I had one more month left before the winter season kicks in and takes over the control from the backpackers. So, I thought, why not take this opportunity to add one more backpacking trip to my list of 2019 before the year ends. Plus, I had a good chance of seeing the beginning of the fall season. It was like an early Black Friday sale. How could I say no to this astonishing deal of backpacking in fall? Then I started going through my secret dream list of National Parks shhh…Top-Secret, just kidding! But I do have a list of National Parks I want to visit, not just visit but backpack them. 

While going through the list, keeping in mind the fall colors, the next words came out of my mouth were …I choose you Rocky Mountain National Park (dramatic Pokémon fan …haha). I had heard a lot about Rocky Mountain National Park in terms of its marvelous trails, lust forests, drive up-to-the park and lots of other things. And of course, the fall in Colorado would never let you down, I wasn’t expecting to see the fall colors as the season had just started but I still had some hope. Fall is coming …brace yourself for lovely colorful scenery!!!

How did I get to the park? Well, it wasn’t so difficult, booked flight tickets, flew from Fort Lauderdale to Denver, and drove up-to-the park. Isn’t it easy? Sounds easy, but lots of things were done in advance to make it sound exactly like that. 

Let’s go back in time to see how was this planned to get to this smooth ride to the park.

Firstly, I looked up online, and then based on my findings and the number of days we had, I came up with the plan of backpacking the CDNST (Continental Divide National Scenic Trail) Loop in 3 days and 2 nights (to be exact, we had 2.5 days and 2 nights considering the driving time to the park and getting the supplies and rentals for the hike).

So, here we go … after selecting the trail and dividing it into 3 days, I applied for the campsites online just 2 months before the trip based on the online availability of the campsites and the next morning I got an email with the approval of the campsites I had applied for. Campsites are like a backbone, on which your backpacking trip depends a lot.

Then we chose to fly to Denver since it was the cheapest option to fly to from anywhere as compared to the other airports and it wasn’t very far from the park too. I had made the reservation for the rental gear (Trekking poles, Stove, Tent, Bear Canisters, etc.) at two different rental shops based on the availability and prices of the gear. These rental shops were on the way to the park from Denver with a very slight detour. I also booked a hotel in Longmont for a night before our hike day, which was closer (~ 42 miles) to the Denver airport.

Imagine, all of this was done before hitting the road to the park. But based on this pre-preparation, I came up with this itinerary:

Trip Itinerary:

• Trail: CDNST (Continental Divide National Scenic Trail) Loop
• Distance: ~28.5 miles 
• Duration: 2.5 days & 2 nights
• Trip Dates: September 28th, 2019 – September 30th, 2019
• Trail Start Point: North Inlet Trailhead
• Trail End Point: North Inlet Trailhead
• Campsite Night -1 (September 28th): Pine Martin Campsite 
• Campsite Night -2 (September 30th): Granite Falls Campsite

Are you curious to know what happened next? let’s again go back in time to the Day-1 of the hike day and here it begins…

Day-1 (28th September): North Inlet Trailhead to Pine Martin Campsite, 8 miles

The first day was supposed to be an easy day with less driving time on the road, and even the 8 miles of hike wasn’t going to be so bad. But it didn’t go as planned, well that’s the fun of being on an adventurous trip, here the adventure had even begun before beginning the hike.

Let’s see what went wrong and where? We got up a little late due to the tiring last night from the flight. But we were still optimistic since the park was about 3 hours of drive from the hotel including, the rental gear pickup and food supplies stop, for the hike. As soon as we hit the road, within half an hour of driving, we got stuck into the bad traffic, quickly checked the maps to see the route further, and it was showing a lot of traffic in patches (Surprise Surprise!). We started getting into panic mode as the arrival time kept on moving forward. 

We arrived at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center two hours late as per our original scheduled plan. We quickly went to the wilderness desk to pick up our permits. The guy at the desk was helpful and explained to us everything about the trail. He asked us, are you guys ready to hike in the dark since you have only 3 hours of sunlight left? We nodded yes to him at that time. The question we asked ourselves, were we ready to take a challenge to reach our campsite before it gets dark? There was no need for any disappointment since these types of things happen, and they are more or less part of your trip. Then after collecting the permits, we bought the topographic maps, which are very important for backpacking. Then we headed straight to the North Inlet Trailhead parking, which was about one mile away from the visitor center.

Finally, we were at our trailhead to start hiking, and the time was 3:42 PM, three hours of sunlight support was left to reach the campsite, time was ticking away. Was this time enough to reach the campsite? Only time will tell. We were a little sad for starting our hike a few hours late, but the way the fall season welcomed us at the trailhead was mesmerizing.  It was a treat to watch the yellow leaves swinging in the wind like a fire dance. With this amazing display of fall colors, we prepared ourselves to hike in the dark if needed, though we were ready to put in an extra effort to make it to the campsite before it gets dark.

