A couple weeks ago I was able to enjoy a casual hike through Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park that really got me excited about exploring Colorado's alpine lakes. The sheer rugged peaks, quiet forest, and pristine air make for a truly wonderful experience. While I had a blast enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather, I was definitely ready for more of a challenge. Fast forward a couple weeks later while my friend Jeff Cheah was in town - and I knew it was the perfect opportunity to tackle something more ambitious. Having seen stunning images from Chasm Lake, I felt it offered the perfect pairing of views and workout. At around 8 miles round trip and approximately 2,500 feet of gain its far from the hardest hike in the park, but certainly enough to get the blood flowing!

Arriving at the trailhead it was apparent that a couple inches of fresh snow had fallen the night before but the trails were still well packed, so we tossed on microspikes and hit the trail! The Montane Forest was peaceful as we methodically followed the switchbacks up, only passing one other group along the way. Once we got above the treeline the winds picked up and a light snow began to fall, forcing us to don shell jackets to stay dry. The higher elevation snowdrifts led to occasional postholing but we didn't mind as Mount Lady Washington loomed ahead signaling that our impending arrival. We continued to trudge along and watched as clouds raced by overhead, creating interesting spot lighting on the mountainsides that kept us entertained.

Along this section we passed several groups heading down who all indicated that it was extremely windy at the top of the ridge. Having come this far we figured we might as well check it out for ourselves before making any decisions. Once we reached the split for the Chasm Lake Trail it was pretty apparent why others had not ventured much further past... winds were gusting upwards of 50 miles per hour blasting us with bits of snow and ice. We quickly looked past the less than ideal weather conditions as the views were absolutely breathtaking. Bits of blue sky would peak through as clouds raced by, letting gorgeous warm light filter down across the snow-swept landscape. The bowl surrounding Chasm lake was visible roughly one half away (second photo in pair below).

With the trail leading straight into the wind, we decided to give it a go to see if conditions got any better once we were tucked back up against the mountain. Following my GPS maps and a faint set of old footprints we set off down the trail. Unfortunately before long it became apparent that the snowpack was not stable and rather than risk a tumble down the steep hillside we chose to turn back. Not wanting to leave completely empty-handed, I waited for the wind to briefly subside to snap off a quick in-camera panorama shot (as seen at the top of this article). 

While we didn't accomplish the ultimate goal of reaching Chasm Lake the day was far from a letdown. The sheer beauty of this region is barely fathomable, and getting to spend the day on the trail with friends is always something to be grateful for. I'll be back for you, Chasm Lake!

- Zach