Yesterday I blogged about Cherry Creek State Park and then, to my horror, I discovered that I never blogged about Brainard Lake Recreation Area, one of my favorite spots in Colorado. Caty and I learned about it from the Front Range Wildlife Photographers. It is very popular among photographers (we've actually met some of the folks whose work we admire there).
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| Brainard Lake |
So, I will make amends with a quick overview of the multiple times I have been to Brainard Lake -- including camping for a long weekend. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Brainard Lake Recreation Area is a subalpine forest in a glacially carved valley located south of Rocky Mountain National Park near the town of Ward. Besides the gorgeous Rocky Mountain scenery, it is a draw because it is a great place to see big boy Moose.
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| Male Shiras Moose |
At 10,500 ft. at the lake and much higher on some of the hikes, it has a very short season -- mid-June through mid-October. And, even in summer, it can be very chilly at night.
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| Mountain peaks |
The scenery is what you typically think of when you think of the Rockies: lakes, wildflowers, rock formations, marshes, pine trees. The elevation and remoteness combine to create very clear skies -- great for viewing and photographing the Milky Way.
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| Milky Way |
Pretty all day long, Brainard Lake is especially beautiful at sunrise, where the sun is at the correct angle for nice reflections (if you are lucky enough to get a windless morning).
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| Early, early morning reflection |
The lakes often have Moose in them ...
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| Water Moose |
... plus, Moose often graze along the road that partially skirts the lake. The road goes all the way around the lake and was obviously previously open to cars because it has parking spaces all the way around. But, now, half or more of it is closed to auto traffic.
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| Road Moose |
We have witnessed quite a few frightening scenes where people get very, very close to the moose. I think a lot of people don't really have an idea of how dangerous these giant animals can be. Yes, they are herbivores, so they don't attack as a Mountain Lion or even Bear would with claws and teeth. But, if they are frightened or feel trapped, they can charge and trample people to death.
Adult Shiras Moose (which is what we have in Colorado, as opposed to Alaska, Northwestern or Eastern Moose), can weigh between 500 and 1,400 lbs. and they have hooves. We always plan an escape route, standing close to our car or trees, so that we can at least have something to put between us and the Moose if it decides to run. When moose have antlers, they cannot easier run in narrow spaces between trees.
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| Long Lake is close |
... and Lake Isabelle ...
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| A longer walk |
... up to Isabelle glacier. You can hike to the glacier, but I haven't done that.
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| Isabelle Glacier |
In the summertime, the Moose tend to frequent the Brainard Lake area.
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| Grazing |
But, as fall approaches, they move up toward Long Lake. A word of caution here: the volunteers at the park sometimes give incorrect information about Moose. We were once told that the Moose were "gone for the season," when, actually no moose had been seen for just a few hours. We ignored her and saw a Moose almost immediately after talking with her.
There are a number of nice trails.
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| Lots of options |
There is a very pleasant hiking trail around Long Lake that then continues on to Lake Isabelle. The Long Lake trail has only a slight elevation gain, so it is not very strenuous (except, for those who are not used to high altitude). The loop is only 2.8 miles round trip. You can access the trail from both the Long lake trailhead and the Niwot Cutoff Trail, which is a pleasant stroll through the woods and offers a solution to parking restrictions at Long Lake
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| Nice trail |
We have seen quite a few Moose along the hike, mainly on the south side ...
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| Bulls |
... and, Long Lake is the place we have seen cows and calves as well as bulls ...
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| Calf and cow |
In addition to moose, there are many other animals, including squirrels ...
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| Pine Squirrel |
... birds ...
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| CW: Wilson's Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, juvenile Dark-eyed Junco, Clark's Nutcracker, Pine Grosbeak, Gray Jay |
... Trout (of course, this one wasn't posing voluntarily) ...
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| Recent catch |
... and Snowshoe Hares, which live only at higher elevations (this was in the summer, so it didn't have its white fur yet).
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| Snowshoe Hare |
And, the wildflowers are the most magnificent I have seen in Colorado.
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| Purple and yellow are my favorite |
When you hike up to Lake Isabelle, the scenery changes a bit, becoming rockier and less forested. While not a difficult hike, it does have some elevation gain and could be a little challenging for anyone who hasn't hiked at altitude. It's a 4.2 mile round trip hike with a gain of about 350 ft. If you hike to the glacier (which we didn't), its 8.75 miles round trip with a 1,500 ft. elevation gain.
Sometimes the trail may be muddy as well and you do traverse a small log across a steam. This is a bit of challenge for me because I have a small phobia about rocks or logs across streams. But, I did it!
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| The hike |
The lake itself is in a big glacier bowl. When Caty and I did the hike, the lake was very low although there was ample muddy evidence that it had recently been much higher.
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| The destination |
I'd like to go back some time to see it when the lake is full (and when it is less breezy). I have seen pictures with a gorgeous reflection. But, I certainly can't complain about the blue sky and puffy clouds we had on the day of our hike.
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| Lake Isabelle |
As I mentioned, there is camping at Brainard Lake, as well as a beautiful picnic area. Some of the camping spots can be reserved via www.recreation.gov and some are on a first-come, first-served basis. Brainard Lake is very popular, so the odds of getting a spot for a weekend are very slim unless you plan well in advance. We went on a Thursday and got a gorgeous site.
The Moose Loop sites are spacious and have enough trees and foliage to make then very private and beautiful. Parts of the Elk Loop look as though a storm or disease has killed many of the trees, so there is limited shade or privacy. Go for the Moose!
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| Campsite |
There was ample room for two cars, for our screen tent over the picnic table (which we really didn't need because there was plenty of shade and no bugs) ...
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| Set-up |
... and our Little Guy camper. Scott and I camped on Thursday and then Caty came up for the weekend (Scott went home so we didn't have to set up a tent as well). The Snowshoe Hare hung around our site for quite a bit of the time we were there ...
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| Our buddy |
... but he was shy about showing us his namesake feet ...
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| Feets! |
The camping trip was great for Scott because at the time, unlike Caty and me, he had seen very few Moose in Colorado. He got to see one of the big guys (see him lurking there in the background).
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| Scott |
Also, a word about traffic. As I said, Brainard Lake is very popular. When parking spaces fill up, they hold up cars at the entrance gate. The first time I went, I had to wait for over an hour to get in. Plus, once in the park, volunteers are parked at several loops, further restricting traffic, especially to the Indian Peaks Trailhead parking lots. Since they don't allow you to wait in a line for access, it is possible (well, probable) that someone who arrived after you will get in before you for a parking space. And, if you just want to drive the roads to scout for Moose, some volunteers will let you through and some won't. Although I am not sure, it feels like parking control is a power trip for some of the volunteers and some seem annoyed that people are there. Others are delightful.
Oh, and there is no cell service -- and spotty service on the drive there.
Even with the trials and tribulations associated with popularity, Brainard Lake Recreation Area is gorgeous ...
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| We were lucky to have a windless morning |
...and a great spot for Moose watching. It's definitely a favorite place.
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| A big boy |
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