Do you think our extra efforts were paid off? Let’s find out … We started hiking in the direction of Lake Nokoni, which was in the same direction as our campsite. The moment we stepped into the forest, we were treated by the beautiful mountains around us. I felt nature was trying to boost us with its phenomenal scenery right from the beginning. Finally, we were getting some support. (smiles!)

Apart from the bad traffic and starting our hike late, everything seemed to be going well. I was keeping an eye on the time to reach the campsite before dark, and we were doing a pretty good job with that.  You can say that nature was helping and I would agree to it. Once we were on the trail, I wasn’t much concerned about reaching the campsite after dark. I was enjoying every step of mine taken into the forest towards the campsite. In no time, we reached the cascade falls, which was 3.4 miles from the North Inlet Trailhead. We took a short break to catch up on our breath with the soothing sound of a waterfall (the sound which could put you to ease).

After that short break, we started hiking towards our final destination with amazing views of the sun hiding behind the tall trees and then coming out and doing Peekaboo. As we were getting closer to the campsite, the sunlight had started to get dimmer, which was an early indication of sunset. But we were right on time to reach before it gets dark. 

Soon, we took a right from the signboard at the North Inlet Junction, showing the Lake Nokoni direction, our campsite was half a mile from that board towards the Lake Nokoni, which was the good news. We started to descend towards the campsite with the views of the sun hiding behind the mountains, leaving us with the last few minutes of light. There were a lot of water sources while hiking towards our campsite.  

I saw the board of Pine Martin Campsite #1 from a few feet away, then smiled and started walking towards the campsite and saw that it was already full (disappointment on face). Then within a quarter-mile of hiking, there was a Campsite #2 of Pine Martin, which was empty. And it was located in the heart of the forest with the beautiful mountains around it. I looked up at the sky and thanked the weather for being so kind to us and also thanked the sunlight for being with us till the Pine Martin Campsite.   

The moment we reached the campsite, you should have seen our faces, they were glowing as if we had won the lottery or hit the jackpot. Well, that feeling of fulfilling our challenge was no less than any lottery or jackpot. Then without wasting any time, we started setting up the tent, by the time we finished with the tent set up, we had lost the light completely for the day.

From the time we had lost the sunlight, the temperature had also started to go down slowly. We were extremely hungry, so we took out the stove and the cooking vessel to start boiling the water for dinner preparations. Luckily, due to the cold weather, we didn’t consume much water while hiking and had enough water for dinner. So, we didn’t need to get to the water source to fill the water for the night. But in case we needed to fill in the water for the night, there were a couple of water sources around our campsite within 5-10 minutes of walking. And North Inlet falls was the closer source which was towards the signboard at the North Inlet Junction. Then, we started eating dinner in the calmness of the forest and the sky full of stars.

The view of the sky was so beautiful, it was like a blanket of stars, covering the sky. After staring at the sky for a while, I started observing different patterns made of stars and also started building some stuff with the stars, considering them as the dots. I was lost in the beauty of the night, if it was up to me, then I would have slept outside the tent, but the cold weather acted like my mom and didn’t let me sleep outside the tent. So, I spent enough time outside the tent looking at the stars before going to sleep.

Day-2 (29th September): Pine Martin Campsite to Granite Falls Campsite, 12.5 miles

I got up early (7ish am) on the second day to see the sunrise and the early morning views around the campsite, but the chilly morning was keeping me inside the tent into my sleeping bag. Then I peeped out of the tent to scan the area outside for any wildlife. It was still very cold out there more than we could have expected, and also there was no sign of sun anywhere to bring the cold temperature (~44 °F) down. Though it was cold, but the feeling of waking up to the trees and mountains around you was just amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my morning. Genuinely speaking, I am not a morning person, but I get transformed while in the woods. 

After a while, I decided to come out of the tent, which was a hard decision due to the cold outside. It was one of those chilly mornings where you just want to stay hidden in your bed and not go to work (laughs!).

The second day had a lot of crazy challenges on our plate; we had a couple of switchbacks along with an elevation gain of 3000 feet to reach the Ptarmigan Point. Unlike office work, here we were going to be awarded for our hard work by the beautiful views of mountains, forests, creeks, and glaciers.

While we were having breakfast at our Pine Martin campsite, Howdy the sun said from behind the trees by making a dramatic entrance to take over from the cold and announcing its arrival on day-2 by dropping its golden rays all over the mountains and trees and waking everyone up. Do you observe the sun this closely every day? Yeah, me neither, but this to me was one of the best light show at nature’s platform, which was leaving its mark on each and everything. 

