BACK ON TOP - JOE MILLS MOUNTAIN & MOUNT WUH

Hike date: May 25, 2008 Trailhead: Bear Lake, elevation 9,475 feet; Highest elevation on the hike: 11,078 feet Total trip distance: About 7 miles. Weather/trail conditions: Partly cloudy and breezy, mid 40's early morning to around 60 degrees in the afternoon. First half-mile of the trail above Bear Lake about half snow-free, with primarily deep snow above 9,800 feet. Route: Bear Lake to Flattop/Odessa Trail junction; Odessa Trail toward Lake Helene to about 2 miles from Bear Lake, then off-trail. Ascended Joe Mills Mountain from the northeast, descended to Round Pond, then ascended Mount Wuh from the west. Descended Mount Wuh to the southwest, then cut directly south to regain the trail back to Bear Lake. (See route map below)

Late May is a time of transition in Rocky Mountain National Park. I have always enjoyed the mix of deep snow and warmer weather as winter fights to hold off summer this time of year. While lower elevation lakes and meadows have already lost their blanket of snow, the higher elevations still struggle in the clutches of winter's grasp. My goal was to get back on top; to see this landscape in seasonal transition from lofty vantage points. After hiking to the top of Steep Mountain the previous day, I was anxious to build on that feeling with more intimate views of some of RMNP's showcase mountains. So, I strapped on my snowshoes at Bear Lake and headed up the Flattop Mountain Trail.

Bear Lake

Snow-covered trail around Bear Lake

Half Mountain and cloud-covered Longs Peak

Hallett Peak from Bear Lake

Deep snow was prevalent all around Bear Lake at 9,475 feet elevation. Only a tiny section of the lake showed any signs of thaw, as most of the lake's water was still buried under a thick snowy blanket. The trail was well-trampled as usual in this area, although some dry spots on the trail began to appear in the more sun-exposed areas. The first half-mile of the trail would present a 50/50 proposition of needing snowshoes as snowdrifts gave way to dry, rocky trail and back to snowdrifts. I opted to keep the snowshoes on and just tread lightly across the rocks when they appeared, but eventually decided to remove the cumbersome footwear. As expected, about five minutes later the snow appeared underfoot for good, and the snowshoes were returned to my feet. My plan, as detailed in the route map below, was to follow the Flattop Mountain Trail to its junction with the Fern-Odessa Trail system, where I would head toward Lake Helene for about another 1.5 miles. At a convenient point, I would leave the trail and head for the ridge leading northeast from the summit of Joe Mills Mountain.

Well before reaching the Flattop-Odessa Trail junction, the deep snow had taken over and I did not see any more snow-free terrain along this trail. Heading through the trees along the already broken trail, I followed previous hikers who had tried a mix of skis, snowshoes or just plain boots or shoes to negotiate the snow-covered path of the trail. Selecting footwear this time of year can be tricky. Cold mornings usually mean hard, slippery footing and warmer middays usually greet hikers with soft, mushy snow, which can also be slick but leaves plain footwear hikers typically sinking in to snowdrifts with a frustrating number of footsteps. Slippery conditions were prevalent now as I followed the trail northwest, and I had to use care in a few spots where a long slide would accompany any slip-ups. A little over two miles from Bear Lake, I decided I had found the place where I was going to leave the trail. Although the preferred route up Joe Mills is a direct assault from the south, with steep snowfields still clinging to that area, I opted for the slightly longer, but less steep route around. I headed basically north from the trail, hopping over snowdrifts and picking the easiest route through dense forest. After numerous breaks and some challenging pushes up some steep sections, I found myself at a wonderful vantage point at about 10,600', northeast of the summit.

Near timberline on Joe Mills Mountain

View west at timberline

Views of the peaks instantly appeared all around as I left the trees and emerged on the ridge. The low clouds over the peaks were conveniently beginning to break up here in the mid-morning, improving my visibility of the peaks by the minute. I turned my attention to finishing the last push to the summit.

Looking toward the summit

View of Gabletop Mountain

Relative location of Joe Mills Mountain to surrounding peaks

Turning southwest and heading for the top initially involved a fairly steep ascent over snow. After weaving in and out of increasingly shorter trees, I reached a viewpoint of the last terrain I needed to cross. After plodding through snow for hours, the dry landscape ahead was a welcome sight, and I removed my snowshoes for this final stretch. An occasional harsh gust blasted the windswept summit ridge, but this part of the hike was fairly straightforward, and soon I reached the rocky outcrops on the summit of Joe Mills Mountain.

Odessa Lake from the summit

Flattop Mountain and Two Rivers Lake

Stones Peak towers over The Gable

Flattop and Notchtop from the summit

I will always love the flood of emotions that accompanies the final steps on to the summit of a mountain. Enhancing the experience this time were the hours of hiking to get here, and the sense of newness from this being my first ever visit to Joe Mills. Wind gusts battered the summit as blue skies continued to replace the clouds. In between (and sometimes during) the chilly blasts of wind, I snapped photos of the surrounding landscape. The summit has what is often referred to in guidebooks as a "strategic" location, offering great views of the nearby peaks and numerous lakes in the valleys below. I could even see the trail between Lake Helene and Odessa Lake after a dizzying peek over the summit rocks. The seasonal transition was showcased with lakes in mid-thaw and huge snowfields still dominating the peaks, but with warm sunshine bathing the snow-free rocks around me on the small summit.

