I did Twin Sisters in RMNP yesterday morning, February 12, 2023. It was a 7.1 mile out and back with 2,416 feet of ascent, maxing out at 11,356 feet. Strong winds scoured the summit of snow and brought the wind chill to close to zero. Near the top, there were two very short glissading spots, a bonus. I also did a graceful faceplant on the way down while running when one leg post-holed.
The morning was overcast, and one other hiker parked their car near the TH. I was thrilled to return to hiking in less crowded areas without mud. I resumed trekking five days after testing positive for Covid, but I remained around the neighborhood. I bundled up and hiked vigorously, but this week, the daytime temperatures on the front range were above freezing, so all the snow melted, creating mud. I prefer not to hike in the muck but stay on the trails to avoid damage. I retire my used-up trail runners to mud-shoe status. I do not like walking in the mud.
I decided to go back to RMNP and do Twin Sisters because it is a challenging hike, and I wanted to see how well I could do after having Covid. I went on Super Bowl Sunday morning since fewer people would be there versus a typical Sunday. I did a steady slow ascent. I felt great, but my step lacked energy. I still had some congestion, but my body felt pretty good. As usual, I overthought, but my mind settled down. There were a few spots when I thought this hike was not as beautiful as others. It was somewhat dull. But I felt great being outside and somewhere different.
I did use micro-spikes and brought my snowshoes (making glissading a little awkward since I strapped them to my pack) that I did not use. I had not been on this side of RMNP for a month, so I was unsure if I needed them.
At the start, I had a short hike to the TH since the roads were closed, which added some elevation gain and distance. I parked across from Lily Lake. The trek is challenging since elevation gain averaged over 500 feet per mile. I started hiking around 08:30 and was home by 13:00. The hike was constantly uphill, and the summit was windy and frigid. The peak was rugged with rocks and boulders. I did not spend much time there. I also had a slight headache from the cold and altitude.