Bettie Course: Black Lake Guided Hike

This Bettie Course is offered to women and individuals that identify as women through the Rocky Mountain Conservancy located in Estes Park, CO. This experience is a one-day guided hike. The goal is for students to learn the basics of packing their day pack and backcountry preparation, as well as basic tundra ecology and Leave No Trace principles.

Join Rocky Mountain Conservancy Naturalists on a guided educational experience to Black Lake. Located in the Glacier Gorge corridor of Rocky Mountain National Park, this trail passes a 30-foot waterfall, Alberta Falls, named after Alberta Sprague, wife of Abner Sprague. The trail continues through a section that was built by the Rocky Mountain Conservancy as part of a large trail building project completed in 2012. With a total elevation gain of 1480 feet, this 9.6-mile round trip hike takes you to multiple small lakes and views of majestic peaks.

Who: Women and those who identify as women ages 18 and over. This is a Level IV course– Includes hikes of more than five miles per day with elevation gain of more than 1,000 ft.

*This course qualifies as a pre-requisite hike for the Longs Peak Summit course and is free for those that are participating in that course.

When: Saturday, August 26, 7:00 am-4:00 pm

Where: Meet at the Estes Park Visitor Center, 500 Big Thompson Ave, Estes Park, CO and travel together to our destination.

What to bring: In addition to the Field Institute Essentials, please bring a packed lunch and snacks.

Questions? Contact us at education@rmconservancy.org.

These courses are offered through Rocky Mountain Conservancy, where scholarships are provided through the Magnificent Mountain Women Scholarship Fund. For more information about scholarships, please submit an application by completing the form here: https://forms.gle/9pBNUS7g8t48KwJR8

Bettie Courses are inspired by the life and work of Beatrice “Bettie” Willard, who was a foundational instructor at the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Field Institute. Her research on alpine tundra ecology has been instrumental to mountain ecology, and her advocacy all throughout the state of Colorado has left a legacy for all women who value land stewardship and conservation. Rocky Mountain Conservancy’s Bettie Courses focus on accessible programs that introduce women and those that identify as women to the outdoors through a variety of programs and topics. Courses emphasize science, ecology, and building the outdoor skills and confidence needed to explore and defend wild places.