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Old 10-03-2004, 12:05 PM   #1
RockyMtnRay
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 816
Arrow Almost Heaven: Brainard Lake NRA, Colorado

Yeah, yeah, I know John Denver didn't use the phrase "Almost Heaven" in his song Colorado Rocky Mountain High....but I think he would have if he'd seen the Brainard Lake Nat'l Rec Area first. It's about 60 miles NW of Denver at the very edge of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. Here are some pics from my visit there the week of July 11th, 2004.

Let's start with a view of Mt Audubon (13,233) from the campsite just after sunrise:


And some scenes from around my campsite in the Pawnee Campground that were taken that morning and the evening before....

East side...this campsite is really tucked into the forest:


A shot from the west side (notice the complete privacy):


A couple of notes about the strange appearance (and small size) of the trees and shrubbery. The correct term for this type of tree where all the branches are on the lee-side is Krummholz...literally "crooked wood". Brainard Lake is at an elevation of 10,300 feet (just below tree-line) and has a sub-arctic climate (despite being at the same latitude as Virginia and central California). It's only snow free from early July until early September; in the winter the winds howl through with hurricane force (sometimes well over 100 mph) and temperatures drop to below -50.

Moving down to Brainard Lake itself (a short 200 foot walk from my campsite), here's a view of the Isabelle Glacier reflecting in the lake.



Heaven is not easy to get into. In case any of you are thinking this looks like an ideal place to visit (it really is!), you do need to keep in mind a few things.

First, the climb up from the plains around Denver involves an enormous amount of ascending in a very short distance....5000 feet in about 25 miles. There are a couple of miles of 10% grades coming out of Boulder and the first two miles of the access road to the NRA involve a 1000 foot ascent with some quarter mile stretches of 20% grades. It is STEEP! Going back down is equally challenging...I had my truck in 1st gear for maximum engine braking and still had to repeatedly and heavily use the wheel brakes to keep my speed under 30 mph...and to bring it down to 10 mph to negotiate several hairpin switchbacks. I would caution against trying to pull a TM in here unless you have an engine with at least 300 ft-lbs of torque and very low gearing (around 3.91 axles).

Another issue is waste water. There is fresh water at the campground but the closest dump station is 5000 feet in elevation and 25 miles down those tortuous and steep mountain roads. Having a full grey water tank really adds to the excitement of the descent.

And for you hookups types...no, there is no electricity. None at all...not even for the campground facilities.

This area is extremely popular so if you want reservations, you need to reserve at least 30 days in advance for a weekday stay and about 90 days in advance for a weekend stay.

Unfortunately, the board software only allows 4 images to be embedded into the post so you'll just have to click on the rest. Attached images are....
  • Another of Brainard Lake with Mt Audubon reflecting
  • View from inside the TM while eating breakfast
  • Another view of the campsite
  • Nearby Mitchell Lake (about a 1 mile hike) with Mt Audubon again
  • A nice cascade along the trail from Mitchell Lake to Blue Lake (there are 5 lakes total in this NRA). Yes, it was mid July and that's still remnants of last winter's snow
  • Blue Lake with Mt Toll in the background.
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__________________
Ray

I use my TM as a base camp for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and climbing Colorado's 14ers


The Trailer: 2002 TM Model 2720SL ( Mods: Solar Panels (170 Watts), Dual T-105 Batteries, Electric Tongue Jack, Side AC, Programmable Thermostat, Doran TP Monitor System)

The Tow Vehicle: 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4X4 w/Tow Package (Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Prodigy Brake Controller, Transmission Temperature Gauge)


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