Lake Helene & TWO RIVERS LAKE (WINTER)
Date: January 24, 2023 (Tue)Trip Report #: 602Partner: solo
Route: Snow-covered trail (~6.4 miles round trip, ~1200 ft gain/loss, snowy)
A quick afternoon solo snowshoe to two high mountain lakes nestled below Notchtop Mountain.
I had been enjoying snowshoeing up to various lakes in RMNP, so during an afternoon lull in my workload (I had just completed an analysis and had a few hours until 4pm system checks), I took advantage of a couple of free afternoon hours to do a quick hike up to Lake Helene and Two Rivers Lake, which is a short drive from Estes Park and a short enough hike on a well-travelled trail to make it a reasonable afternoon hike between work obligations. I was back to Estes Park by 4pm to squeeze in a few hours of work before dinner. Estes Park is a pretty nice place to live for quick mountain laps. No need for my usual evening 1-hour bonus workout at the local gym tonight.
Lake Helene and Two Rivers Lake and both nestled below the rocky amphitheater formed by Notchtop and Flattop Mountains. The two lakes are only 0.1 miles apart, separated by a forested strip. On the approach via Bear Lake Trailhead, Two Rivers Lake is the first of the two lakes you encounter. Two Rivers Lake represents the headwaters of Mill Creek.
My round trip time to both Two Rivers Lake and Lake Helene, starting and finishing at the Bear Lake Trailhead, was 2 hours and 37 minutes. Spikes were the best footwear for the first half of the hike, while snowshoes were best for the second half of the hike. Skis would have been ideal for the way down (the trail is like a slalom course of ski tracks), but I surely would have careened into a tree at some point.
Below is a sampling of photos from my afternoon snowshoe/hike.
A late spring photo of Two Rivers Lake and Lake Helene for comparison!
