2010 Roosevelt National Forest and Indian Peaks Wilderness: St. Vrain Mountian Trail

June 19, 2010 - day hike to base of St. Vrain Mountain peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park Map: http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/upload/detailedmapa.pdf
Trail map & description: http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=117

St. Vrain Mountain Trail, approaching tree line.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, approaching tree line.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking southwest toward a no name peak (?) - St Vrain is behind it.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, just above tree line looking southwest to St. Vrain peak.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, above tree line alpine meadow. Pasque Flower - Anemone patens.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, St Vrain from the saddle between it and Meadow Mountain (11,632') behind and to right of camera.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, panorama looking west towards the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin Area, including Mount Copeland (13,176’), Ouzel Peak (12, 12,716’), Mahana Peak (12,632’), Longs Peak (14,259’) and Mt Meeker (13,911’). See the Rocky Mountain National Park map to help identify the peaks. Leave a comment indicating which is which if you can.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking west towards the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin Area, including Mount Copeland (13,176’) on the left (?). See the Rocky Mountain National Park map to identify the peaks and leave a comment if you can.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking southwest to St Vrain approaching the saddle between it and the unnamed peak just east of it.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking south across the eastern flank of St. Vrain towards Indian Peaks Wilderness. Junction with less maintained trial that heads east & down hill along Rock Creek essentially back to near the St Vrain trailhead is in open area to left of photo center. It's not marked well enough to follow downhill under the snow.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, taking a break for lunch.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking southwest to St Vrain from the saddle between it and the unnamed peak just east of it. Signs near the trail mark the boundary between Rocky Mountain National Park on the right and Indian Peaks Wilderness on the left.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park information applying to the 200 yards of the trail that skirts into the Park.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking west towards the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin Area, including Mounts Copeland (left?), Ouzel (?), and Isolation (?).
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, above tree line alpine meadow. Alpine Forget-me-not - Eritrichium elongatum.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, above tree line alpine meadow. White Phlox - possibly Phlox hoodii?
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, above tree line alpine meadow. Alpine sunflower - Hymenoxys grandiflora.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking northwest from the St Varin-Meadow Mountains saddle towards the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin Area. See the Rocky Mountain National Park map to identify the peaks and leave a comment if you can.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, heading northeast returning downhill from the saddle between Meadow Mountain (L) and St. Vrain (behind camera).
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, protected spot around tree line. One of several types of Mountain Bluebell(?) - Mertensia alpina(?)
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, alpine meadow around tree line. Please comment is you can identify it the white and pink flowers.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, just below tree line. Most of the trail is rocky like this.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, looking east towards the trail head in the valley floor around the slope on the left.
St. Vrain Mountain Trail, below tree line. Globeflower - Trollius laxus.