Mt Ida July 30, 2011

Mt Ida  11.5 miles
Finally!! One of nine trails to hike this year. This is the first and I was looking forward to the most.  Most of all the other trails are still packed with snow or have washed out bridges and or the creeks are still running too high. Tough spring snow season.

I arrived at Milner Pass or Poudre Lakes about 5:15 am. Daylight was starting to break but still very dark.  I brought my headlamp but was not crazy about hiking in the dark on a trail I am unfamiliar with. As I arrived there was a group of boys about 12 years old with two 20 year olds that were going the same direction. They all had headlamps as well so I just followed them.  When they say  the first 1.5 miles is the toughest they are right! The first mile is in the trees. There was a landslide in the middle of the first 1.5 and it was difficult to see the trail in the dark, but with the help of the other group we found it.  Once you get about tree line the views of the Never Summer Range are gorgeous. This is one of my favorite views in Colorado.  I was taking pictures going up.  The group passed me, I have never seen a group this young attack the mountain like they did. Not one complaint from any of them and they had a very fast pace.  They got further in front of me since I was taking pictures which was OK with me.  The trail disappeared about 1.5 miles from Ida. You have to use the cliffs to your left as a guide line.  You do have to walk on some loose rocks at times but it is not too bad. Once you get to Mt. Ida the views are spectacular. You can see Longs Peak to the Southeast. Southwest is Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake. To the west is the Never Summer Range and to the north you can see Noka Crags, Thunderpass and even Snowy Mtn Range in Wyoming. Very hazy. It's been hot so that did not help but the views were great.  The Northeast side of Ida goes straight down.  Lake Agnes is still Frozen and Lake Inkwell is partially frozen. Amazing! The snow that hanging in the east face of the mountain is at least 20' deep. Amazing to see this at this time of the year.  The west side of Ida is a very easy to climb Very gentle slope. You an see Big Meadow from Mt Ida, it looks very green in the valley below.  Very green on the higher peaks. Chief Cheley and Crocktop that are south of Ida have ton's of snow on them.  On the way back I enjoyed the beautiful day and overlooking the small lakes below in the forest  in Never Summer Range to the west. It got very warm coming back.
I saw a herd of Elk down in a valley west of the trail about 100 or so. Just a beautiful hike, but long and too much above tree line.  Weather was great until the heat rolled in at the end.