With the blessings of the sun, we started hiking towards our destination for the second day. Soon, we hit our switchback #1 after hiking for a few minutes and were treated by the amazing views while hiking up to the July campsite in search of the water source.

After crossing the first switchback successfully, Sumit and I stopped at the beautiful Hallett Creek, which was right outside the July Campsite to purify water for drinking and to wait for our friend Sujay. We also took a short break over there to get ready for the next switchback. The water was very cold at the creek, and my hands were freezing whenever I used to put the purifier into the creek to fill the water.

After going past the Hallett Creek, we saw a couple of deer a few feet from the trail, this was our first wildlife sighting, on this trail. And, saw a few more after hiking further. Wasn’t that a great start to Day-2, which was going to be a hectic day? Yeah, I agree.

After meeting our deer buddies, we entered into the switchback #2, which brought us some breathtaking views of the trail.

At the end of the second switchback, we took a short break to relax and celebrate the completion of the two switchbacks of the day. Was it too early to celebrate? Maybe yes, but no harm in celebrating the small victories (each step counts, smiles). Then we saw the map for the further challenges, and the biggest challenge was to cross the flat top mountain junction and reach the highest point of the trail, Ptarmigan point which was at 12,363 ft.

With full of enthusiasm, we started hiking towards the Ptarmigan pass alongside the astounding views of mountains and pine trees. I got a glimpse of the glacier from far, and on reaching closer, I was blown away by its beauty. It was a cute looking small glacier that was on the display (like a trophy) for the people hiking up. 

Then we came to the point where the trail was splitting into two directions, one was going towards the flat top mountain, and the other one was going towards the Ptarmigan Point.

It was a crazy wind out there at the top while we were approaching the Ptarmigan point. The wind continued to blow a whistle into my ears, and despite the sun, it was still cold due to the speed of the wind, and it had started to bother me. Also, the wind was making me dance, sometimes pushing me from the right side and sometimes from the left (lol). So, we decided to take a short break behind the big rock to catch up on our breath and also to hide from the crazy wind.

After taking a short break, we started hiking, and in no time, we reached the Ptarmigan Point (12,363 ft). We covered around 3000 feet of elevation gain, from the start of the day to reach here, it was certainly an achievement that will go down in my backpacking history. I was awestruck by the views all around the Ptarmigan point. There is a saying, I feel like I am on the top of the mountain. It looks like I took it seriously and went to the top of the mountain to say this (Ha-ha!).

We were tired by that time, and wind played a great role in doing so. We still had around 6 miles to cover to reach the Granite Falls Campsite. The good part was, the rest of the hike was mostly downhill. This was surely a relief after spending a day with switchbacks and uphill hiking.

By the time we reached the Granite Falls Campsite, we were almost out of energy, and most of it was lost while fighting with the wind. The campsite was surrounded by trees with mountains in the background, yet another beautiful place to spend a night. 

First things first, we started setting up our tent. Then we switched on the stove to boil water for the dinner. We had enough time before sunset, around 1 hour, so we were not in any kind of hurry. Soon, after the dinner, relaxed a bit outside and then jumped straight into the tent in our sleeping bags. In no time, all three of us passed out. You can imagine how tired we were because usually, we stay awake for more time, talking about some random things and or spending some time looking at the stars.

Day-3 (30th September): Granite Falls Campsite to North Inlet Trailhead, 8 miles

I woke up early on the third day since we passed out early last night. I checked the time, it was around 6 am, Woah!! That’s way too early for me on any given day of a year unless it’s not meant for my cricket games. The moment I woke up, I was feeling cold and shivering inside my sleeping bag. It felt colder than the previous day’s morning at the Pine Martin Campsite. I would say temperature would be ~ 38-40 °F at 6 am and would have been lesser during the night time. So, it’s always good to be prepared for these kinds of weather changes in the woods.

I noticed that the tent was wet from my side, and even my sleeping bag seemed wet. I thought it would have rained overnight which would have caused this and this might also be the reason for this icy cold weather.

I woke everybody up since I was getting bored. All of us were feeling cold, and our teeth were chattering, we were hoping for the sun to come out soon, but the sun had other plans for the day. So, we decided to go outside and turn on the stove to get some heat.

After going outside, we saw that the tent was completely wet from the outside, and surprisingly it wasn’t because of the rain, but it was due to dew. We could see the ice layered up onto the tent poles.

Finally, when we were all ready to start hiking, the sun peeped up from behind the trees to give us the warmth we had needed. Then with the blessings of the sun and with the heavy heart of leaving this place, we started our final day’s hiking of 8 miles towards the North Inlet Trailhead.

After hiking for about 3 miles, we came near to a beautiful stream and met a friendly American couple over there who were out for day hiking. We had a good conversation with them about hiking and backpacking trips and also got to know about their recent trip to India for 3 weeks a month before coming here. I felt so good after knowing that they had a good time in India. It’s always fun to talk to people while hiking and get to know some cool stuff about them. Don’t you think this as a hiking perk? Well, I do consider this as another perk of hiking apart from the views and camping in the woods. 

