photos/21/1007_YpsilonLake/

By Alan Silverstein, ajs@frii.com (page updated Sun Mar 9 14:33:54 MDT 2025)

Parent directory/folder =photos/21/

I did a dayhike to Chipmunk (10680') and Ypsilon (10560') Lakes in Rocky Mountain NP... Gorgeous fall scenery! Starting with a spectacular sunrise at the Lawn Lake trailhead. Another long solo hike (9 mi, 8+ hours, not fast) on short notice (good forecast => grabbed an entry permit the previous 5 pm), starting way too early (left home 0535, on trail 0717 just after sunrise).

Why this destination? After 44 years hiking in Colorado, including much of RMNP -- I'd never been there! A friend did the route a bit earlier and told me about it, which tickled my fancy.

Unfortunately due to unusually strong left knee pain after 1-2 hours on the way up, it took me a long time to reach Ypsilon, and I skipped continuing about 0.5 mi, 800', up to Spectacle Lakes. However, the pain went away after a long rest, and didn't return.

Image files (Kb): (click on any image for next)

  1. A_ClosedEntranceStation.jpg (180)
  2. B1_SunriseFromLLTH.jpg (184)
  3. B2_SunriseFromLLTH.jpg (184)
  4. B3_SunriseFromLLTH_Pano.jpg (119)
  5. B4_UpFallRiverValley.jpg (215)
  6. B5_UpFallRiverValleyZoom.jpg (235)
  7. B6_UpFallRiverValleyZoom.jpg (197)
  8. B7_SouthToTrailRidgeRoad.jpg (302)
  9. B8_SouthToTrailRidgeZoom.jpg (304)
  10. C1_SouthAcrossMeadows.jpg (311)
  11. C2_SouthAcrossMeadowsZoom.jpg (341)
  12. C3_SouthwestZoom.jpg (417)
  13. D_UpLawnLakeTrail.jpg (245)
  14. E1_RoaringRiverGorge.jpg (406)
  15. E2_RoaringRiverGorge.jpg (361)
  16. E3_YjctInTrail.jpg (392)
  17. E4_CrossingRoaringRiver.jpg (416)
  18. E5_HeadingUphill.jpg (254)
  19. E6_HeadingFurtherUphill.jpg (285)
  20. F1_CurveAndOverlook.jpg (491)
  21. F2_OverlookSoutheast.jpg (391)
  22. G_DownToBootsByTree.jpg (476)
  23. H1_WeatheredTree.jpg (311)
  24. H2_WeatheredTreeZoom.jpg (269)
  25. I1_ChipmunkLakePano.jpg (144)
  26. I2_ChipmunkLakeLeftChiquitaYpsilon.jpg (345)
  27. I3_ChipmunkLakeMiddleYpsilonMtn.jpg (341)
  28. I4_ChipmunkLakeRightFairchildMtn.jpg (359)
  29. I5_LeavingChipmunk.jpg (225)
  30. I6_LeavingChipmunk.jpg (407)
  31. I7_FallColorsAtChipmunk.jpg (356)
  32. I8_LeavingChipmunk.jpg (387)
  33. J1_TreeNearYpsilonLake.jpg (454)
  34. J2_TrailDOWNtoYpsilon.jpg (490)
  35. K1_NorthAcrossYpsilonLake.jpg (433)
  36. K2_NEacrossYpsilonLakeZoom.jpg (299)
  37. K3_ShorelineLight.jpg (414)
  38. K4_ShorelineLight.jpg (413)
  39. K5_ShorelineLight.jpg (266)
  40. L1_HikingEastOnShoreline.jpg (430)
  41. L2_NEacrossYpsilonLake.jpg (350)
  42. L3_ShorelineTreeTrunk.jpg (487)
  43. L4_EastEndOfYpsilon.jpg (288)
  44. L5_WestToMtChiquita.jpg (368)
  45. L6_EastEndLogjam.jpg (479)
  46. L7_ShorelineBoulderEtc.jpg (471)
  47. L8_ShorelineDiffView.jpg (424)
  48. L9_MtChiquitaZoom.jpg (365)
  49. M1_SunlightNearYpsilon.jpg (195)
  50. M2_BoulderUpHillside.jpg (429)
  51. N1_BackToChipmunk.jpg (428)
  52. N2_YpsilonMtnAcrossChipmunk.jpg (387)
  53. N3_YpsilonMtnZoom.jpg (414)
  54. N4_FairchildMtnZoom.jpg (496)
  55. N5_ChipmunkLake.jpg (383)
  56. N6_SunlightNearChipmunk.jpg (462)
  57. O1_EndovalleyFromCurve.jpg (416)
  58. O2_ZoomDownFromCurve.jpg (426)
  59. O3_ZoomDownToTrailhead.jpg (229)
  60. P_DownYpsilonTrail.jpg (461)
  61. Q1_UpToSkinnyAspen.jpg (143)
  62. Q2_DownRoaringRiver.jpg (388)
  63. Q3_AspenAcrossValley.jpg (312)
  64. Q4_AspenColorsZoom.jpg (468)
  65. Q5_CreekThroughAspen.jpg (272)
  66. R_TrailNearTrailhead.jpg (412)