It was the first truely sunny weekend of 2024. So I spent it in the best way possible: Saturday snowshoeing up to frozen lake and a summit high in Rocky Mountian National Park, and Sunday climbing with Nate at Lumpy Ridge. I was unable to convince Nate to join me on Saturday, so I grabbed my earbuds and downloaded an audiobook and off I went for a solo adventure.
I decided that Sandbeach Lake and Mt. Orton sounded like a great destination for the day, ticking off both a frozen lake and a summit with a 360° view. I had been to the top of Mt. Orton the previous June, and I was curious to see it in its winter splendor. Indeed, it was a glorious day and I reveled in every bit of it. I don't normally take long breaks, but on this day, I stopped at Sandbeach Lake both on the way up and down to soak in the sun and examine the cool ice, and enjoyed a long summit break soaking in the views.
I did not see another soul, and on my way back down the only fresh tracks were mine from the morning. I love how in the winter, even on a glorious day, you can have the entire area to yourself.
Time stats:
- Trailhead to Sandbeach Lake: 2 hours
- Sandbeach Lake to Mt. Orton summit: 1 hour 11 minutes
- Mt. Orton summit to Sandbeach Lake: 55 min
- Sandbeach Lake to Trailhead: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Total car-to-car (includes lots of breaks to revel in the view): 6 hours 55 minutes
Below are some photos from my glorious day in the wintertime RMNP.