Then we started hiking towards the final destination of this trip. We witnessed streams alongside our trail all the time as if they were coming to drop us to the North Inlet Trailhead.

After a mile, Sumit and I stopped at the beautiful spot to purify water for drinking with mountains in the background. I wish I could get to drink water every day with these views. 

Soon, we were into the last mile of this trip, and the views were getting better and better, making it difficult for us to leave this place. Who would want to leave this place? Surely not me.

People often say that the best part of the movie is its climax, and this trip was nothing less than a movie. So, did we get a good climax? Let’s find out …

Walking with the sad faces towards the end with less than a mile left, suddenly came across majestic green mountains that were covered with green pine trees and also the trees which had accepted the offer from the fall season and turned themselves into the beautiful and lovely fall colors. It was a treat to watch these beautiful mountains with trees in all kinds of colors. 

I thought the beautiful green mountain view was the climax of this trip. But what I saw next was mind-blowing; I was mesmerized by the incredible display of fall colors towards the end of the trail. I couldn’t have asked for a better end to this trip.

All in all, it was a great experience hiking this scenic trail with my squad. This trip was worth every penny and every step, which was taken towards it. The way the fall season welcomed us at the start of the hike, the same way it had planned a farewell for us but this time with better views and more vibrant colors. I consider myself lucky to witness the incredible display of the fall colors at the beginning of the fall season. 

That was my personal experience with the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST). Here is some useful information to help you pack your bags right away for this trail.

Rocky Mountain National Park (also known as the Rockies) is located ~76 miles (122 km) northwest of Denver International Airport in north-central Colorado. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west. The best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park is from June to September when the snow is (mostly) melted, and the hiking trails and attractions are accessible. It is famous for its hiking trails, wildflowers, wildlife, starry nights and lots of other things.

Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_National_Park and https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm

Airport Information:

There are two airports closest to the park: Denver International Airport and Cheyenne Regional Airport. Denver International Airport is the cheapest of both airports to fly to from anywhere.

Visitor Center Information:

• Kawuneeche Visitor Center, 16018 US Highway 34, Grand Lake, CO 80447, On the west side of the park, the Wilderness Office is located inside the Kawuneeche Visitor Center.

• Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 US Hwy 36, Estes Park, CO 80517, On the east side of the park, the Wilderness Office is adjacent to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center.

Link: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm (Visitor Centers)

Link: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm (Wilderness Offices)

Maps Information:

Topographic maps are necessary for backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park and can be purchased online (on Amazon) and also at the visitor centers. All kinds of maps including trail maps from the visitor centers, wilderness campsite maps, and campground maps are available at this link- https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/maps.htm

Trailhead Options:

There are two trailheads from where this trail can be accessed – North Inlet Trailhead and Green Mountain Trailhead. The North Inlet Trailhead is the best option, since its closer (~1 mile) to the Kawuneeche visitor center and also doesn’t add extra miles to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) Loop. On the other hand, starting to hike from Green Mountain Trailhead is not a bad option too, it’s just it adds a couple of extra miles to the loop.

Camping Permits:

Camping permits need to be reserved online to secure the campsites of your choice. Firstly, the wilderness campsite reservation request application form needs to be filled online based on the availability of the campsites.

Link: https://www.nps.gov/webcams-romo/wo/index.html (to check the availability of the campsites)

Link: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/68498987 (online reservation request application form)

Link: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm (Information on Wilderness Camping)

Permit pick up centers:

Permits may be picked up at the Beaver Meadows or Kawuneeche Visitor Centers before departing on your trip. Permits not picked prior to noon on the first day of your trip may be cancelled. You may call prior to noon on the first day of your trip to indicate a late arrival, in which case your Permit will be held for you. Also, car parking was free at the trailheads for the people with the reserved camping permits. (parking pass is given along with the camping permits at the wilderness office)

Bear Canisters:

A commercial hard-sided carry-in/carry-out bear-resistant food storage canister is required from April 1 through Oct. 31. Canisters may be rented or purchased at local sporting goods stores in Estes Park and Grand Lake. Bear Canisters are very important while backpacking in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rental Gear Information:

• Warming House (https://warminghouse.com/camping-hiking-gear/)– 790 Moraine Ave., Estes Park, Colorado 80517, Ph:970-586-2995 (rentals can be reserved online with no extra cost)
• Estes Park Mountain Shop (https://www.estesparkmountainshop.com/)– 2050 Big Thompson Ave, Estes Park, Colorado 80517, Ph:970-586-6548 (rentals can be reserved online with no extra cost)