After hiking a CDT section from Muddy Pass south to the Bowen Gulch trailhead back in 2022, I was relieved when a park ranger drove by and read the “done” look on my face. He offering me a ride to the now-closed hostel at Grand Lake. The next year I went back to hike the CDT shortcut through the park. As a section hiker now six years in, I had told myself I would some day go back to hike the official, longer CDT redline “loop”.
I live relatively nearby in Steamboat Springs, the weather was still unseasonably warm for September, and my wife Maria was in Mexico. When I surprisingly found some still available campsites on the route (these often sell out when reservations open March 1), I made quick decision this would be the year. The redline from the Bowen Gulch trailhead to Grand Lake on the South Tonahutu trail is about 27 miles, but I had already covered the miles to the Green Mountain & Tonahutu trails junction on my earlier shortcut hike. That would leave me 24 miles for this trip. I ended up having to delay my hike for a day after making a non-cancellable reservation, but the RMNP Wilderness office was kind to accommodate my change with a phone call.
I checked in at the Wilderness Office in the Kawuneeche Visitor Center around 2:00 pm then parked my truck at the Green Mountain Trailhead. I was frustrated to be starting so late in the day in the lingering monsoon season. I had some additional hesitancy about this last minute trip after hyper-extending my knee and pulling a calf muscle in a challenging CDT section hike through the Wind River Range just a couple weeks earlier.
I started out in the burned forest from the 2020 East Troublesome Fire and was surprised to just see a couple day hikers that afternoon. At the Big Meadows Campground, I turned north through familiar terrain on the Tonahutu Trail. I had been through here when I did the shortcut and smiled when I heard a whistle pig, singing a different song than last time I passed this way. A family of at least five grouse shared the trail without much concern about me. I continued clockwise at the main Tonahutu Creek trail and was relieved to finally reach my reserved Sunrise campsite. The relatively short 4.5 mile afternoon had been a mental struggle. I at least I still had enough daylight to try my new Tenkara rod in Tonahutu Creek while a cooked my dinner. I saw a little fish jumping when I got to the creek, but really wasn’t too disappointed when they didn’t have any interest in my fly.
I was up early the next morning and could see from my In-reach that thunderstorms were expected that afternoon. I needed to cover 12 miles with almost 3000 feet up then down again, and would be above 12,000 feet on weather-exposed alpine tundra for several miles. I still had lingering doubts from yesterday and thought about just hiking back to my truck. But I also knew I could make the climb and the miles, and just decided to hike my way out of the funk.
It was a steady but at least not a steep climb through the emerging fall colors, and the morning weather was sunny. I always appreciate the trails in this 100+ year-old park and the thought of many decades (and generations) of hikers who had been this way. I filtered some water as the trail crossed Tonahutu Creek for the last time. Then a slightly ominous sign reminded me to keep a quick pace and stay ahead of the storms.
Soon enough I could see what looked to be the top of the climb and had a nice view of the drainage behind me. It was fun to chat some other backpackers on the way up who shared my reverence for this park. My attitude was improving but I was still concerned about the darkening clouds ahead.
Once I reached the tundra, the FarOut app tole me that I still had long but gentle climb ahead toward Bighorn Flats. The wind was picking up and I was still in shorts. Another group of bundled-up backpackers cautioned me otherwise but I held out until I reached the high point. I stopped to throw on some rain pants as a break from the now strong and relentless wind. I made some quick stops to see the glaciers below to the the east and Grand & Shadow Mountain Lakes far off to the southwest. I promised myself to come back on a nicer day to better appreciate the pretty spectacular views all around.
At the North Inlet trail junction I crossed paths with about half a dozen obvious thru hikers who certainly wouldn’t change out of their short shorts for little wind. They were all friendly but like me didn’t want to lose time chatting and risk getting caught up here in a thunderstorm. I was glad to finally begin a fairly steep descent, but still knew I was very exposed to potential lightening on the way down to treeline. I also appreciated that my morning ascent would have been much harder had I hiked the loop counter-clockwise.
Fortunately the thunderstorms didn’t reach me and I stopped at Hallett Creek to refill my water and take a late lunch break. I just had a couple miles left down some gentle switchbacks to my reserved site at the North Inlet Junction site. I was happy to have the 3-site camp all to myself, and it even had a nearby privy. I’d made good time today in my rush across the tundra and it was nice to relax in camp for a bit.
I planned an early morning departure to reach my go-to Grand Lake eatery, the Sagebrush Grill, in time for breakfast. But the rain finally hit overnight and continued into the daylight. Even though it was my last day I held out for a couple hours to pack up camp during a break in the storm. It rained lightly off and on the rest of the morning but it was a nice hike down the trail paralleling North Inlet Creek.
What looked like a committed bull and cow moose couple hung out just off trail and they didn’t look to be in a hurry to move. I waited a few minutes then scampered past as quickly as I could. I met a nice couple around my age on a day hike to Cascade Falls, which I had completely missed in my rush to finish ahead of the next big rain. They asked me how I expected to get back to my vehicle, and they seemed skeptical of my confidence in my only option to hitch from Grand Lake. I’ve had pretty incredible luck hitchhiking to and from trail over the years, and I take every opportunity to pay that forward when I see other hikers looking for a ride.
A familiar sign welcomed me back to Grand Lake. I missed breakfast, but I was still happy to get a great burger. I started hitching as I walked out of downtown towards Trail Ridge Road, and I knew from my prior shortcut hike that my wilderness camping permit and annual parks pass would suffice as a timed entry permit back into the park. I was happy but not surprised to get a ride in under 10 minutes from a local back to the trailhead.
