Hello all. I'm hoping some of the fine minds on BPL can help this long-time forum lurker put together a literal last minute backpacking trip in CO.
I had planned a spring backpacking trip through RMNP starting tomorrow. I live on the east coast, but have hiked enough in the Rockies to know that early-season travel through high country is dicey to begin with. Given the lighter snowpack in April when I put my route together and the historical melt-out averages, I anticipated maybe 25%-35% snow cover for my route – hopefully nothing I couldn't handle with a pair of yaktrax and a pole. But then the front range got walloped in May and 75% of my reserved backcountry sites are still under several feet of snow. Worse, the rising temps mean that even with snowshoes my planned route was going to be impossible without miles of postholing. I toyed around with some re-routes, but in the end decided it would be better to cancel my reservation and use those dates for what I hope will be an epic divide loop in early September.
Now however, I'm getting ready to catch a flight to Denver with no specific destination in mind. Not an ideal situation, I realize. My friends in the state have been super-helpful in pointing me to general regions I should check out, but no one's offered any specific routes, nor info about pesky details like permits or current trail conditions. And specific info about same is hard to come by online. Can any experienced CO hikers offer suggestions for a 3-4 night route? Or point me in the right direction? I'll drive pretty much anywhere in the state. A loop would be ideal, but out-and-backs, lollipops are fine. I wouldn't even mind car camping in a single area and doing longer day hikes on different trails each day. I'm in excellent shape and have not insignificant backcountry experience. The only stipulations are that permits be unnecessary or super-easy to obtain last minute and the routes should probably stay at lower elevation (like below 9500 if possible, or at the very least accessible without a full winter kit). Thanks in advance!
