Intermediate Snowshoe – Wind River Loop

Carpool Place & Time: Meet at Lyons Visitor Center (Railroad Ave) at 7:30AM for a 7:45AM departure (Lyons Visitor Center - Google Maps)

We'll then carpool to the East Portal Trailhead parking in Estes Park (East Portal Trailhead at Estes Park - Google Maps)

Additional carpool locations both south and north are possible.

Setting out from the East Portal Trailhead, this 7-mile snowshoe adventure beckons you into a sparkling winter wonderland, where the Wind River Trail weaves through a pristine forest cloaked in snow. The air is crisp, the quiet broken only by the crunch of snow underfoot as we wind our way towards a northern ridge of Battle Mountain, where we’ll venture off-trail. The climb up this ridge reveals nature’s splendor in full glory: towering pines bow under their snowy burden, and the horizon unfurls a jaw-dropping panorama of Rocky Mountain National Park’s iconic peaks. From this lofty vantage point, the grandeur of Longs Peak and its companions feels close enough to touch, while the untouched snow glitters like a sea of diamonds in the alpine sun. The descent promises just enough adventure to keep the pulse quickened, leaving us exhilarated, awed, and longing for our next wild escape. We'll find a sunny spot to stop for lunch/snack. Our pace will be comfortable for all participants. Overall ~7 miles and ~1500 ft elevation gain. (Wind River East Portal Snowshoe - CalTopo)

The Bobcats’ mission is to ensure a variety of challenging CMC trips, mostly on weekdays, all year long, for our mostly age 40+ constituents. We don’t have dues or elections and invite all CMC members to sign up for any Bobcats trip. You can search the CMC Calendar for Bobcat trips any time by selecting “Bobcats Section” in the CMC Trip Calendar “Section pull-down menu. To join our free mailing list and become a member, select the Bobcats Section anytime in your Member Profile. (Bobcats Section — The Colorado Mountain Club)