The Western Ute Trail is an out-and-back trail although you can start the hike at either end of the trail. For this hike, I opted to start at the trailhead located at the Continental Divide at Milner Pass. This location is at a lower elevation (about 1000 ft lower) than the alternate starting point at the Alpine Center on Trail Ridge Road. The decision was a simple one: do the climb at the start of the day while full of energy and enjoy a leisurely descent for the return trip. In any event, the idea was to spend a bit of time at the Alpine Center before turning back, so this plan made the most sense. The trail starts by skirting Poudre Lake and then begins to climb moderately to a junction point approximately a half mile in. A couple of bull elk sightings while still in the trees with several more further along the trail featuring their younger brethren. The trail continues left and cimbs more gradually until you are out of the trees and in the transition between the tundra and the lower sections of the trail. A bit further along gives a fantastic viewpoint to Forest Canyon towards the south east and of the Specimen peaks to the west. From that point forward, the trail widens a little and the view is basically unobstructed until the end. In fact, the Alpine Center comes into view just past the halfway mark. Before returning, I spent some time at the Alpine Center, including ascending the steps to the summit of “Huffers Hill” (aptly named). Overall, a very nice hike and with the early start a great opportunity for elk sightings. Also, there were fewer people on the trail which made for a wonderful solitary experience in this part of RMNP.
