Event Hosted By David Walls Start slideshow Heart Lake Hike 10-16-04 Written By David Walls 10/16/2004 click for full size Event - Heart Lake Hike 10-14-04 8 o'clock in a Denver parking lot and the hiking crew assembles. What's this.... Kate stopped by just getting off work to say Hi? With only 2 hours sleep last night she agrees to partake in the adventure. Luckily she's got her boots in the truck (ummm they have been there since Aug along with some beer brew equipment). Hey Kate, have a kitchen sink in there too? At this point I'd like to point out that we had two last minute cancellations, John and Michelle. Both citing lack of sleep as the reason they weren't doing the hike, HEY I told you guys not to stay out late partying! After just over an hour of driving Ramon and I arrive at the Moffat tunnel parking lot with our passengers in tow. As we begin the adventure at 9:45am we are welcomed by sun and a moderate temp of about 50, a beautiful day for a hike. Just under a mile into the hike the snow which I thought would only be in the shade becomes gradually deeper. Peggy who had been leading the pack most of the way now now graciously allowed me to lead as everyone followed in my size 13 boot prints. About this time Aubree was wishing she had her boots with are still back in Michigan, instead she selected a pair of NB trail shoes for this adventure. Ok, at this point in the hike I'd like everyone to pull out their snowshoes looking back at everyone with a grin. As we neared the top, the trail became increasingly more difficult to follow. We had been able to spot the occasional red spot on a tree marking the trail but now couldn't find a single one. Rahim and I venture back and forth trying to locate the trail trudging thru the snow. Meanwhile Kate aka("The shooter"), was taking this time to admire a frozen waterfall...Kate and Aubree then proceeded take joy in removing the hanging icicles from the rock ledge. After determining there were no trail markers to be found we moved on blazing a path thru the snow. As we neared the tree line at Rogers and Heart lake we were confronted with the wind that we had only previously been hearing. It was quite capable of blowing you right over, check out the pics in one you can see everyone leaning into the wind. At one point I watched Aubree, Kate and Penny all fall like bowling pins. I fell victim too, hitting the ground laughing after seeing them all blown over. For now on I will always bring my knife (as I usually do). Ramon had been counting on me bring it as he had brought the items for a gourmet lunch. Some assembly required, since he had a loaf of bread(unsliced), whole tomatoes, avocadoes, turkey, cheese. BTW- Rahim was the pack mule who actually carried this stuff. Through out the hike Peggy shared the two bags of GORP she had made. Kate educated us on GORP, that it stood for "Granola, Oats, Raisins, and Peanuts". Oh, and we never found that starbucks by Heart lake.... my guess is that it was over that NEXT ridge. ;-) After returning back to town the boys (Chris, Ramon, Rahim and I) went out for some nourishment. Rahim has a thing about getting a Corona and a burger. Wow.... what a great day! Some other notable things and quotes: "Hey Moses, I got your stick" - Rahim "You know what they say about girls with big feet" - Aubree "How much farther?" - the group "Just over that next ridge" - Dave "The alpine slide with Rahim" - Use of gravity to descend some of the trail on his hind side since we had no sled. More Photos

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Aubree	Very cool (literally) Thanks Dave for organizing, and everybody else for accompanying me (and feeding me) on my first Colorado hike. Now I just need to invest in some hiking boots!
Rahim	A great day indeed! Despite the strong gusty wind and the snow on the trail most of the way, I thought this hike was a success. We got all the way up there. We enjoyed each other's company and learned more about each other. But most importantly, we had fun. Next hike, I'll remind myself to bring a pair of snowshoes, though. :) Thanks Dave for organizing all this from the moment the event was posted on the board until everybody were safely back at their car. Thanks everybody for coming. It was great to be able to enjoy and share CO weather (warm or cold) and sceneries with others.
Kate	oh happy day great pics dave! Really glad I was able to go--- may not have been the smartest decision of my life, but i probably felt better about myself than if I had slept all day! Thanks for planning this, and letting me come along last minute!