This summer has been an unusually stormy one for the state of Colorado, in turn making it more difficult to schedule hikes. With nothing but clouds in the weekend forecast, we decided to make an early morning foray to Rocky Mountain National Park.

RMNP, generally best avoided during the summer months due to the insane crowds, was nevertheless a nearby hub for some magnificent hikes. One of these hikes, Sandbeach Lake, had been on our radar for awhile. With a trailhead outside the main body of the park, it seemed promising in terms of comparative seclusion and solitude.

The sun was still low in the eastern horizon when we arrived, paid our fee to the park ranger, and took the last space in the small dirt lot. We immediately launched into a steady uphill among the predominantly Ponderosa surroundings on what was a wonderfully well-maintained national parks trail.

The initial ascent eventually flattened (all too briefly), and views of Wild Basin opened up through the trees, with North Saint Vrain Creek sluicing a snake through the landscape below. All too soon though the trees again closed up the sky and surroundings.

Though loath to leave a vista behind, we found that the verdant insulation held back the heat of the summer sun. At our altitude, this was its own blessing.

Despite the heat, we found our footsteps turning out the miles at full pace. There was still time to burn in the morning as we crossed Campers Creek. Hunters Creek was shortly after that, the snowmelt waters fueling wildflowers and more than a few mosquitoes. Ahead was the final stretch to the lake and the promise of some beach time.

Reaching Sandbeach was sudden, with the trees opening again after a final switchback to reveal the glittering expanse of the lake’s north side. True to its name, the lake was surrounded by slopes of tan sand and silt- a feature at least partially formed due to a dam on the lake in mid-1900s. Mount Meeker, one of Colorado’s centennial peaks, towered overhead to lend some additional majesty to the scene.

We took our time sunburning on the sand and taking in the sights before beginning a rapid descent. That aforementioned stormy weather was forecast to hit again sometime around noon, and we wanted to be under a roof when it did.

The rain and lightning never materialized, and we arrived back at the parking lot with the better part of a day still ahead of us. Despite having hiked around nine miles, the adventure felt all too brief, hence this brief post. Hope you enjoyed it!

-Ty & Sky

(Photography courtesy of Skyler Stanley, words courtesy of Tyler Brant)