Hike Hallett Peak for the views, workout
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK – The weather conditions are pristine.
No wind. Warm, but not too warm. Colorado blue skies with only a handful of wispy clouds.
"You couldn't ask for a better day," says fellow hiker, Dorothy Bauman, greeting me as I arrive atop the expansive — and yes, flat — summit of 12,324-foot Flattop Mountain. "Absolutely perfect."
It's 9:55 a.m. Tuesday morning, another great day hiking Colorado's mountains in preparation for an August attempt of 14,259-foot Longs Peak — part of our Coloradoan summer hiking series.
Flattop Mountain and its neighbor, 12,713-foot Hallett Peak, are next in the group series; we're set to hike them July 11. And at roughly 10 miles round-trip and 3,240 feet of elevation gain, the hike to Hallett and back down to Bear Lake is no slouch.
REGISTER:Sign up for Coloradoan hike to Flattop and Hallett
While most hikers Tuesday morning stopped at the Flattop summit, my goal was to reach Hallett Peak.
Hallett is the peak hundreds of thousands of Rocky Mountain National Park visitors see every year towering above Bear, Sprague and Dream lakes. You've definitely seen it. I had too, dozens of times.
But I had never climbed Hallett, named after William Hallett, who in 1896 helped establish the Rocky Mountain Club, Colorado's first mountaineering organization.
Though your legs and lungs will get a workout, you don't need to be an all-star mountaineer to summit Hallett.
PHOTOS:Sunrise at Great Sand Dunes National Park a real treat
From Flattop Mountain, continue to the south where you go another 0.7 miles, following cairns to a fun rock scramble to the summit. Along the way, you pass Tyndall Glacier, today just a remnant of the giant glacier that carved out Tyndall Gorge and the deep bowls for the beautiful alpine oasis waters of Nymph, Dream and Emerald lakes.
From the glacier, follow the cairns over the mounds of boulders for the final, fairly steep ascent over the rugged terrain. At the summit, you'll be rewarded with 360-degree views of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Mountains. They're visible everywhere from the summit.
RAINY DAY OPTIONS: Where to hike when trails are closed
To the south is 12,486-foot Otis Peak and 13,153-foot Taylor Peak.
Southeast and you'll see iconic Longs Peak.
To the north is 12,159-foot Notchtop Mountain and the rugged Mummy Range.
Look northwest and you'll see 12,363-foot Ptarmigan Point.
Look down and you'll see Dream Lake, Emerald Lake and Nymph Lake.
After about an hour taking in the views, I was greeted by my new friend, Dorothy, who arrived emphatically on Hallett's summit.
"I've waited 17 years to make it up here," said the 60-year-old hiker from Golden, originally from the East Coast.
The New Jersey native who works for Whole Foods said weather and "life" got in the way of previous Hallett Peak summit attempts — thus the excitement Tuesday when she finally made it.
"Absolutely perfect day," she said.
Any day spent up high in Colorado's mountains is pretty good in my book. Especially atop a new-to-me peak.
Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers covers the outdoors and recreation for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter @stemeyer or @XploreNoCo.
Flattop Mountain and Hallett Peak
• Distance: 5.1 miles one-way
• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Elevation range: 9,475 to 12,713 feet
• Trailhead : Approximately 90 minutes from Fort Collins. From the main Beaver Meadows entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, head west one-quarter of a mile to Bear Lake Road. Take Bear Lake Road about 8 miles to the parking lot.
• Fees: $20 for a seven-day pass or $40 for an annual parks pass
• Pets: Not permitted on any trails or in the backcountry. Horses are permitted on the trail to the summit of Flattop Mountain.
• Information : www.nps.gov/romo or 970-586-1206
• Why go: Knock out two peaks from the popular Bear Lake trailhead. Flattop Mountain rises to 12,324 feet, and from there, follow the cairns to Tyndall Glacier, which sits in the cirque between Flattop and 12,713-foot Hallett Peak. Some steep sections take you to the top of Hallett, where you'll be rewarded with splendid views of Otis Peak, Taylor Peak and the granddaddy of them all, 14,259-foot Longs Peak.
Coloradoan hiking series
This summer, the Coloradoan and Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers are hosting a hiking series, culminating in a summit attempt of 14,259-foot Longs Peak. Each hike will take us a little higher, preparing our bodies for the long trek up Longs. As each hike nears, read Thursday's Xplore sections for details about each trail and find photos of our hikes on Coloradoan.com.
Each hike is limited to 20-30 people. To register, visit noconow.co/hikingseries.
Hiking schedule:
• July 11: Flattop Mountain and Hallett Peak 12,324 feet and 12,713 feet
• July 25: Clark Peak 12,951 feet (highest point in Jackson County)
• Aug. 8: Hagues Peak 13,560 feet (highest point in Larimer County)
• Aug. 15 or 29: Longs Peak (two dates, planning for weather) 14,259 feet