RMNP - Thunder Lake

I had always looked at a map of the Wild Basin area of RMNP and thought, "wow, wouldn't it be cool to hike to all those lakes.  But the hikes are so long, I'll never to that".  Well, today was the day to tackle Thunder Lake.  It seems that RMNP is getting busier and busier each time I go.  Today, even though I was at the Wild Basin entrance a bit before 8, I guessed that the Wild Basin Trailhead parking would be nearly full.  So, I decided to park at the Sandbeach Lake TH instead.  This would add about 4 miles to the trip and I hoped I would not regret that.

The trail from Sandbeach Lake TH to the Wild Basin TH meanders along the road, so it is not a difficult hike, just takes time.  Along the way there is a small lake, Copeland Lake, that some consider a good spot for kid fishing.  It was pretty low today.  There was also some new blowdowns along the way.

The hike from the Wild Basin TH to the 'Camp Cutoff' was busy.  Not as busy as the trails around Glacier Gorge, but much busier than I am used to.  Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades, and Ouzel Falls are great spots to visit and the trail is kid worthy.  I understand there is also some good fishing along St Vrain creek.

North Fork of North St Vrain Creek

North Fork North St Vrain Creek just before Thunder Lake

North St Vrain Creek

The 'Camp Cutoff' is a direct route to the Thunder Lake trail that bypasses the Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls.  There are several backcountry campsites along the route.  It is slightly shorter, but is much more rocky and a bit steeper than the main route.

Once I exited the 'Camp Cutoff' I was on the Thunder Lake Trail.  This trail grinds slowly up the mountain.  It is characterized by long moderate uphill treks followed by short level spots where you can catch your breath.  It is almost completely in dense forest with no views.  Just a few miles before Thunder Lake the trail steepens and you begin a series of long switchbacks which climb the mountain.  At the end of the switchbacks you are rewarded with a beautiful meadow way up high.  Another half mile or so and you get to descend to Thunder Lake.

Meadow, looking NE

Meadow, looking NNE

Meadow, looking west

Thunder Lake is in a cirque bounded by Tanima Peak (12400')

Unnamed Peak just north of Tanima Peak

and Pilot Peak (12113').  There is one more lake above Thunder (Lake of Many Winds) but the hike is pretty steep and I decided to save it for another time.

Looking toward the Boulder/Grand Pass

I believe Thunder Lake is one of the more beautiful lakes in RMNP.  From the look of the surrounding area and the slope of the lakeshore, I would guess it is relatively deep.

Thunder Lake, looking NW

Thunder Lake, looking SSE and down the mountain

Inlet stream falls

There is a patrol cabin up here, as well as, a backcountry campsite.
 

Thunder Lake Patrol Cabin

Llama tied up at the hitchrack

Once I was done exploring the area a bit, I sat down, ate my lunch, took a nap and headed back down.

This was one of the more difficult, but rewarding hikes of the year.

Overall Track Statistics for RMNP - Thunder Lake,   2120 data points

 Length 17.720 miles  :  Garmin Length 19.242 miles

 Start Elevation - 8490.62 feet

 Maximum Elevation - 10665.06 feet

 Minimum Elevation - 8221.62 feet

 Date of Hike - Aug 01, 2016

 Start Time - 07:57 AM

 End Time - 03:21 PM

 Total Duration -     7:23 hours:min

 Total Ascent - 3166.24 feet

 Total Descent - 3435.24 feet

 Net Ascent - -269.00 feet

 Maximum Grade - 15.55%

 Average Speed -  2.40 mph :  Garmin Average Speed  2.60 mph

 Maximum Ascent over Mile - 547.57 feet

 Maximum Speed over Mile -  3.23 mph

 Maximum Gain over Mile (%) - 10.07%