Snowshoe Hike to Dream Lake

30 March, Monday – We figured on getting an early start to reconnoiter the area. It looked like there wasn’t much snowpack to ski on, but the locals told us not to judge it based on what we saw in EP. So we headed for the Beaver Meadows visitor center for RMNP and talked to the ranger about skiing and snowshoeing. We got lots of good info, maps and a frameable postcard then headed back to the condo to get some more appropriate clothes – it may have been warm yesterday
but it certainly wasn’t above freezing today.

(right, map from the signboard at Glacier Gorge trailhead)

On the way back we got side tracked by a sign at The Warming House, a sports shop, claiming a sale on rental snowshoes. Since we had only brought one pair with us, hoping to use our skis mostly, we needed to rent or buy another pair. The price was reasonable so we got a pair of the new-style lightweight aluminum ones for me. C.J. already had lightweight plastic snowshoes. Back at the condo we packed for cold and windy conditions and drove up to Bear Lake where the snow depth was close to four feet and the sky was partly sunny (but cold with the temp right around 16 deg). We talked with some other folks and decided to try to snowshoe up the trail to Nymph Lake and go on to Dream Lake if possible, maybe even as far as Emerald. The unmarked trail was well packed and snowshoes were hardly needed as far as Nymph. There people were turning back because they could not find the continuation of the trail. We got there at the right moment as two skiers with alpine equipment came down the trail on the west side of the lake. We started up the somewhat more challenging trail and I soon exchanged my “new” snowshoes which were equipped with serious crampons for C.J.’s plastic, slippery modified bearpaws. The climb wasn’t too bad but the weather was deteriorating with the wind gusting and blowing snow in our faces. We were glad we had stopped to get our balaclavas from our flying gear. By the time we reached Dream Lake, only 1.1 miles from the parking lot but 1000 feet higher, it felt like time to turn back. We returned to Nymph by a different route which had some interesting traverses. Along the way we found a sheltered spot with a bit of a view and had a short lunch break. The snow had really started to come down hard and we were glad to reach our car and head down to more mellow weather. In fact, before we had driven half way back to EP,the sun was out and we were able to enjoy watching and photographing herds of elk (We missed a shot of the coyote who crossed the road right in front of us). Back in EP we checked out another, larger sports shop near Estes Lake. Unfortunately they were not selling out their rental snowshoes and we had decided that C.J. really needed a pair of smaller, crampon-equipped snowshoes, too, if we were going to continue to hike the high country. Back at The Warming House, after a stop for groceries at Safeway, we found that the snowshoes in C.J.’s size had both been rented for the next three days. We’ll make do until then, or rent a pair if necessary. Returning to the condo we realized how tired we were from the hike at 10,000 feet in the cold wind even though we had not gone far at all. We were content to just laze around the rest of the day. C.J. continued working her pictures over with Photoshop and is getting really good at making them look their best. During the afternoon, though, C.J. came up with an idea about what we should do after EP since the weather looks to be too cold and wet for camping in the SW. She suggested that we cash in some points and spend a few days in West Yellowstone on the way home. West Yellowstone’s weather looks good for skiing and C.J. found out that there are units available all through April at the Worldmark condo. We’ll think about it for a day before committing to the plan.