Hidden within the rugged folds of Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake Trailhead offers a wealth of stunning alpine lakes. While the trail is often overrun by travelers and tourists in the summer months, hikers can enjoy a peaceful respite from the crowds by visiting the area in the winter months.
The idea behind Omni-Heat is to recycle your body heat. Columbia does this by applying a thin layer of silver material inside the thermals that reflects the heat back towards your body instead of letting it “escape” through the fabric like other lesser thermals.
A cool feature that only Wolverine offers is the ICS (Individual Comfort System). At first the testers were a bit skeptical about this feature, but after several excursions they discovered that the ICS technology really does help.
After about 2 miles the trail begins to level out, offering a first glimpse of Commonwealth Basin nestled beneath the shadow of craggy Red Mountain. Snowshoers can choose to continue along the Pacific Crest Trail towards Kendall Peak or cross Commonwealth Creak to enjoy the expansive basin.
Even if you embarked on the hike simply to get away from people, it never hurts to chime out a greeting and nod your head to another hiker who has ventured onto the same trail as you.
Lake Constance is deep and provides life to many brook trout. I made the mistake of not packing my fishing rod, but next time there will be a fish fry for dinner. The avalanche canyon starts just behind the lake. Hiking up the canyon brings amazing views of Mt Constance’s and Lower Constance’s crags.
I recommend traveling there in January – February for the flowers and weather. Desert nights are surprisingly cold – don’t underestimate them – come well prepared for temperatures close to freezing point. If you plan on traveling in summer, plan your trip so that you are out of the sun by 10 am. In both winter and summer bring plenty of water (probably double your normal amount) with you. It is very dry.
grab your ice ax and snowshoes for a trek up Guye Peak. This scenic portion of the Pacific Crest Trail is blanketed in rich powder and adorned with impressive ice formations, offering snowshoers a veritable winter wonderland—complete with stunning 360-degree views at the summit.
Every time I put this jacket on or stuff it into my pack, I feel like the ultimate alpinist: Light, minimal, and hardcore! Even when I was sick for a week and could not venture outside, let alone into the mountains out my “backdoor,” I still wore this jacket while laying in bed thinking about all the adventures I had while wearing it outside.
The Pratt Lake Trail winds around the base of several mountains, gradually gaining altitude as leads towards Talpus Lake. The trail passes through several trickling waterfalls, offering hikers scenic views of still forests brimming with huckleberries and a colorful spectrum of autumn foliage.
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