Trip Report
Intermediate Snowshoe – Niwot Ridge and Niwot Mountain
This hike was a smorgasbord of winter fun and challenges, ranging from packed trails with a dusting of recent snow to off-trail adventure through dense trees and deep snow, to, the piece de resistance, above treeline hiking in 20-30 mph wind... can't be beat! What made this experience fun was a spectacular group of people and an exceptional leader.
Wayne Howell
- Thu, Jan 12, 2023
- Intermediate Snowshoe – Missing Route/Place
- Hiking & Snowshoeing
- Successful
-
- Road suitable for all vehicles
-
The route started from the Brainard Lake Winter Parking Lot, making our way to both Brainard and Lost Lakes, following well packed with light dusting of snow trails. We then attacked the Niwot ridge, mostly breaking trail in dense forest and deep snow, to the treeline. The wind above treeline was vicious and forced us off the ridge, descending to Left Hand Reservoir and returning to our starting point via the Left Hand Reservoir 4WD road.
This was one of the best winter hikes I've been on in quite some time, made more enjoyable by a great group of people. Our leader, Jim, did an exceptional job of guiding us, especially over some tricky winter terrain, keeping us together, motivated, and safe throughout the entire hike. A special thank you to the few in the front that did most of the trail breaking! The conditions we encountered certainly challenged us at times, but that just added to the fun. We utilized the almost the full complement of winter gear, except an ice axe. Overall about 7.5 miles, ~1300 feet elevation gain, and total time of about 7 hours in the field. The most difficult section was above treeline on the ridge, with the wind forcing us to move off of our intended route across the summit of Niwot Mountain, and instead making our way down to the Left Hand Reservoir. The views were spectacular and well worth the effort. Overall, I consider this a very successful hike.