Run to Fairchild Mountain in RMNP + Camping

For Saturday we will be heading to the Lawn Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to run up Fairchild Mountain.

ROUTE
Our run will take us up the Lawn Lake trail to Lawn Lake, then Crystal Lakes, and to the summit of Fairchild Mountain (13,502'). Total distance is 19 miles with 5100 ft of gain and around 6 hours.

For those of you looking for shorter options, it is an out/back route, so you can turn back at any point; shorter milestones include:

• Lawn Lake ~12 miles total
• Crystal Lakes ~16 miles total
• Saddle ~17.5 miles total

The trail is a steady climb, but runnable. The views from the top are stunning.

LOGISTICS
This run starts inside RMNP. Timed entry reservations are not needed for this trailhead as long as we are in the park before 9:00 AM. We'll plan to enter the park via the Fall River Entrance on Hwy 34. However, we will need people with Park passes to avoid paying the entrance fee. I request that anyone with a park pass going on the run let the group know in the comments. We will want to coordinate carpooling to include one person per car with a pass as well as minimize the total number of cars, if possible.

Also, the parking lot at Lawn Lake trailhead tends to fill up early. There is additional parking at both the horse trailer lot and where the road turns to one-way. The fewer cars we bring the better.

CARPOOL
We'll use the following 2 carpool options:

• North Foothills Trailhead (map) at 6:30am – At the intersection of Broadway and Hwy 36, head north on 36 a few hundred feet. Turn right onto the dirt road. Trailhead is a little ways down on your left.
• Moxie Bread Co in Lyons (map) at 6:50am - 442 High Street, Lyons, CO

Alternatively, you can meet at the Lawn Lake trailhead at roughly 7:30am.
Note: I will be coming from Hermit Park Campground, so I will need a volunteer to coordinate the group at the carpool spots.

CONSIDERATIONS
No dogs in RMNP.

CAMPING
Some of us are planning to camp the Friday night before (26th) and the Saturday night (27th) at Hermit Park Campground (17 Hermit Park Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517). We are in sites H05, H06, and H07. There are other "H" sites still available, which are close by, for those of you that would like to camp as well. Reserve through Reserve America. Let me know if you are interested in camping and/or have questions. The more the merrier. Also, add a comment below and/or to the meeting location on the Breakfast Sign-Up Form if you are planning to camp.

BREAKFAST (READ ACTION REQUIRED)
We'll plan to eat breakfast at the trailhead. Please use the Breakfast Sign-Up Form to indicate where you plan to meet us and what you plan to bring to share. Note: Use the form for entry, the Google Sheet you can review is read-only.

Lastly, we have BTRBC apparel for sale. Access the Trail Ambitions Store to purchase a t-shirt, hoodie, and/or hat!

Scott Miller
(303) 885-9826
TrailAmbitions
Running Tips and Guidance: YouTube@TrailAmbitions