Lumpy Loop (& GEM LAKE) (Early Spring & WInter)
2.
Date: February 4, 2024 (Sun)Trip Report #: 671Partner: soloRoute: Snow-covered trail (~10.7 miles, ~2600 ft gain/loss)
A pleasant exercise hike or snowshoe around a popular climbing area.
Trip Report #1 (April 2022)
(early spring hike of Lumpy Loop)
This is a 10+ mile loop trail along the eastern edge of RMNP that circles Lumpy Ridge, hiking through forests and meadows, past streams and flora and fauna, and underneath the granite formations of Lumpy Ridge I've climbed numerous days at Lumpy Ridge, but had never hiked around it. So when I was looking for an enjoyable way to do my morning exercise, the Lumpy Loop sounded like a good objective.
I hiked the loop counterclockwise, which seems to be the popular way to do it. My round trip time was 4 hours and 50 minutes, which included a short lunch break in the sunny meadows underneath Lumpy Ridge close to the end of my hike. My time was slowed down a bit by lingering early spring snow on sections of trail on the north side of the loop. It is hard to believe that people have run this loop in just over an hour and a half.
Below is a sampling of photos from my morning hike.
Trip Report #2 (February 2024)
(winter snowshoe of Lumpy Loop)
From Friday night through Saturday, it snowed. Estes Park got a few inches while the mountains got nearly a foot of new snow. Sunday was forecasted to be sunny so I wanted to go play in the fresh powder. My original plan for the day had been to go into Upper Glacier Gorge or hike the closed Trail Ridge Road up above treeline, but in the morning the roads were quite icy, and just as I got to the RMNP entrance, they were closing the gates due to a rollover accident inside the park. Not enthused to drive much more on the icy roads myself, I decided to keep it local and headed for the nearby Lumpy Ridge parking lot. The Lumpy Loop sounded like good exercise.
Last time I had done the loop counterclockwise, so this time I did it clockwise. I think my preferred way is counterclockwise, since I think the forward views this was are a bit better, and it also gets the steep Gem Lake approach over with at the beginning and enjoy a nice flat romp under the Lumpy Ridge formations at the end. But going clockwise on this day allowed me to capture photos of the Lumpy Ridge formations with fresh snow before it all melted off in the day's sun.
The hike took me 5.5 hours, which included a half hour lunch break basking in the sun in Cow Creek meadows. This was a bit longer than previously, due to snow the entire way which slowed down travel. Plus, I was in no rush.
Below is a sampling of photos from my hike.
