Glacier Basin Campground , RMNP, Colorado
Today I spent the day scrambling. It started with scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms, and feta cheese. And then I was scrambling to make the 8:12 am shuttle to Bear Lake Trail Head where we planned to hike to several alpine lakes.
We walked with the bus load of people up a well-worn (actually paved) hiking trail to Nymph Lake. As we continued toward Dream Lake, the crowds thinned and the path became dirt. Just before Dream Lake we encountered an unexpected crossroad. One path lead to Lake Hiyahaha and the other led to Emerald Lake. We chose the path going UP to Lake Hiyahaha.
The scenery generally rewards those willing to ascend. About a mile into this trail we encountered a woman coming back from the lake. She said “Don’t stop at the puddle. The real beauty is a little further up the trail.” I really liked that. How often do we stop at the point that we think is our destination (the puddle) only to realize that if we had gone a bit further… we may have found something even better?
Of course the opposite is also true. How often do we pass up the beauty of the puddle in hopes of finding the unattainable? Such is the draw to hiking in the mountains. When you get close enough to the top, the beauty of your environment is lost in your overwhelming desire to know what lies on the other side…
The official park authorized trail ended at the lake (stunning indeed), but it was a mere 500 vertical feet to a patch of snow. A strong mind will look at that distance and translate it into about 45 minutes of climbing over big rocks for the chance to throw snow balls in August. It took 53 minutes.
Scrambling (a term used when the trail no longer exists) has a way of keeping you in the moment. The tops of most mountains are made up of small rocks, thin air, and big winds. Walking in them is like walking on ball bearings. If you stop climbing, you immediately begin a downward slide. If you climb too slowly, you will ascend and descend at the same rate… When I got to the snow, I tucked my lungs back into my jacket, threw four snowballs and began the descent. It was worth it.
When we got back to the Dream Lake crossroad, we went with the original plan and hiked to Emerald Lake. Again the terminus was an alpine lake just at the base of several mountain peaks. I passed on the chance to take a nap by the lake and instead went off to do some solo scrambling. Footnote – This is not recommended, but I knew the physics of the situation was such that my body would eventually roll back to the populated area of the lakeJ (I’m kidding mom, I was very cautious…)
Scrambling and crossroads.
In the everyday world these terms can mean disruption and decisions. All too often our lives are filled with well traveled paths…. So the next time you encounter a crossroad or you find yourself scrambling, think of it as the chance to stop following… and for a brief moment… become an explorer.
Geoff Glibbery
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