Notchtop Mountain

Overlooking Odessa Gorge

Views included intimate looks at nearby Flattop, Notchtop, Knobtop, Gabletop, The Gable, and Stones Peak, and more far-reaching views offered Trail Ridge and the Mummy Range. All of this was enhanced by the dropoff around the summit, both south into the Mill Creek drainage and west in to Odessa Gorge.

The top few feet of 11,078' Joe Mills Mountain

Summit view, looking southwest

A closer look at Notchtop Mountain

Looking over the edge at the Odessa Lake Trail

View north over Odessa Gorge

A look around the summit revealed a small summit register, carefully tucked in between the rocks. I make it a habit of looking for these and signing them, although this one had some years on it. It looked like a recycled jelly jar, with the lid showing years of rust. Examining the contents revealed more of an informal register; people had simply left their names on various small pieces of paper over the years. I found entries dating back to the summer of 2001, and just one other entry so far in 2008. It was a testament to the relatively rare appearance of hikers up here; seven years worth of names were crammed into this small but hearty container. I returned the jar to its original storage place among the rocks, quietly hoping someone would eventually rescue it.

The summit register

Descending Joe Mills; Longs Peak on horizon

Longs Peak with Flattop in foreground

Notchtop stands guard over Joe Mills

After a little more time to enjoy the views from Joe Mills, it was time to continue hiking. On my descent, I wanted to continue to the saddle between Joe Mills and Mount Wuh. As I regained the snowfields and put my snowshoes back on, I had to watch my footing in the softening snow, but quickly descended the northeast ridge of Joe Mills. Scanning the forest below for Round Pond, there was a small clearing just visible through the mass of green, with a tiny icy pond visible. I noted the relative location of the clearing to the ridge on Wuh, and headed that direction with old-fashioned non-GPS navigation. About 10 minutes later, I emerged from the trees right on course and nearly stepped in the icy pond, and I was therefore introduced to Round Pond. They probably will not be selling Round Pond post cards any time soon, as the still frozen little body of water did not impart the sense of grandeur of so many of its RMNP cousins. Still, not every lake can have dramatic peaks rising from its shoreline, and Round Pond seemed quite content in its current location.

Round Pond

Looking west at Round Pond

I had not planned on continuing on to Mount Wuh at this point unless both the weather and my physical condition were cooperating. Although it seemed more like a "peak bagging" exercise, I decided I would not be this close to Wuh's summit for some time, and I still felt like I had enough energy, so I gave myself the green light to press on. Sunny skies and decreasing winds accompanied me on my journey up the western side of Mount Wuh. With deep snow underfoot, leaving the saddle and heading up the fairly steep western slope proved a tiring task. Stopping for frequent breaks, and feeling both the eight miles from yesterday and the mileage today, I had the occasional dreaded thought "why I am doing this?" enter my mind. Still, the lure of a new-to-me summit was like the song of the siren, and I kept blissfully on toward its call. After reaching some dry ground near the summit, I found the highest of the rocks on the small summit ridge and celebrated reaching the summit of Mount Wuh.

Mount Wuh summit cairn

View south from Mount Wuh

Gabletop Mountain from Mount Wuh

Looking toward the Mummy Range

Wuh, like Joe Mills, was strategically located for great panoramic views. Still below timberline, however, the summit only offered obstructed views of any whole scene. Only by walking around and standing atop a different set of rocks was I able to photograph all the different peaks through the tall trees. I was especially drawn to the straight-on view of Glacier Gorge and its surrounding peaks; it was magnificent from this vantage point, and afforded views I could not see from the summit of Joe Mills. So, the side trip up Wuh was a lucrative one for me after all, and another reminder that each summit has its unique character and view of the world.

Looking north toward Trail Ridge

Longs Peak, Pagoda Mountain and Glacier Gorge

Hagues Peak and Mummy Mountain

Looking west from Mount Wuh

From here, it was time to return to Bear Lake. I descended the surprisingly steep slopes on the southwest side of Mount Wuh, occasionally cursing out a particularly slippery snowbank that threatened to make my trip down the mountain a lot faster. The combination of warm sunshine and fairly steep snow did make footing rather dicey, so that at times I was skiing more than hiking. Once off of Mount Wuh, I cut straight south to regain the trail. After I got back on the path heading for Bear Lake, I was thankful for the snowshoes as I watched several other hikers sliding all over and sinking in with plain shoes. The early afternoon sun was warm enough that I was now hiking in a T-shirt and shorts, a happy ending to a hike that began in clouds and cold wind. As I often do, I reflected on the hike as I finished up the last mile, and felt a good sense of accomplishment for reaching three new named destinations. If nothing else, it was great to be back on top for those precious moments, when the world drops off below your feet, and views that move your soul surround you. In this season of change and transition, I took comfort in knowing the flood of the emotions that accompany standing on a mountain top will never change.

Photos and text by Mike Amfahr, Copyright 2008

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