Bierstadt Lake in the Fall

September 23, 2007

I had heard that the weather for Sunday was going to be questionable. When I woke up, the sky was overcast, but the western horizon looked lighter than the eastern horizon, so I thought I'd head out. My plan was to get to Bear Lake, hike to Bierstadt Lake, head down to the Bierstadt trailhead, and catch the park shuttle back to Bear Lake. Easy loop. (Roll over pictures for captions.)

The aspens and willows along the Bear Lake corridor were turning bright gold. Lots of shrubs were showing reds and oranges. The parking area at Bear Lake was relatively uncrowded and the trailhead wasn't too busy. I was happy to find very little wind, so the hike wasn't as cold as I was expecting.

I really enjoyed my quiet walk through the woods. I saw only a few people as I made my way to the lake. Instead, the squirrels, chipmunks and birds kept me company. Actually, I believe a squirrel tried to bomb me with the remnants of a half-eaten spruce cone. I couldn't tell, but with all of the noise he was making, I was sure he was telling me to leave him in peace. Woodpeckers and grey jays were out in force as well.

I was surprised to see as many wildflowers as I did. There were harebells, Indian paintbrush, yarrow, and several members of the Aster family still in bloom. It was really a nice surprise to see little bits of purple along the trail!

Despite the grey skies, I still enjoyed my time at Bierstadt Lake. It was quiet and calm. The mountains reflected off the still lake, the birds sang, and I had a snack.

As I was finishing up, two ladies stopped near where I was sitting. They were talking endlessly about how much they knew of the pine beetle issue. I thought perhaps I should direct them to the RMNP podcast about pine beetles, but as I was writing down the information (before approaching them), they walked away. A few minutes later, I passed them on the trail, and told them about the Forums and where they could find more information. Aaron would be proud.

I followed the trail all the way around Bierstadt Lake. Most of this trail isn't actually at the lake's shore, as with Bear or Sprague Lakes. At the south side, I walked back down to the lake. I heard some splashing. Truthfully, I was hoping to see that elusive moose that my friend Sandy Powers always sees. But instead, I got to watch a little deer eating the water plants and splashing around. Very cute!

The trail down the moraine, back to Bear Lake Road was beautiful. This trail gives a great view of the valley below and the mountains that make up the Continental Divide. What more can be said?

One final view from the trail.

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