(For hike specs, scroll down)
We are home. We’re tired. I hate to use a cliche, but we need a vacation to recover from our vacation. (That’s not true, I like using cliches, I find them amusing.) We got in Sunday evening and exploded all over the house. Monday was back to work. That afternoon we got an email saying our house was showing the next day (yay!). So, clean, clean, clean.
But, in blog world we are still at the beginning of our trip. We are fresh and energetic. We are excited to see our family!
We arrived at the Aspenglen Campground in a light mist. We set up the tent in a slightly heavier mist. We set up the sunshade in a bit of rain. We pulled out all of our food and it downpoured. It was raining so hard that the kids still insist it hailed. It started raining under the sunshade. The boys almost started crying, so we packed up the food and ran with it and the boys to the truck.
Fortunately, the rest of the crew was staying in cabins at Valhalla in Estes Park. We drove straight to my mom and Scott’s cabin and took over. Sandwiches for dinner and hugs and kisses all around.
My Aunt Nila, cousin Dan, cousin Kristin and her husband, Per, (along with boys Cole (2), Matthew (4.5) and Jacob (6)) stopped by to add to the chaos fun. We were psyched to see everyone and, maybe a little tired. H and I worried that our tent would be filled with water, so we left the boys (the first time we have spent the night without the boys EVER) to access the situation. The tent was dry. We got to read books.
The next day we went for a hike to Bierstadt Lake. That wasn’t the original plan, but since the 100-spot parking lot at the trailhead was full and their was a 30 minute wait for the shuttle bus, we shifted gears. (Note to self, do not visit popular National Parks in the summer.) It was a good shift.
The Specs
Bierstadt Lake can be reached from two trailheads: one at the Park and Ride (yes, there is a Park and Ride in Rocky) and the other is the aptly named Biesrstadt Lake Trailhead. Both are on the Bear Lake Road and both trails are 1.5 miles to the lake.
The Bierstadt Lake Trailhead starts a little higher in elevation (meaning a 566-foot elevation gain to the lake), but there are very few parking spots. This is a shuttle stop.
We saw a handful of hiking groups on the trail–far less than on the more popular trails at the end of the road.
The lake is beautiful, forested and their are views of the mountains, but it isn’t a subalpine lake like Bear Lake.
A trail goes around the lake and connects with other trails.
Wish you could find all the posts from this roadtrip in one place? You can! (Right here)
Roadtrip!
Little Bighorn Battlefield
Devils Tower
Mt. Rushmore
Jewel Cave
Friends and family
Bierstadt Lake
Junior Ranger program and s’mores
Mt. Chapin and Dan turns 30
Ute Trail and Cache La Poudre
Wild Basin and Bear Lake
Night Rangers
Breakfast, friends and going home
I really enjoyed reading about Bierstadt. You are a very talented writer and made me laugh throughout. Thanks for the early morning laughs!