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Home > Trip Reports > First Friday Float About 03_07_2008
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Old Fall River Road
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Hidden Pool
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Gnarly icicles
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The hidden pool
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A downstream oasis
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Frozen Stream/Trail
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First Friday Float About 03_07_2008
March 2008
Estes Park , CO
posted by emptycloud
Friday Float About 03_07_2008
Greetings, just coming down from a “Friday Float About” in Rocky Mountain National Park. Another short solo excursion for me as Spring seeps in. This weeks adventure was a short trek at the bottom of Fall River Road.. It is closed to vehicle traffic through the winter making it prime for snow shoe hikes, though no one else was making use of this out of the way spot today. A short level 1 mile stretch along the paved road and then it turns to dirt, snow and ice as it cuts steeply up a ravine hugging the southern exposure of the slope above the frozen stream. After about another mile of incline a trail leads off the road bed at the back end of a switchback and blends into the woods. The stream was frozen pretty solid so I opted for hiking up the snow covered waterway. My boots are Merrill waterproof mid-heights with Vibram soles. After a few knee deep post holes in the drift between trail and Fall River (trickle), I was headed upstream adding my tracks to those of a big cat. It is a bit spooky walking on snow covered ice. You never know what is underneath and how much of a load it will hold. I couldn’t hear much gurgling underfoot so I figured on very low water content and thick ice. I was probing with my poles but still not wearing the snow shoes. It wasn’t long before my progress was halted by a steep cascade with a secluded pool of open water below. A good spot to refuel and hydrate, shoot some film, and put on the snow shoes. They made going down the stream much easier than the hike up though they did snag a few hidden twigs buried in the snow. There is no managing off trail bush whacking without snow shoes and poles, it gets exhausting even with them on. The snow depth was about 3 foot, the temperature around 35 F and the wind gusting from dead quiet to the 10 to 20 range. It was quite a concert of wind whistling in the trees and shifting snow drifts on the ground. Once back on the road headed back to the truck the shoes had to come back off. There were many sun melted stretches along the downward stretch, and it made no sense to wear them any longer. I am sure glad I bought a pack that accommodates them comfortably when not needed. And…I also hold gratitude in my heart that RMNP offers such raw beauty to the wondering wandered even on such short ventures….
More photos available here: remember to click the slide show icon on the left then when the new page loads click pause. Adjust the viewing time and set image size to no limit. Then click resume and enjoy............
http://emptycloud.org/cloudygallery/main.php?g2_itemId=976
emptycloud.org
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