9/27/14 South Park Trail #600
Square Top Lakes
Guanella Pass, CO
Square Top Lakes
Guanella Pass, CO
We finally made it out for a hike! After almost two years of injuries, illnesses, surgeries, and a move across the country to Colorado, we finally found some time to get out for a hike. We drove to Georgetown, Colorado, then drove to the top of the 11,669' Guanella Pass. The aspen trees were peaking as we drove up, beautiful neon yellow leaves that look like they are glowing from their own light. We even saw a group of bighorn sheep on the way to the summit of the pass.
We broke above the treeline and approached the top of the pass. Wow, was it ever crowded! As I drove up, I felt like I was riding in a mountain stage of the Tour de France. There were cars parked on both sides of the narrow road. People were walking down both sides of the road. The parking lot at the top was full and there were lines of cars trying to get in and out of the lot.
It was a beautiful day at the top of the pass, with great views of Mount Bierstadt and Mount Evans, two of Colorado's 14ers - mountains over 14,000 feet tall. The trailhead for the most popular hike to the summit of Mount Bierstadt is up there at the top of the pass. Mount Bierstadt is an easy hike as far as 14ers are concerned, and it's close to the Denver metro area so it sees a ton of traffic each day. Combine that with the peaking aspens along the pass, and it's understandable why it was so crowded up there.
This was our first hike above the treeline, and it was definitely different from any other hike we have done. The air was thin at 12,000' and it was hard to catch our breath. At 12,000' the atmosphere is very thin, offering less protection from the sun than at lower altitudes, and we both got sunburned.
We started the hike at the end of the summit parking lot at the South Park Trail trailhead. The hike we had planned was 2.25 miles to the lakes and 2.25 miles back the way we came. The hike dropped down into a low valley, and then began to climb out of it and up the side of Square Top Mountain (13,794'). There were some areas where the trail traversed the side of the mountain and the going was relatively flat, but most of it was charging straight up the mountain with no switchbacks.
After 1.75 miles I was having difficulty breathing from a combination of the altitude, my lack of recent hikes, and a respiratory virus I still wasn't completely over. My hip flexors, quads, and calves all knotted and were on the verge of pulling. This was from dehydration that was onset by the thin, dry air, the constant wind, the bright sun, and my body trying to adapt to the high altitude. I decided to stop and I laid down and rested while Holly finished the hike. When she got back to me we hiked the 1.75 miles back to our vehicle.
This hike was a wake-up call for me. The high mountains in the Rockies are no joke. Even if the terrain looks relatively easy, the altitude will wear your body down faster than you can imagine. I definitely need to get into better shape and allow my body more time to adjust to the elevation before I try another high mountain hike.
We broke above the treeline and approached the top of the pass. Wow, was it ever crowded! As I drove up, I felt like I was riding in a mountain stage of the Tour de France. There were cars parked on both sides of the narrow road. People were walking down both sides of the road. The parking lot at the top was full and there were lines of cars trying to get in and out of the lot.
It was a beautiful day at the top of the pass, with great views of Mount Bierstadt and Mount Evans, two of Colorado's 14ers - mountains over 14,000 feet tall. The trailhead for the most popular hike to the summit of Mount Bierstadt is up there at the top of the pass. Mount Bierstadt is an easy hike as far as 14ers are concerned, and it's close to the Denver metro area so it sees a ton of traffic each day. Combine that with the peaking aspens along the pass, and it's understandable why it was so crowded up there.
This was our first hike above the treeline, and it was definitely different from any other hike we have done. The air was thin at 12,000' and it was hard to catch our breath. At 12,000' the atmosphere is very thin, offering less protection from the sun than at lower altitudes, and we both got sunburned.
We started the hike at the end of the summit parking lot at the South Park Trail trailhead. The hike we had planned was 2.25 miles to the lakes and 2.25 miles back the way we came. The hike dropped down into a low valley, and then began to climb out of it and up the side of Square Top Mountain (13,794'). There were some areas where the trail traversed the side of the mountain and the going was relatively flat, but most of it was charging straight up the mountain with no switchbacks.
After 1.75 miles I was having difficulty breathing from a combination of the altitude, my lack of recent hikes, and a respiratory virus I still wasn't completely over. My hip flexors, quads, and calves all knotted and were on the verge of pulling. This was from dehydration that was onset by the thin, dry air, the constant wind, the bright sun, and my body trying to adapt to the high altitude. I decided to stop and I laid down and rested while Holly finished the hike. When she got back to me we hiked the 1.75 miles back to our vehicle.
This hike was a wake-up call for me. The high mountains in the Rockies are no joke. Even if the terrain looks relatively easy, the altitude will wear your body down faster than you can imagine. I definitely need to get into better shape and allow my body more time to adjust to the elevation before I try another high mountain hike.
