Cony Lake and Hutcheson Lakes (RMNP, Wild Basin, CO)

A frozen Hutcheson Lake between Elk Tooth and Mahana Peak.

Trip dates: March 14-15, 2020

Caltopo map here: ​https://caltopo.com/m/SL74

This was another trip to a frozen lake in Wild Basin.  At this point, I think I've been to more Wild Basin lakes in winter than in the summer.  In the summers I'm usually up higher and skip the trails, and thus miss most of the lakes.  

Day 1

The tracks from the day users ran out pretty fast.  I didn't have a nice moose that was making tracks for me like at Husted Lake back in January.

You can only count on the day hikers for so far. Then they have to turn around to make the complete trip in a single day.

Elk Tooth (center) and Copeland Mt. (right) from Finch Lake

Day 2

Look, sometimes on cold mornings when you don't have down booties, you are forced to improvise.

The southern edge of Mahana Peak from near my camp.

Near the top of the next to last significant climb before Hutcheson Lakes

It's a bit hard to tell but these bobcat tracks are actually poking out of the snow like little ice pillars. It's a bit easier to see if you move your eyes away from the screen. You can distinguish the tracks from a snowshoe hare which has a similar paw, by the stride.

A closer view of the paw pattern. My theory is that the snow was somewhat wet when tracks were made. This likely refroze overnight making a firm pocket of compacted snow and ice. As the wind blew the new snow away, the "pockets" were left as pillars.

I left the widebrim hat at home and had to take a baseball style cap. The buff covering my face was part of my attempt to keep my cheeks from getting sunburned (even with sunscreen) because the cap has worse coverage for the sides of my face. (It only partially worked).

I was excited to start exploring before the skies turned overcast, and had I skipped my hot breakfast. When I got back to camp, I cooked my oatmeal before packing up. I always drink the gray water from cleaning my pot after I finish eating. The thought of doing this at home is repulsive but when backpacking I doesn't bother me. It's almost become my favorite part of the "camping" aspect of backpacking. It just feels so primal...

Elk Tooth (left) and Mt. Copeland (right) from Pear Lake

On the dozen times I've walked past this in the winter, I don't think I've ever managed not to take a picture. Chiefs Head Peak (left), Pagoda Mt (center left), Longs Peak (center right) and Mt. Meeker (right).