On Rocky Mountain National Park trails, it sometimes seems as if the whole world has heeded Jesus’s command to “rise, take up your bed, and walk.” A conservative estimate indicates that 1.5 million people hike the park trails each year. In Roosevelt-Arapaho National Forest along the park’s southern boundary, approximately 120,000 visitors hike the trails of the Indian Peaks Wilderness each year.
Obviously there is a quality to these mountains that multitudes of people want to experience. Just as obviously, that quality eventually will be stomped out by lug soles if we are careless in our use of this spectacular stretch of the Rockies.
In writing this guidebook I have two goals, neither of which is to encourage more people to hit the trail (an activity needing no encouragement). First, I want the book to help both novice and experienced hikers to enjoy the backcountry more fully. Second, and even more important, the guide is intended to help everyone use the Rocky Mountain wilderness in a disciplined way so it will not be loved to death.
Understanding the ecosystems of Rocky Mountain National Park greatly increases the enjoyment of its trails. Accordingly, this guide contains three very detailed descriptions of parts of three different trails, called nature walks, located in the Mummy Range, in Indian Peaks, and on Trail Ridge. These walks, none more than 3 miles long, represent the workings of various life zones. By reading the three descriptions, hikers will begin to understand the ecosystems of other trails situated in the same zones.
All the trail descriptions are relatively detailed. In fact, knowledgeable fellow hikers in the National Park Service and US Forest Service who kindly reviewed the manuscript suggested that it might be too complete. They feel that knowing exactly what to expect takes some of the adventure out of backcountry experiences. Their criticism certainly is valid. Nevertheless, I believe that knowledge usually is preferable to ignorance. Although the information furnished here will eliminate some (but only some) of the physical adventure that accompanies error and uncertainty, it will also, through increased understanding, open additional paths of spiritual and mental adventure.
Frankly, though, this book can’t cover everything because backcountry management is complicated. Federal management agencies try to protect the landscape and the visitor from each other and, at the same time, to make re-creation (as well as recreation) possible for visitors. To meet the constantly changing demands of such a difficult task, the management agencies may change the details of backcountry management.
I mention almost no trail signs in the guide. Signs often are present along the trails to help hikers find their way, but predicting exactly where signs will be and what they will say next week makes long-range forecasting of mountain weather seem sure and simple by comparison.
Another criticism of the original manuscript was that it contained information about trails that are harmful to the land—old trails running to destinations now served by newer paths built with land protection in mind. After considering each of the old trails carefully, I agreed with the criticism and eliminated their descriptions from the book.
This trail guide is meant to be used during the five best months for hiking in the Colorado Rockies: June through October. I prefer post–Labor Day hiking because of the comfortable temperatures, yellow aspen leaves, and smaller crowds, but each month offers its own unique and worthwhile joys.