EXPLORING EAST INLET: LAKE VERNA, ANDREWS PEAK & SPIRIT LAKE

Trailhead: East Inlet Trailhead, Rocky Mountain National Park Starting elevation: 8,391 feet; Highest elevation on the hike: 12,565 feet Route: East Inlet Trail to Cat's Lair campsite on Day 1, hike to Lone Pine Lake, Lake Verna, Andrews Peak and Spirit Lake on Day 2, and pack out from Cat's Lair on Day 3. Total trip distance: About 18 miles. Weather/trail conditions: Mid-July; mostly sunny and warm all three days; trail mostly dry with some snow crossings above timberline.

Day 1 began about 10:00AM at the East Inlet Trailhead near Grand Lake. I hoisted a heavy pack to my back, and headed on to the East Inlet Trail, greeted by morning sunshine. Bypassing the Adams Falls loop trail, I continued to the gorgeous meadows east of Adams Falls. Mounts Cairns and Craig stand in the distance as the East Inlet meanders lazily through open meadows before tumbling again over cascades en route to Adams Falls. The trail continues east along the meadows for over a mile, leading past several viewpoint areas, and staying close to the river. I saw several deer here, and another hiker I met later in the trip reported seeing two moose in the area.

Mount Craig and East Inlet river just east of Adams Falls

East Inlet Trail, about 1 mile from the trailhead

Beyond the meadows, the trail leaves the river and climbs through a steeper, rocky section with nice views back to Grand Lake. The trail then levels and rejoins the riverside, soon passing the Cat's Lair campsite, my destination for the evening, at the 4.0 mile mark. The East Inlet River, fueled by heavy snowmelt, was rushing past the campsite while carrying a relatively large volume of water west toward Grand Lake. Day 2 began with a hike from the Cat's Lair campsite to Lake Verna. I reached the lake just after 7:00 AM, just in time for some perfect reflection images. I enjoyed some breakfast beside the tranquil waters before starting the steep hike to Andrews Peak. Both books I consulted indicated that the first part of the hike from Lake Verna to Andrews Peak would be very difficult. It did not disappoint. As I climbed the steep ridge, I had to avoid rock faces and climb over downed logs, and made very slow progress. However, great views welcomed me as I continued south up the steep ridge.

Lake Verna from above, with Isolation Peak at far left (southeast)

7:00 AM at Lake Verna: A perfect reflection and perfect solitude

After climbing 1,000 vertical feet above Lake Verna, I was finally approaching timberline. After a final steep stretch through the trees, I found myself at the edge of a large basin between the still-hidden summit of Andrews Peak and the unnamed high point at 12,241'. The views to the south continued to be dramatic. The path to the summit now was a fairly steep ridge of boulders, but this was welcome compared to the grueling stretch I had just finished.

View south from about halfway between Lake Verna and Andrews Peak

The Lake Verna to Andrews Peak jaunt is a challenging non-technical climb. In the one mile from Lake Verna to the summit, I had climbed almost 2,400 feet, which is over a 40% grade. By comparison, the Longs Peak and Flattop Mountain trails average a 12% grade from trailhead to summit. As I finally reached the summit, the solitude combined with continued great weather helped me forget my tired legs. The panoramic views to the peaks in and around R.M.N.P. were absolutely spectacular.

Broad area of Andrews Peak summit, looking toward the Never Summer Range

The views from Andrews Peak are not obstructed in any direction, and afford views to Longs Peak, Isolation Peak, Mount Ida, Taylor Peak, the Mummy Range, the Never Summers, the Gore Range, and the Indian Peaks. The rugged Indian Peaks and Never Summer peaks still held a large amount of snow. Gerry Roach's book "Rocky Mountain National Park: Classic Hikes and Climbs" describes the summit cairn on Andrews Peak as a "work of art". Whoever built it should be proud that it has withstood decades of high winds and brutal winters. There was a summit register hidden in the cairn, which I signed. There were fewer than 200 names listed since October 1991, meaning only an average of about 15 hikers each year reach this remote summit and sign the register.

The Andrews Peak summit cairn

View toward the Indian Peaks

Longs Peak is visible as a landmark to hikers throughout the park, as it was from this summit. There was a lot of snow lingering on the west side of Longs, meaning 2003 would be a shorter hiking season for the very popular Keyhole Route (it opened to non-technical hiking in late July). By contrast, there was less snow on the south slopes of Andrews, which made my ascent easier. I was able to avoid the larger snowfields toward the summit and continue across dry boulders.

View of Longs Peak from Andrews Peak, with Chiefs Head Peak in the foreground

Isolation Peak, although not as recognizable to most people as the many faces of Longs Peak, is a dominant feature in the southern half of the park. A tremendous amount of snow still graced the northern slopes of the peak. Isolation Peak forms a barrier between Wild Basin to its northeast and southeast, the East Inlet drainage to its northwest, and Paradise Park to its southwest. Because of its remote location, it is also among the most rarely climbed 13,000+ foot summits in the area.

The northwest slopes of well-named Isolation Peak from Andrews Peak

After about 90 minutes on the summit, I reluctantly left the grand setting and began my return to Lake Verna. The picture-perfect day continued, as even by midday there was no sign of any storm cloud activity. Predictably, I made much better time on the return to Lake Verna, although I still encountered several tricky spots. Often, I would descend through a short gully only to find myself trapped at the top a large, sheer rock face that necessitated steep uphill backtracking in search of another route. I eventually reacquired the East Inlet Trail just west of Lake Verna. The daytime winds had erased the reflections I had enjoyed earlier in the morning, but Lake Verna was still peaceful and scenic. I refilled my water bottles and treated the water for giardia before continuing to Spirit Lake. To my delight, the perfect weather continued.

Rock towers visible from the north shore of Lake Verna

One of many gorgeous viewpoints above Lake Verna

Spirit Lake was next in the chain of lakes that also includes Verna, Fourth and Fifth Lakes. Following the narrow and elusive path along the north side of Lake Verna, I made my way east toward Spirit Lake. As I encountered two groups of hikers at the east end of Lake Verna, I had my first welcome opportunity in about nine hours to talk to someone other than myself. Soon I reached a nice spot along the north shore of Spirit Lake. I had the lake all to myself as I sat for nearly an hour and enjoyed the serene setting. I briefly soaked my feet in the frigid waters, had a snack, and fought off legions of mosquitoes.

Spirit Lake, looking east toward The Cleaver

Looking south at Spirit Lake

I was now feeling enough of the effects from the very steep climb this morning that I decided not to continue on to Fourth Lake, but rather to return to the campsite. Heading toward the Cat's Lair site, I was treated again to several wonderful cascades along the East Inlet river. The water levels were still very high from snowmelt, and ran over countless waterfalls and cascades in this area. Although gray clouds finally formed about 4:00 PM, I returned to the comfort of my tent before any rain fell.

Overcast skies set in as I hiked west past Lone Pine Lake

Time-exposure photograph of one of many cascades near Lone Pine Lake

I packed out on Day 3 and returned to the East Inlet Trailhead at 9:00 AM to start the journey home. I was blessed with perfect weather for this adventure, and was grateful to return safely to my car. I reflected on how the East Inlet area is a backpacker's paradise, as its lakes are very long day hikes, but are not as difficult to reach with use of a backcountry campsite. There are eight separate designated camping areas along the trail, a much higher proportion than almost anywhere else in the park. The East Inlet area is a gorgeous west side destination, and highly recommended to those who have not seen it.