Cub Lake via Hollowell Park -RMNP

NOTE THAT RMNP HAS A “TIMED ENTRY PERMIT SYSTEM”. Tickets for this hike go on sale May 1st at 8 a.m. We will carpool into the park, but the park only allows you to purchase 1 ticket per person and tickets are nontransferable. So I will need volunteers to commit to going on May 1 and purchase a timed entry ticket so that we have a ticket for each carpool vehicle. If you have the America the Beautiful Pass, the fee for the ticket is only $2.

CARPOOL: We will carpool into the park to the Hollowell Park Trailhead. We will meet at the Estes Park Parking Structure at 5:50 am and carpool from there. The address for the Parking Structure is 691 N. St. Vrain Ave., Estes Park 80157.

Hikes are always subject to date/time change or cancellation due to weather, trail conditions or closures, or other unforeseen circumstances. We hike as a group and hike at an average moving pace of about 2.5mph (slower up…faster down). Everyone is expected to wait at all intersections & periodically otherwise so that no one is left behind or hiking on their own for safety purposes. We will plan to have lunch at an appropriate spot & we will stop as needed along the way for water, snacks, pictures, etc.

Difficulty: about 10 miles with about 1,700 feet elevation gain.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: Cub Lake and Moraine Park are two of the features that this loop visits. We will begin by hiking into the Mill Creek Basin along the Hollowell Park Trail and then descend to Cub Lake. We will get great views of the surrounding mountains as we hike through Moraine Park. The scenery opens up as the environment changes from forest to open grasslands. The Moraine Park area is also an excellent spot to view elk. And if we get lucky, we might see moose! We will do the following hike in alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/cub-lake-loop-via-moraine-trail

DOGS: 🚫 not allowed in RMNP.

ADDRESS/DIRECTIONS: We will all carpool into the park. We can meet at the Estes Park Parking Structure and carpool from there. The address for the Parking Structure is 691 N. St. Vrain Ave., Estes Park 80157. After parking, let’s meet by the charging stations outside the parking structure (see photo).

We wait 5 minutes for late arrivals…but no longer as that is inconsiderate to those arriving timely. So please allow extra time to get to the trailhead.

IMPORTANT: This is a participate at your own risk event! Life is risky. I am not a professional guide and am simply hosting this event. By signing up for this hike you acknowledge that you are capable of performing this hike and that you are solely responsible for your own safety.

NO SHOWS: If you are a no-show to 2 hikes, you will be booted from this meetup group. So please change your RSVP to “not going” if you are unable to make it.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: Water, snacks, layers of clothing, good hiking shoes/boots, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, gloves, hiking poles (if you find them helpful), and anything else you deem essential.

WEATHER: Here is the NOAA forecast for the hike location. For hourly temps, wind, precipitation, etc., click “Hourly Weather Forecast” in the upper right. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-105.62743703209951&lat=40.34418499717407

REQUIRED WAIVER: If you have not already done so, you must sign the updated waiver with our new meetup name prior to this hike. I will have copies at the trailhead that you can sign or you may print, sign, and bring it with you from the following website: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p728z28jjuwdzws/Waiver%20Corona.pdf?dl=0
If you choose to sign at the trailhead, please arrive early so that we can depart for the hike timely.