After the enjoyable, but hectic at times, backpack of last weekend I wanted a more traditional backpacking trip: A long hike in and out, relatively few people, an emphasis on hiking and not camping.

D-low and I pored over the maps one weeknight (after having a couple of cold ones). We spied a loop that looked promising. It would involve alpine lakes, some off trail hiking and scaling a 13er: The Mummy Range of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Along with Ian “Skittles” Reese (another thru-hiker buddy in Boulder), we left to Friday night to camp out near the park.

On Saturday morning, we pulled into our trail head only to find it full. After some quick map consultation, we decided to make the hike a little bit longer and start at the Lumpy Ridge trail head with its easy trail access and more ample parking.

The start of the trip was pleasant.

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