Foreplay

Got your attention now?  Good, because this post is actually about the hike to Chasm Lake I did today, which is kind of the "foreplay" for the 10K MS Mud Run I'm doing next weekend.  Simply saying "Here is Another Post By Someone Who Hiked Up to Chasm Lake" wouldn't have been nearly as exciting for a title.

Chasm Lake is a 4.2 mile hike one way from the Longs Peak trailhead.  It actually follows the Longs Peak trail about 3.5 miles before it branches off to the lake, which is at the base of the diamond of Longs Peak.  This was to be another one of my "high altitude training hikes" for next week's 10K, and it was definitely an amazing hike.  2360' of elevation gain to an elevation of 11760' at the lake.  The parking lot at the trailhead is usually filled long before 6 AM with cars of hikers who are climbing Longs Peak.  I got there at 8:00, passing dozens of cars along the road that couldn't find a spot to park in the lot.  Just for grins, I decided to drive into the parking lot anyway, and wouldn't you know it, one of the closest spots to the trailhead itself was actually EMPTY!  Oh, it was going to be a good day.

The first couple of miles of trail is through the forest.  There were not nearly as many people on the trail today as there were on Bierstadt last week, and the solitude was at times very refreshing and sometimes a little tense as I realized "well, if I slipped and broke my ankle here, not sure how long it would be until someone stumbled upon me", as well as "I wonder if I side kicked a bear really hard in the stomach, would it raise its eyebrows in surprised respect and slowly back away?"  Fortunately, neither of those situations happened to me today, but I probably really should hike with a buddy (and not just a buddy in spirit).

The trail follows a small creek much of the way, which I crossed several times.  Lots of small waterfalls along this route as well, all very relaxing.  Here is a picture of one of the falls on the route:

I called this one "Fallijuana", named after the two guys who were "medicating" on a rock just out of this shot.  Maybe that's why it was so relaxing up there in rocky mountain high??  Just beyond this point, around a switchback in the trail, I happened across a young couple off to the side.  They giggled and moved apart when they saw me...I just smiled and kept walking, not looking back, but in hindsight I shoulda just shouted "go on, nail her!" and gave the guy a thumbs up.  This hike was starting off on an interesting note to say the least.

After a couple of miles, the forest thins, and eventually you are up around timberline.  This is where the incredible views really begin (views of the scenery, not the couples trying to sneak in a quickie between hikers).  The Twin Sisters peaks are back towards the east, and Longs, Meeker and Lady Washington are dead ahead.

The hike meanders up through tundra now, all the while Longs Peak continues to get closer and closer.  As with all the other mountains in this fine state, I've seen most of them from the road, and I see Longs through my window every day at home, but I've never been this close to it before.  Truly an amazing rock it is.

In this area, the trail splits, and I took the path into the valley towards the base of Longs where Chasm Lake is.  This area was along the edge of very steep embankment, and although I never really felt unsafe, I could see how someone could slip off if they weren't paying attention.  And it was easy to not pay attention, because Peacock Pool was directly below.  The way the sun was coming in, the pool was a brilliant green color, and the falls that fed it were clearly visible.  Here is some video of this area:

I can't say enough how beautiful this stretch of the trail is, and no video or pictures do it justice.  You could see miles east down the valley with a handful of lakes along the bottom, and ahead were huge cliffs and some of the tallest mountain peaks in the state.  It was stunning.  This was also an area where there was some columbine growing along the sides of the trail.

There were a couple more obstacles to get across before reaching the lake.  First, there is a snow field within a half mile from the top, and you can see the boot-width trail that those before me had made in an arc around the top of it.  The snowfield was pretty short now, but as late as mid July I understand it can be several hundred feet across and not fun to slip on.

On the other side of this snowfield is the last "facilities" before the lake.  I'll try to describe it to you....imagine 4 wooden walls that would come to your chest if you stood up.  Inside of these walls was one of the coolest things I've ever seen...a huge swarm of flies in the shape of a toilet, complete with crap and everything!  As I stood a few feet beyond these walls feeling more relieved by the second, one thought crossed my mind...it is good to be a guy.

Finally, the lake is just 0.2 miles ahead.  Or rather, I should say....up.

The last little bit of the hike involves a nice scramble to get to the final destination.  Again, it wasn't terribly frightening, but there were a few places where a slip would have ended badly.  After a little over 2 hours, I climbed the last few feet over the ridge, and there was the lake.

I found some large rocks along the edge of the lake where I could just kick back and relax for awhile.  I could see a few hikers on the top of Longs if I used my binoculars.  I'm  hoping to climb Longs with a group of friends in a couple of weeks, and the thought of having to climb that much higher than I already had is a little intimidating.  There were probably 10 other people at the lake when I got there, but I couldn't see any of them from where I was parked.  Great opportunity to just clear one's mind and bask in the beauty of nature (and I understand a great remedy for nervous breakdowns, if you're so inclined to have them).  I could have stayed up there for hours, but since I did have a life to come home to, I began to head back down after about 30 minutes.

Physically, I was feeling really good.  This was a strenuous hike to the lake, but not as hard as Bierstadt through 13,000 to 14,000 feet.  The weather was warm and sunny the whole way up, but I could see some storms forming on the way back, so I tried to keep a good pace coming down.  Shortly after I got back into the forest, I passed two women and a man coming up the trail.  One of the women was singing "Like a virgin....HEY!!"  and "you make me feeeeeeeel, shiny and neeeew!".  I would like to thank her for getting that song stuck thoroughly in my head for the last 45 minutes of my hike.

Overall, the hike took about 4 hours and 15 minutes, including the 30 minutes at the lake.  It is definitely one of the most scenic hikes I've ever done, and I highly recommend it, even if it is a bit strenuous at times.  It did wonders for my body and my mind today, and I'm more confident now that a 10K through mud pits at Winter Park is not going to kill me.  Foreplay is now over....it's bidnizz time!