Snowshoeing Loch Vale: A Retrospective

Distance: 5.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,240 ft to 10,180 ft
Elevation Gain: 940 ft

Loch Vale, 2008

I have snowshoed to Loch Vale in Rocky Mountain National Park three times now, and each time has been a different experience. At times it was so cold and windy you could not open your eyes for fear of freezing your eyeballs and at other times it was so balmy we took off our coats and basked on the rocks.

Three Views of Loch Vale

Loch Vale at its coldest in Feb 2005. This was a snap a picture and bolt, life sucking trip.

March 2007. This was an alfresco dining in the nude type of day.

December 2008. The lake was so beautiful we wanted to linger but the winds were blowing. It was a sunny but face mask and goggles kind of day.

The biggest difference, however seems to be the amount of snow that has accumulated in Icy Brook Gorge. In the summer, the trail to Loch Vale switchbacks upwards along side this gorge. In winter, you can traverse the gorge itself and climb right up and over the lip to the lake itself. In the summer, that lip is a large waterfall.

Various perspectives of Ice Brook Gorge

Feb 2005. Cold and snowy

March 2007. Lots of snow and easy going

Dec 2008. Not nearly enough snow. You can see our tracks to the far right of the picture. It was actually an angled slippery slope down to those large rocks in the hole.

Icy Brook Gorge is the main reason to snowshoe to Loch Vale. It is a spectacular experience that never seems to grow old. Here, rock, ice, snow, and wind combine to narrow your perspective within a microcosm that few get to experience.

The increased snow in 2007 made scaling this final pitch much easier.

Climbing up in 2008. See the pine tree near the center of the photo? It is the same one in the picture above.

The gorge route can be challenging so I have to recommend that novice snowshoers stick to the traditional trail. Depending upon conditions, the gorge can be steep or really steep. This translates into sore calves and appointments with a massage therapist within a few days of finishing.

Even in the cold and wind, trees manage to survive, albeit a little twisted. 2008

Looking away from the mountains. The traditional trail is straight ahead. 2008

On my latest trip, just a few days ago, there was not much snow in the gorge and the steep slopes and exposed rocks were treacherous. This was a leader’s reconnaissance and we decided that we could not take a group of Sierrans on that route until more snow had fallen. The Rangers were not particularly helpful here. We asked if there was enough snow to scale the gorge and they said yes. This was technically true, but the rocks and sloping snow banks required skill that not every visitor stopping by to ask would have.

Snow and trees, 2008

Lower down in the gorge is a large frozen waterfall that some braver folks than I like to climb. Just getting to this fall requires you to bushwhack up a steep slope of deep snow. The yellow striations in the ice are interesting however, which makes this a worthy side trip. It is easier to find this spot on the way down. You can also see it across the gorge on the traditional trail.

Closeup of the ice, 2007

Climbing up the steep slope to the ice. This chunk was just one of several. 2007

Whether you take the traditional trail or try the gorge, the route is slightly different from the summer trail. The winter trail begins between the two bridges near the beginning of the Alberta Falls trail. The winter trail heads off to the right and winds itself among the trees and rocks. If this trail has not yet been traversed after a new snow, it can be very difficult to find. Please note, that I am marking these bridges from the junction of the trail that comes down from the parking area with the trails that split off to Bear Lake and Alberta Falls. This short cut cutes off 0.75 miles off of the 2.2-mile route to the Mills Lake/Loch Vale trail junction.

The wind carves fantastic patterns in the snow, 2008

At the junction, the gorge route gets tricky to find. If you want to take the traditional trail, however, just follow the sign to Loch Vale. If you want to take the gorge route, you need to head away from Loch Vale towards Mills Lake. Just past the large hitching post and before following bridge the trail splits off and heads upwards into the trees. On this latest trip, the snow was too sparse and we ended up having to get back onto the main trail, by bushwhacking up a steep hill, to avoid some very large tree falls. We were able to reenter the gorge at the large switch back that lies near the top. In summer, this location provides excellent views of the waterfall. Because of the conditions, we ended up returning via the traditional route. It took us 2 hours to get up, which included back tracking; trail finding, and bushwhacking, but only 45 minutes to get down.

Heading back down the traditional trail. There was even less snow. 2008

Anyway you choose to go, a snowshoe to Loch Vale is a great winter outing. Just be prepared for varied conditions. For some reason, I find this trail the coldest in Colorado. Even with toe warmers, my feet always seem to be cold after leaving the lake. If any of you are that interested you can read my first post on Loch Vale from last year.