Snowshoeing Tour to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

This moderate snowshoeing tour is a must do in the winter!

Location

Meet in Estes Park, Colorado. Details will be provided after booking.

Description

Emerald Lake

Intensity: Moderate

Mileage: 3.2 miles round trip

Starting elevation: 9,475 ft.

Elevation gain: ~700 ft.

Trail Time: 3.5 - 4 hours

Highlights: 4 sub-alpine lakes, iconic mountain views, pristine wilderness, wildlife

Description: Rocky Mountain National Park is absolutely stunning in the winter. Everything looks different in different seasons and Emerald Lake is a must-see in winter conditions. This tour is perfect if you’re moderately fit, but not used to the high elevation. After we leave the trailhead we'll pass by 3 other sub-alpine lakes on the way to Emerald. These include Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, and Dream Lake each of which provide their own unique charm and views. The trail leads us through a forest of pristine pine and aspen with stunning views of Long's Peak (14,256 ft) and the rugged wilderness of Rocky Mountain National Park.  

This is a popular trail, so you ask why you need a guide? Hiking in the snow in the mountains is completely different than hiking in summer conditions. Many people never make it to Bear Lake (250 ft from the parking lot) because they weren't prepared for the snow and ice. Femme Trek will provide micro spikes and trekking poles and show you how to use the gear so that your winter experience is unforgettable. 

After booking, you'll receive an email with details like meeting place and time, and tips on how to prepare and what to bring.

Rates per person (includes snowshoes and trekking poles, hot drink)

1 = $275*

2 = $199 per person

3 = $189 per person

4 = $179 per person

5 = $169 per person

6 = $159 per person

Payment plans available. Balance must be paid in full 7 days before tour departure. Please email info@femmetrekltd.com to set up. 

Guides do accept tips and they are greatly appreciated since every tour is customized for your group. 10-20% is customary.

*While it's not always possible to match solo hikers with a group, if others book the same tour on that day, you’ll receive a refund and pay the same rate as the group. And, if no one else joins the tour, you’ll enjoy a private experience, which is a nice bonus! Please note that booking terms and conditions for this hike will apply, not those of a private half-day tour. Thank you for understanding! 

All tours are for women 18 and up.

Plan Your Stay

Please go to Visit Estes Park to plan your stay.

Add-Ons

  • Guided Forest Bathing $50.00

What’s included/What’s not included

What's included:

  • An experienced guide leading, teaching, and motivating you all the way.
    • You're in good hands with Femme Trek guides! Our guides are trained in Wilderness First Response, First Aid and CPR, and have wilderness survival skills training. We also carry a device to reach emergency services with the click of a button in case of emergency.
  • Snowshoes and trekking poles.
  • Coaching on how to use the gear.
  • Email coaching before the hike on how to prepare, how to dress, etc.
  • A guide who will be present with you and not run ahead to leave you and your group slogging along by yourself. Tours are customized based on the group.
  • White glove customer service where we take care to answer questions and make sure you know what to expect and are prepared for the hike.
  • Coffee, tea, hot chocolate.
  • Hot drink.

What's not included:

  • Gratuity.
  • Entrance fee to Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • Transportation to and from the trailhead.
  • Water/snacks.
  • Warm clothing and rain gear.
  • Sturdy hiking boots.

Highlighted Points of Interest What you'll see or experience as part of Snowshoeing Tour to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

  • Rocky Mountain National Park

Booking Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions for Day Hikes and Snowshoeing Tours

Payments

Payment in full is due at the time of booking for day hiking and snowshoeing tours.

Refunds/Cancellations

A refund minus a $50 administrative fee will be given if a client cancels a trip with 7+ days’ notice.

A 50% refund will be given for trips if a client cancels with 48 hours’ notice. 

No refund will be given for trips cancelled within 48 hours of trip date.

In the event the trip is cancelled by Femme Trek a full refund will be issues. Trips may be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances such as guide injury, illness, family emergency, trail closures, wildfire, unsafe weather conditions or terrain (i.e. avalanche warnings), or any other reason not listed here. In this case, a full refund will be issued to the client. However, Femme Trek is not responsible for expenses incurred due to trip cancellation including but not limited to flights, hotel, rental car, meals, or any other travel expenses incurred. 

Tour Terms and Conditions

Upon booking, Femme Trek will email you regarding meeting location, time, and provide a list of things to bring/wear, and what you can expect on the tour. 

Tours begin and end at the designated trailhead, however, as a courtesy, Femme Trek may ask clients to meet at a designated location in Estes Park. The client will then use their own vehicle to follow the Femme Trek guide to the designated trailhead. We do this because some of our tours start before the sun comes up and there is limited service outside of Estes Park. Clients always appreciate not having to find a trailhead in the dark. If you prefer to meet at the trailhead, please let us know. 

