It had been six long weeks since our last real hike. I was looking forward to hitting the trail to Red Deer Lake, a new destination in the Indian Peaks Wilderness.
But when my iPhone alarm went off at 5am on July 23rd, I silenced The Piano Guys with a swipe of my thumb and lay there.
I hadn’t slept well, my mind wandering over the mental packing list, trying to find the item I had likely missed. Woke up at 3. Half dozed until 5.
Now all I wanted was a cup of the elixir of life.
At least the breakfast burritos were already made. The snacks, rain jackets, dog water bowl and topo map were already loaded in my backpack.
Vibrant Paintbrush
I swigged down my coffee. We had a full day ahead of us, time to put it in gear.
I turned on the lights and rallied the troops. Sophie bounded up and down the stairs with her squeaky ball in her mouth, the only one happy that the day was beginning earlier than usual.
An hour and a half later (really?) our Camelbaks ® were filled with ice water, last minute items were found (Where’s my sunglasses? Where is the right hose for my Camelbak – this is the old one missing the valve. Who used all of the ice?) and we were finally in the Jeep headed for Camp Dick.
An hour later, we arrived at Camp Dick, our favorite campground and the Middle St. Vrain 4×4 trailhead. Instead of hiking the Buchanan Pass Trail from Camp Dick, we were going to drive the 4×4 trail which runs parallel to the hiking trail, and pick up Buchanan Pass Trail at the 4WD terminus – shaving over 7 miles off our hike.
A running club pulled up and parked at around the same time. Trim women spilled out of vehicles and ran-walked to the vault toilets a few hundred yards down from the parking lot. I figured they’d summit and return long before we hit the trailhead.
We didn’t air down the tires, so the rocky 4×4 trail was slow and verrrry bumpy. Sophie was overly excited by this new kind of crazy car ride, and it took some effort to keep her safely situated on the floor behind the driver’s seat.
Doyle took his time. We inched over and around obstacles, and arrived at the trail junction at the bridge 1.75 hours later. We could have walked faster, but now our hike would be 6.4 miles instead of 13.9.
Middle St. Vrain 4WD Terminus
I opened the back of the Jeep and grabbed my pack. The bottom was wet. After checking Doyle’s hydration pack and my own, it appears that I had set my heavy pack on the mouthpiece of his Camelbak and a liter or more of water had leaked out. My bad.
He probably had a liter left. I had 2 liters, and Brogan probably had 3, so we would be okay on this 6.4 mile round trip hike.
We got on the trail at 9:30. Sophie was ecstatic, pulling on her leash. (Obedience school is next on the agenda.) The beginning of the trail is rocky, like walking a dried out riverbed. Then the trail gets pretty wet, as the trail follows the stream. I would imagine the trail could be pretty soggy in places in early summer, or after an afternoon rainstorm.
We rounded a bend and a runner burst onto the trail from behind a tree, startling us. It was one of the women I had seen hustling to the bathrooms earlier. I stepped aside so she could pass. She had probably summited Buchanan Pass already and was on her way back down.
The trail opened up onto a lovely meadow.
St Vrain Mountain, with her talus and boulder-strewn slopes, loomed large along the eastern side of the trial.
St Vrain Mountain
These boulders are huge!
At the end of the meadow is the St Vrain Glacier Trail split. We turned West and crossed the Middle St Vrain Creek on a split log bridge. I was glad to see it.
Bridge over Middle St. Vrain Creek
About 8 years ago, we had tried to hike this trail with some friends. The bridge was washed out and there was no way to cross, so we had continued on the St Vrail Glacier Trail, only to have to turn back after a mile due to another stream crossing that we couldn’t manage with young children.
After the creek crossing, the trail abruptly turns South into forest. I saw an orange domed tent at a nice camping spot along the creek .
Wildflowers in the Creek.
Subalpine Larkspur
We hiked in welcome shade. The day was growing warmer. Back down in Longmont at 5000 ft, it was going to be 98 degrees. Here it was likely in the 70s, but the intense sun made it feel warmer.
We came upon the Red Deer Lake trail split- a cairn in the middle of the trail and two sign posts – without signs.
Watch for the cairn in the middle of the trail.
The trail steepened, heading northwest along a narrow ridge, and eventually topped out in a krummholz area. I stopped a few times along the way to catch my breath. I was really dragging today.
The trail turns NW and steepens.
Krummholz Near Red Deer Lake
By the time I reached the lake, hiking through a patch of aspen, I was ready for a flat rock in the shade.
I settled for a log at the lake outlet, unzipped my backpack and handed out lunch.
The lake was bigger than I expected. There is a trail around it, but it was too difficult for a dog to manage, so we hung out at the edge of the lake and admired the waterfalls and enjoyed the brisk wind off the lake.
Doyle and Brogan dipped their feet into the water. At 10,372’, it was a fairly cold lake. I gave Sophie her treat – peanut butter bread.
After lunch we walked around the lush lake outlet area. Sophie played in the snow patch. I admired the wildflowers.
Red Deer Lake Outlet
Marsh Marigold
Then we headed back down, knowing we had a near 2 hour 4WD trip ahead of us, plus another hour back to the house.
At about 4 miles of hiking, my right knee started to hurt. I was not surprised – it always gives out at 4 miles, regardless of how much hiking I have done in a season. I stopped at the creek crossing to put on my knee brace. I should have put it on earlier.
A Tuckered Out Sophie
Back at the Jeep, I switched out my hiking boots for water sandals and stood on the cold creek. Ahhh. So much better.
Three hours later we were home.
Overall it was a nice hike. Not being as popular as Buchanan Pass, the trail to Red Deer Lake was relatively quiet with only a few other hikers. The 3 hours to the trailhead was a drag, but at least it was doable. And we were able to see something new.
