ROLLINS PASS WEST FEATURING KING, BETTY & BOB LAKES HIKE
ROLLINS PASS WEST (ALSO REFERRED TO AS MOFFAT ROAD OR CORONA PASS) WAS ORIGINALLY A WAGON ROAD BETWEEN BOULDER COUNTY AND WHAT WAS THEN CALLED MIDDLE PARK. YEARS LATER, IT WAS THE ROUTE USED BY THE DENVER & SALT LAKE RAILROAD UNTIL THE MOFFAT TUNNEL OPENED UNDERGROUND IN 1928. ROLLINS PASS WEST IS SPLIT FROM ROLLINS PASS EAST BY THE NEEDLE EYE TUNNEL. FROM 1955-1979, ROLLINS PASS SERVED AS A COMPLETE ROAD OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASS FOR AUTOMOBILES UNTIL A ROCK FALL IN THE NEEDLE'S EYE TUNNEL IN 1979 CLOSED THE PATH OVER THE PASS. IN 1988, AFTER STRUCTURAL STRENGTHENING OF THE TUNNEL WAS ACCOMPLISHED, THE COMPLETE ROAD RE-OPENED ONLY TO BE PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN 1990. ROLLINS PASS WEST ROAD SLOWLY CLIMBS IN ELEVATION FOR 15.45 MILES FROM 9,033' TO 11,806'. THE FIRST 11 MILES ARE IN THE TREES AND AT 10.5 MILES YOU REACH THE RIFLESIGHT NOTCH TRESTLE. THIS TRESTLE GOT ITS NICKNAME AS FROM A DISTANCE THE NARROW CANYON LOOKS LIKE THE NOTCH IN A RIFLE SIGHT. CONSTRUCTED IN 1905, THE TRESTLE WAS PART OF THE LOOP, AN ENGINEERING MARVEL THAT LET TRAINS GAIN OR LOSE 175' OF ELEVATION IN A MILE. AS THE ROAD CONTINUES ABOVE TIMBERLINE VIEWS OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND MOUNT EPWORTH FILL THE HORIZON AS YOU PASS BY DEADMAN AND PUMPHOUSE LAKES. AT THE TOP OF THE PASS IS A SIGN SAYING ROLLINGS PASS, ELEVATION OF 11,660. IN ADDITION, IT EXPLAINS THE HISTORY OF THE PASS AND THE RESTAURANT, HOTEL AND RAILWAY STATION THAT USED TO OCCUPY THE AREA. THIS IS WHERE YOU START THE 4 MILE ROUND TRIP HIKE TO KING, BETTY AND BOB LAKES. THE VALLEY WHERE KING LAKES SITS IS AMAZING AND EVEN IN AUGUST THERE WAS A SHELF OF SNOW BETWEEN THE SADDLE AND KING LAKE. THIS TRAIL HAS IT ALL: SPECTACULAR SCENERY, WILDFLOWERS, 3 BEAUTIFUL ALPINE LAKES, WATERFALLS AND WILDLIFE.