No matter where you meet the guide, if you are late, we will only wait 5 minutes past the meeting time before leaving for the tour. This includes if you contact us and tell us you will be late. If you're later than 5 minutes to the meeting point (or trailhead), we'll determine how late you will be and decide from there whether you'll be allowed to join the tour or if you'll need to reschedule your tour. You won't be allowed to join at all if you're going to be more than 15 minutes late. In the case of not being allowed to join a tour, you'll receive a credit. No refund will be given. This applies to private tours and group tours. We have specific meeting times for very specific reasons such as to get parking, beat the crowds, be in safe location before afternoon thunderstorms, and other safety reasons not listed here. In the event of a private tour, it will be at the discretion of the guide whether or not to allow the tour to operate or if you need to reschedule. If you will be late for a private tour, you'll be charged an additional $5/minute for the time.

Femme Trek will provide a list of gear that you must bring along with a list of optional items. Femme Trek reserves the right to refuse service a client who is not dressed according to the guidelines and/or does not have the proper gear. In this case the client will be given a credit. No refunds in the event of a client not being properly prepared for a tour. This includes private tours and group tours. In the event of a private tour, it's at the discretion of the Femme Trek guide to allow the client to go get the proper gear and return at a later time for a tour. In this event, the client will be charged an extra $5/minute for the extra time for the guide.

Femme Trek does not guarantee that group or private tours will reach the final destination. While Femme Trek requires clients on tours to be of a fitness level appropriate for the tour they booked, sometimes clients overestimate their abilities, become ill while on the tour or there may be other factors such as injury, illness, weather, wildlife, wildfire, or other conditions not listed here. No refunds will be issued if the destination isn't reached. Guides are paid for their time and if a client(s) take much longer than expected, that's time that the guide is not getting paid and it's putting the guide and group at risk of exposure, bad weather, injury, etc. Upon booking the tour, the estimated time of tour is listed and that's what the guide is expected to follow. The total tour time is usually generous, especially if you book the appropriate tour for your fitness level. 

If the tour starts and the Femme Trek guide determines that a client overestimated their ability and will become a risk for the group or Femme Trek, the Femme Trek guide reserves the right to refuse further service to the client. In this case, the client will be issued a credit and asked to re-book a tour appropriate to their fitness level. 

Femme Trek will not be responsible for expenses incurred due to trip cancellation including but not limited to flights, hotel, rental car, meals, or any other travel expenses incurred. 

Itinerary Changes

We at Femme Trek will do everything possible to honor the trip itinerary you booked with us. However, itineraries are subject to change due to hazardous weather conditions, wildlife, forest fires, park and trail closures, unsafe trail conditions, illness, unforeseen incidents, clients not physically able to hike or other reasons not listed here. If an itinerary needs to be changed, we’ll do everything possible to provide a comparable experience. No refunds will be given for itinerary changes for any reason.

Snowshoeing Tours

The weather and trail conditions can vary greatly from year to year and depends on elevation and weather patterns. There is no guarantee that there will be enough snow for snowshoeing. If an area doesn't have enough snow for snowshoeing, we'll do our best to provide an alternate location that does have snow and that is comparable to the original location. Avalanche conditions and road conditions will dictate where the alternate location is. If a safe, suitable, alternate location can't be found at the time, you'll be provided with micro spikes and trekking poles and will proceed on a winter hiking tour. There will be no refunds if the tour is changed from snowshoeing to winter hiking tour. We can't control the weather! Thanks for your understanding.

Right to Refuse Service and Release from a Tour

Femme Trek reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason without a refund. This policy is implemented for the safety of the guides and the group.

Femme Trek guides will wait no longer than 5 minutes at the meeting point to collect clients. If a client(s) shows up to the meeting location more than 5 minutes late without notifying the guide, the tour will leave without the client(s) and no refund will be issued. If the client notifies the guide that she will be more than 10 minutes late, the client will be issued a credit, not a refund. The tours start at a certain time for many reasons, mostly for parking to avoid a longer hike, and so that the group is finished with the hike before dangerous thunderstorms come in. 

If a client chooses to leave the tour early before they group is back to the trailhead (for example they are enjoying the wilderness and want to linger longer), she/they will need to sign out with the guide. The guide will prepare a paper detailing the reason why the person wants to be released from the tour, date/time, and location. The client(s) will be asked to sign this paper. No refund will be issued. 

Reasons for Femme Trek refusing service include, but are not limited to a client showing up drunk and/or hung over, not being prepared for the hike (incorrectly dressed or not bringing enough food and/or water for the trip length), a client insisting on drinking alcohol on the tour, a client refusing to follow the instructions of the Femme Trek guide thereby putting the group in danger, inappropriate behavior, not turning around if the guide advises it due to dangerous conditions or trip time, and any other reasons not listed here. The Femme Trek guide will give the client 2 verbal warnings. If the client doesn't change the behavior, they will be notified that they are being released from the tour and Femme Trek is no longer responsible for them. The Femme Trek guide will file an internal report detailing the incident, warnings issued, and time and place the client was released from the tour. Femme Trek will ask for witnesses to also file a report with Femme Trek.

Femme Trek will not be responsible for expenses incurred due to trip cancellation including but not limited to flights, hotel, rental car, meals, or any other travel expenses incurred. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guided Tours Outdoors
v10.289