Hiking Rocky Mt. National Park – Loch Vale Via Nymph, Dream Lake

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live in Colorado. We’ve got great weather, unbelievable scenery, majestic mountains, and one of the best national parks in the country. Last weekend I took a much-needed trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park to take a hike and get some fresh mountain air.

We headed up to the park early Saturday morning to be sure we were off the mountain by early afternoon. The parking lot at Glacier Gorge Trailhead was already full (it usually is) and so we parked at Bear Lake Trailhead and decided to head up to Loch Vale and Sky Pond via Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake. Nymph Lake is the first lake on the trail and was covered with blooming yellow water lilies.

A substantial climb later, Dream Lake comes into view. The reasoning behind the name is no mystery. This alpine lake is stunningly beautiful. The water is so clear you can see all the fallen timber resting on the bottom and rainbow trout swimming near the shore. Towering behind the lake is Hallett Peak, which I’ve heard is a (relatively) easy climb.

Continuing on from Dream Lake, we took the “unimproved trail” down to the Loch Vale trail where we climbed about a mile or two alongside Boulder Brook up to The Loch. Of all the alpine lakes I’ve ever seen, this one is by far the most picturesque. With water like aquamarine glass, Loch Vale is large and dramatic – it literally takes my breath away every time I see it. Behind The Loch you can see Powell Peak and Taylor Peak, Timberline Falls, and Andrews Glacier.

At The Loch, we were fortunate (or unfortunate depending on your perspective) to see mountain lion markings and evidence of his dinner the night before. A fresh elk carcass clung to the shore of The Loch, reminding us we were in mountain lion territory. Being a wannabe wildlife biologist, this fascinated me to no end, but I chose not to include the photos because not everyone would have appreciated it.

The original plan had been to continue on past the Loch, up to Timberline Falls, Sky Pond and Lake of Glass. But, as so often happens in Rocky Mountain National park during the summertime, the afternoon thunderstorms started to roll in. The last place you want to be in a lightning storm is above timberline so we took the hint from Mother Nature and started our descent. I was a little disappointed to miss Sky Pond but there will be other days to see it – high-altitude lightning isn’t something I care to mess with.

On the way down, we took a different route to Alberta Falls and Glacier Gorge Trailhead to make the hike a nice loop. Alberta Falls, while not as powerful as Timberline Falls, runs pretty good. We took the opportunity to soak our tired feet in the ice cold mountain stream. You can only leave your feet in for a few minutes until they become completely numb, but it’s instantly revitalizing.

Our last stop on the hike was Bear Lake, which is about 250 feet from the trailhead and parking lot. Bear Lake is a favorite for snowshoeing in the wintertime and is quite beautiful in the summer as well. [Unfortunately, you can see the pine beetle fallout on the far shore - those red trees are all dead. Rocky Mountain National Park is only one of many areas in Colorado affected by the disastrous beetles and while the park is taking steps to stop them, it's not an easy task. The beetles have become prolific and in some places have struck every other tree.]

If you look closely at this picture, you can also see a rainbow trout jumping out of the water. I caught him in mid air – a perfect parting shot.