Aye, Calypso
Sunday, July 7, 2019 — Calypso Cascades
Sometime early October 1986 (I’m guessing), a colleague of mine agreed to drop me off at the Wild Basin trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park and pick me up a couple of days later. As the dust from his mini-van disappeared from view down the dirt road, I headed up the trail, five miles to Ouzel Lake, where I camped in two days of solitude, with only the falling autumn leaves and early snowflakes as company.
That is the last time I remember having trekked up this trail — until today.
These days, five miles (or ten round-trip) is quite out of my reach, especially with a full pack of camping gear, so this afternoon I satisfied myself with reaching Calypso Cascades — less than two miles up.
As is the case with most waterways in the Rocky Mountains this summer, the river was a deluge. The falls were raging, as expected. Overall, pleasant views, a smooth trail, and reasonable temperatures in the 60s or low 70s.
Addendum: In retrospect I don’t think I quite reached Calypso Falls proper… trail notes online indicate that hikers first reach an “unnamed waterfall” which should not be confused with Calypso Cascades 0.2 miles higher. So I might have to try again and go another 0.2 miles to see if this is the case.
Image Note: the cover image is composed of three overlapping portrait-orientation photographs, blended in Lightroom.
