Hike: Mt Alice (3 day)

Trip Details

Itinerary

Day 0: Meet and go over gear, food, and itinerary in afternoon. Plan on meeting for 1-1.5 hours the night before to make sure all gear is double-checked and backpack is packed and ready to go for an early morning departure. Note: Some companies include this day as part of the total trip length, thus making it a four-day trip. However, we only include it as Day 0 due to building rapport with your Colorado local guide and helping with acclimation.

Day 1: This day starts on the southeastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The trail begins at 8451′ under Lodgepole and Ponderosa Pines and follows a beautiful stream for 7 miles to our camp at the sub-alpine lake situated below the Continental Divide and the mighty Mt. Alice. This is a great hike where the day is spent walking in a thick canopy of trees with the occasional glimpse of the valley below and mountain above. Elevation gain: 2110′. Distance: 7 miles.

Day 2: This is a great opportunity to climb Mt. Alice, one of the seldom climbed peaks at the Southern end of Rocky Mountain National Park. This day will start with a lung-burning ascent to the Continental Divide. We generally start early to get to the Divide by 10 am and be descending before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in. The hiking begins on faint trails and then as we get closer to the Divide, we do some class 2 -3 scrambling to complete our ascent to the Continental Divide. If everyone is still feeling strong and the weather is cooperating we will make the final mile ascent to the top of Mt. Alice(13,331′) . Elevation gain: 2700′. Distance: 5.2 miles.

Day 3: We spend a leisurely morning getting up and packing camp after our big day on Mt. Alice the day before. Our route retraces day 1 in reverse and follows the stream downhill for 7 miles back to the Trailhead, on the south-eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Drive back to Estes Park, Boulder, or Denver. Elevation loss: -2110′. Distance: 7 miles.

Difficulty Description:

Very Difficult – Very difficult trips take place on rugged, unmaintained trails with larger backpacks (30-40 pounds). The hiking is often steep and steady with daily distances of up to 10 miles and an elevation change of up to 4,000 feet. For these trips, you should be comfortable hiking for several hours (3 – 6 hours) without many breaks and have previous experience exercising and sleeping at elevations of 7000’-11, 000’. Trips take place at altitudes of 7000’ – 13,000’.

What to Bring: Sent with trip confirmation

Included: The services of a professional backpacking guide, Rocky Mountain National Park permit and back-country Colorado camping permits, transportation between Boulder and the wilderness trail heads, all food during the backpacking trip, a re-supply drop, if necessary, gear for water purification and cooking, bear canister, tent, medical kit, CB radio and contingency and emergency support.

Not included in our rates: Meals while in the front country (breakfast on Day 1 and dinner on the last day), laundry, alcoholic beverages, hotel overnight before your trip and at trip’s conclusion; personal equipment (a sleeping bag, pad and the basic essentials – these items are available to rent), and gratuities for your guide(s) – while this is at your discretion, the recommended amount is 20%. If you want to add fly-fishing, cost is $100 extra per person (rod, reel, and flies for the trip and backpacking – angling guide).