Today I co-led nine members of the Colorado Mountain Club up Lulu Mountain in the extreme northwestern corner of Rocky Mountain National Park. Lulu Mountain reaches an elevation of 12,228 feet; in the winter or during spring snow conditions the effort to reach its summit is a significant one because the closest parking is at a distance along Colorado Highway 14. The snow was deep on the long snowshoe approach to the base of the mountain, and the ridge above Thunder Pass, which is normally blown free of snow from the strong winter and spring winds so characteristic of this area, had lots of snow still in place.
After a major snowshoeing effort we reached the top under brilliant blue skies; the wind was atypically light. It was a warm day, and we sat for an hour munching on our lunches while admiring the astonishing vistas that are available from this isolated mountain summit. To our west the Never Summer Mountains were shrouded in deep white snow. They were real treasures to the eye, extending from Nokhu Crags southward to their exit from RMNP near Baker Mountain, into the Never Summer Wilderness Area. To the east we looked down at the full reach of Long Draw Reservoir and farther eastward to the Comanche Peak Wilderness and the full extent of the spectacular Mummy Range including the highest mountain in Larimer County, Hague’s Peak. Iron Mountain and Table Iron, in the Neota Wilderness, were close to us toward the NE. And to our north the high mountains of the Rawah Wilderness rose in startling snow-covered whiteness, crowned by Clark Peak, the highest point in Jackson County. To the south we could see Long’s and Pagoda Peaks and the mountains of the central spine of the Park as they trended southward along the Continental Divide. From this inspiring summit we also commented on mountains in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness on the west side of North Park, which was closely below us. Mountains of Indian Peaks Wilderness and of the Gore Range stood out in a fabulous array of enchanting terrain. I can’t imagine a better place to view all of this from, than the high point of Lulu Mountain.
The term “Lulu” is typically applied to a remarkable or wonderful object or idea or event. Here, on this summit on this dazzling day, the expression “WHAT A LULU”! took on even more special meaning!
One would conclude from the juxtaposition of Rocky Mountain National Park with so many Wilderness Areas and the almost-adjacent Colorado State Forest State Park, that the “turf” on Lulu would be forbidden territory for a geocache. Not so! The Park boundary runs east-west through the summit, and the various Wilderness Areas and the State Park don’t touch the Park’s boundary on Lulu Mountain. Immediately north of Lulu’s high point is a wedge of Routt National Forest that is outside the nearby Neota Wilderness Area. It’s a great place for a geocache that has been placed to encourage adventurous cachers to make the commitment to reach this exquisite destination. And it’s much easier to reach this special place in the summer when the snow is gone, than it was on our snowshoe hike today! So make plans for a day you’ll never forget, and hike to the summit of Lulu Mountain. Find the cache on USFS land a little north of the summit. Look for a small pile of rocks that appears slightly different from the surrounding assortment of rocks. Sign the log, carefully replace the cache container to it’s present location, and perhaps even add a couple of small rocks to the down-slope side to make certain the cache won't “migrate” downhill. That’s a concern, so please help out in keeping the cache hide secure. Then, find a soft rock at the summit to sit on, get your maps out, and piece together the peaks that are visible in all directions from this sensational location! You might even find yourself expressing something like “What A Lulu”!