Mt. Ida (With my parents)

Other times I've summited Mt. Ida: 
Category: Colorado (RMNP)Poudre Lake Trailhead Elev: 10,758 ftSummit Elev: 12,889 ft
Date: June 23, 2022 (Thu)Trip Report #: 551Partners: Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg

Route: Trail from Milner Pass (~9.5 miles round trip, 2300 ft gain/loss)

A fabulous RMNP summit hike with my parents.

In late June 2022, my parents made the 24 hour drive from their home in British Columbia and my home in Boulder/Estes Park, with plans to visit me for a week. I had not seen them for a few years, due to the pandemic as well as the long drive. When I asked them what they wanted to do on their visit, my parents unanimously agreed they wanted to hike. This sounded great to me! So I planned out our week: Isabelle Lake (Indian Peaks) on Monday, Sky Pond (RMNP) on Tuesday, Emerald Lake (RMNP) on Wednesday, and Mt. Ida (RMNP) on Thursday. (When I told Nate this itinerary he asked if I wished to kill my parents, =).) My parents and I had a blast. I was impressed with their stamina, especially considering that every hike we did was over 10,000 feet and they live at sea level.

This page is a trip report for our hike to the top of Mt. Ida. Mt. Ida is one of Rocky Mountain National Park's finest alpine treks, but receives little attention because the trail does not appear on most maps, and the trailhead itself makes no mention of Mt. Ida as a destination. Most of the hike to the summit is above treeline on stunning alpine tundra with panoramic views across the Never Summer Range, Gorge Lakes, and lightly traveled interior mountains. Despite its classification as a cross-country route, the Mt. Ida trail is in fact well-defined, and quite moderate by mountain standards. I had summited Mt. Ida (twice) before on the Estes Skyline High Route Nate and I did (twice) in 2020. I had been impressed with the 360° summit views and I had noticed the trail access to the summit, so when thinking of good hikes to take my visiting parents on, ideally outside of the Bear Lake corridor to avoid the crowds and timed entry, Mt. Ida came immediately to mind.

What a special day with my parents! My dad: “This was one of the only hikes I’ve done where I wasn’t counting the minutes as I hiked out; I didn’t want it to end.” My mom: “I’ve been hiking for 50 years. I’m 72 years old. And that is one of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever hiked. Alpine beauty both ways. Fabulous.” 

The following page gives photos from our hike. Enjoy!

Photos

The trailhead is at Milner Pass, on the west side of the park. Coming from Estes Park, that means driving Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge Road is a rather amazing drive in itself.
Trail sign.
After the initial climb through the trees, the hike is a gradual ascent on open tundra with sweeping views.
What a trail.
My parents. Never Summer Range in the background.
My parents. Never Summer Range in the background.
My parents.
Western wallflower alongside the trail.
Forget-me-nots alongside the trail.
Kings crown alongside the trail.
A cool rock alongside the trail.
The summit of Mt. Ida, from about 0.5 mile away.
Almost there!
My parents on the summit of Mt. Ida. 
My dad and I on the summit of Mt. Ida.
My parents enjoying some coffee on the summit of Mt. Ida.
It is always worth bringing a stove for a summit coffee.
Beginning the descent.
Hiking out. The view as you hike out is better than the hike up.
Marmot.
Another marmot.
And another.
Hiking out.
Hiking out.
Hiking out.
A cool rock spire near the Milner Pass trailhead.

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