icy section. At least they have spikes, I was the only one I saw all day without them.
24 Back now to The Loch. At first I thought the ice had melted and the blue was water, but then I realized it was the sky reflecting off the ice. An amazing effect, the picture definitely doesn't do it justice.
25 Panorama of The Loch.
26 Almost back to the trailhead now and making good time. I think these are Aspen trees bare in the winter? They remind me a little of the Lenga forests in Patagonia. End to an amazing hike, and I have just enough time before dark to do a little more sightseeing.