Winter Still Life

Finding Solace At Rocky Mountain National Park

Story and photos by Reid Neureiter

For the GPHN

It’s January, meaning ski traffic, meaning Interstate 70 is a nightmare. Here’s an option: When seeking solace in the winter alpenglow, consider Rocky Mountain National Park, just 70 miles to the northwest and an hour-and-a-half drive from Park Hill.

Gone are the huge summer crowds with the accompanying required reservation system for entering. Bonus: the Park Service plows the road to the park’s most accessible and scenic area, Bear Lake, a gateway to the relatively short but spectacular snow-covered hikes to frozen Dream, Emerald, and Mills lakes.

January in the Park always means significant snow coverage, but the trails in the Bear Lake area are well-traveled and packed down, generally cancelling the requirement for snowshoes. But come prepared: Some-kind of traction devices for your boots (such as Yak-Trax or micro-spikes) are an absolute necessity, as the trails can become slick and icy. Hiking poles are a good idea too. The Park Service may require all-wheel drive or snow tires to drive the road to Bear Lake.

Be sure to dress warmly and prepare for howling winds that sometimes whip over the Continental Divide and sweeps the snow from the lakes, leaving solid clear ice to walk across. The RMNP Facebook page warns to “use extra caution near any inlets and outlets where water is flowing beneath the ice, as ice on the surface of the water is thinner at these locations. There is no way to know the depth of the ice across any alpine lake.”

A one-day pass to Rocky Mountain National Park is $30 and can be purchased at the entry gate. The annual pass allowing unlimited entry to all National Parks and Monuments is $80. More information about planning a winter visit can be found on the Park’s website: nps.gov/romo/index.htm.