I think we’re getting old. Or boring. Or lazy.
Whatever the explanation, when Labor Day weekend rolled around this year, we really just weren’t feeling it.
Historically, we’ve jumped at the opportunity to go somewhere further from home on a long weekend. This year, that just didn’t seem appealing. Granted, we’d only been home from Iceland for 3 weeks and we’d both gone straight back to work less than 24 hours after we returned (thankfully just for a day, and then it was the weekend and we could recover). Life had been somewhat of a marathon ever since, with hikes, work obligations, and social obligations, not to mention all the plans that were already in place for the upcoming three weekends.
The idea of packing for a trip and then being gone for three full days before going straight back to work again just felt overwhelming.
In the end, we decided on a compromise: we’d hike on Saturday and leave Sunday and Monday open for some much-needed introvert time at home.
So, on Saturday morning, we were up early and heading out for the drive to the Gore Lake Trailhead near Vail. This is a hike that’s been on my list for years, but it’s just far enough away and a long enough hike that it never ended up at the top of the list. It was high time to rectify that.
It ended up being a very long day. We left home at 5:30am and returned at 6:00pm. We hiked 12.5 miles (20.1 km). And it wasn’t easy terrain, either. But we did it!
If I could describe the Gore Creek Trail in two words, it would be rocky and squiggly. It’s the kind of trail where you want to look at the view, but you can’t because if you stop watching where you’re going, you’ll trip over a rock. Or multiple rocks.
(And yes, I learned this by trial and error.)
As for the squiggly part, the entire first 4 miles (6.4 km) of the trail was just a constant back and forth and up and down as it roughly paralleled Gore Creek. This hike would have been significantly shorter and with less elevation gain if the trail hadn’t been so squiggly.
But it is what it is, so up and down and back and forth we went, making our way further into the heart of the Gore Range.
About 1 mile (1.6 km) in, we were stopped by a big ol’ moose standing right next to the trail. He didn’t look like he was going anywhere anytime soon, so I decided to pull out my new phone zoom lens and practice my animal photography.
I’ve seen nearly 150 moose since I moved to Colorado 8 years ago (not an exaggeration; I was seeing so many I started keeping a list), yet I have almost no photos of them because I only ever have my phone camera. I’m determined to change that.
After a few minutes, Mr. Moose decided the trees at the top of the hill looked tastier and meandered away from the trail, allowing us to safely pass.
For the next hour plus, we wove in and out of the various landscapes, alternating between forest and meadow, pine trees and aspens, and lots of smaller plants that were beginning to show the first signs of fall.
After just over 4 miles (6.4 km), we reached the junction with the Gore Lake Trail.
Just a few minutes earlier, we’d commented on how strong we were feeling for a hike with so much elevation gain. As soon as we turned onto the Gore Lake Trail, the reason became very apparent: we’d achieved barely over half of the total elevation gain so far. The remaining 1200 feet (365 m) was all in this final 1.7 miles (2.7 km).
Right away, the trail headed up. Steeply. In the first 0.4 miles (0.6 km), we gained almost 500 feet (150 m). Suddenly, we weren’t feeling so strong.
Beyond this point, the grade moderated slightly, and there were even some relatively flat sections at about the halfway point. The final climb to the lake was steep, though less so than the first section. And as the mountains behind the lake came into view, they gave us the burst of motivation we needed to navigate the final ascent.
After all these years of having Gore Lake on our to-do list, we were finally standing at its shores.
Unlike many mountain lakes, which are surrounded by difficult terrain that makes circumnavigation a challenge, an easy half mile (0.8 km) trail surrounds Gore Lake. It’s well worth walking the whole thing.
After a snack by the shore, we set off clockwise around the lake, pausing to take photos and enjoy the view from every angle. As pretty as the lake is, it’s the rugged mountain backdrop that really stole the show for me.
And as the sun went in and out of the clouds and the breeze shifted, so did the color of the water and the surface of the lake.
After nearly 90 minutes at the lake, though, it was time to say goodbye. We had a long hike back to the car followed by a long drive, though the excitement of stopping at our favorite Colorado pizza place on the way home served as a good source of motivation for our tired legs. My ankles, especially, were sore by the end after so many miles of rocky and uneven terrain.
Not pictured: the beers we enjoyed along with it
It’s easy to see why Gore Lake is such a popular hike (relatively speaking; it’s far enough from the Front Range that it’s not as overrun as many Colorado trails, but the parking lot was mostly full by the time we returned to our car), especially in autumn. After all, it offers a bit of everything: forests, streams, fall colors, views, mountains, a lovely alpine lake. Seeing mountain goats at the lake is pretty much a guarantee, though they were nowhere to be found on this particular morning. There were chunks of fur tangled up in all the tree branches, though, as proof of their usual presence.
I always forget how much I love the Gore Range. It’s so rugged, and I’ve enjoyed every hike I’ve done there. It’s a place I need to spend more time exploring.
But for now, we had the photos and memories of a beautiful hike, and the sore legs to go along with it.
Gore Lake: you were gore-geous. And well worth the effort.
Up next: summiting Pikes Peak
The Important Stuff:
- Getting there: Gore Creek Trailhead is located off I-70 in East Vail. We hiked this on a holiday weekend and there was still plenty of parking available in the overflow lot across the road. The road is paved; any car can make it to the trailhead.
- Fees and passes: none
- Hiking: my hiking tracker is broken, but according to Gaia GPS this hike (including the walk around the lake) comes in at about 12.5 miles (20.1 km) roundtrip with 2770 feet (845 m) of elevation gain.
- Where to stay: with a somewhat central location, this could be done as a day hike from many areas, including the central Front Range, much of the I-70 corridor, and other areas in Summit, Grand, Pitkin, and Eagle Counties. For overnight stays, Gore Creek Campground is just up the road from the trailhead. The lake is a popular backpacking spot. There are also various accommodations nearby in the town of Vail.
- Other: this hike is a big commitment – it’s long, steep, and rocky, and ends at an elevation of nearly 11,500 feet (3500 m). Be sure to bring plenty of food, water, and layers, as well as good footwear and proper navigation tools. We found hiking poles to be very useful as well, especially on the descent.
Leave a Reply