USNCCM99 Rocky Mountain Hike

Organizers: Stein Sture, Kurt Gerstle and Kurt Maute

When: Saturday, August 7th, leaving at 8am.

Where: We will be leaving from the Engineering Center (EC) Parking Lot 436. [This is the big parking lot across Regent Drive from the EC building. Free parking on Saturdays. We will meet near the entrance to the open (uncovered) portion of that Lot.] Participants will need to arrange their own transportation (see Signing up below).

We will drive approximately 45 minutes west of Boulder to Brainard Lake in the Roosevelt National Forest. [From Boulder -> Nederland -> Peak-to-Peak Highway]. The hike will begin at Brainard Lake.

This is a map of the hike in PDF.

We have scheduled this hike for all levels of ambition and strength. The following three options, all on well marked, well established trails, are available:

  • Long Lake (green dot on map). Amidst the forest with fine views of the Continental Divide. An undemanding leasurely walk. You will be back in Boulder by noon.

  • Isabelle Lake (blue square on map). A spectacular location on timberline, at the foot of the peaks of the Divide. A good place to rest, eat your lunch and be back in the early afternoon.

  • Pawnee Pass (black diamond on map). On the Continental Divide. Glorious views in all directions. For those who haven't had enough, a hike over the tundra to the top of Pawnee Peak, elevation 13,000 ft. Back home by dinner time.

    Needs. Stout footware; hiking boots recommended for the demanding choice. It may be cool at these elevations, and afternoon thunderstorms are common, so bring appropriate wear. If you plan option 2 or 3, bring your own lunch. [A convenient place to get a fresh bag lunch is the deli of the Safeway supermarket at Arapahoe and 28th, which is open 24 hrs/day]

    Signing up. There will be a signup sheet at the USNCCM99 registration desk. Please sign up early and let us know whether you can help with transportation pooling if you have a car available on Saturday. If so please indicate how many people you can take, and which of the three options listed above you will prefer so as to coordinate return times.

    This event is subject to cancellation in case of inclement weather.