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Post by marmotstew on Apr 13, 2023 9:09:28 GMT -8
Anybody been there? How is it? Tell me more.
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Post by absarokanaut on Apr 14, 2023 10:14:17 GMT -8
More than seven months without forum activity down the drain.
I have not been man but if you want to talk to someone that has one of my college buddies has had a wonderful home very close to Bayfield for almost 30 years. He is a very accomplished backcountry traveler in that part of the world.
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Post by marmotstew on Apr 14, 2023 12:41:56 GMT -8
More than seven months without forum activity down the drain. I have not been man but if you want to talk to someone that has one of my college buddies has had a wonderful home very close to Bayfield for almost 30 years. He is a very accomplished backcountry traveler in that part of the world. Yeah sorry about that. Just trying to get the party started. My main questions are if late June is too early(It’s a timing thing) Don’t mind snow if it’s that packed down version you can walk on. And in all trails they mentioned last summer there were a bunch of blown down trees to navigate.
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Post by marmotstew on Apr 14, 2023 12:47:11 GMT -8
Will your buddy let me pass out on his couch and eat all his food?
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Post by cweston on Apr 14, 2023 13:50:11 GMT -8
Is that accessing Emerald Lake from the south from Lime Mesa? I've done most of that route (not the part descending to the lake--I traversed the ridge to the west instead.) It was in September, so no knowledge of snow conditions, but the part of the hike from Lime Mesa to the descent to Emerald Lake is pretty flat-ish, very open, easy navigation, so I would think some hard snow would be no big issue. If it's post-hole-ish snow, that's another story, of course.
HOWEVER, the drive to this hike is long and punishing, over some very exposed roads that I'd not want to drive with any snow/ice on them. After the exposed stretch, the last stretch is on a 4WD road that was accessible in my standard AWD SUV until it wasn't: I stopped about a half mile short of where I "should have" parked and walked the road which was becoming increasingly rough. I think the deciding factor for June would probably be the drive moreso than the hike.
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Post by cweston on Apr 14, 2023 14:02:56 GMT -8
Here is my TR from that hike. It's not so detailed, but it contains a link to a TR (not on this site) with very detailed information about the hike, the road, etc.
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Post by hikinggods on Apr 14, 2023 18:46:11 GMT -8
I was assuming Marmotstew was talking about the much bigger Emerald Lake that is up the Emerald Lake trail that branches off from the Pine River Trail, not the smaller Emerald Lake near Ruby Lake below Lime Mesa... How many Emerald Lakes and Blue Lakes ARE there in Colorado?
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Post by cweston on Apr 15, 2023 4:07:03 GMT -8
Ah. Well, if that’s the case, then… …NEVERMIND!
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Post by marmotstew on Apr 15, 2023 5:46:35 GMT -8
I was assuming Marmotstew was talking about the much bigger Emerald Lake that is up the Emerald Lake trail that branches off from the Pine River Trail, not the smaller Emerald Lake near Ruby Lake below Lime Mesa... How many Emerald Lakes and Blue Lakes ARE there in Colorado? That is the one. Hiking along pine river looks enticing with the fishing opportunities. And lakes shouldn’t be allowed to have the same name in the same mountain range. It’s a travesty.
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Post by marmotstew on Apr 15, 2023 5:49:18 GMT -8
Ah. Well, if that’s the case, then… …NEVERMIND! All good. Didn’t realize there was another emerald lake there. I don’t get down to the San Juan’s much.
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BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,940
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 16, 2023 19:34:23 GMT -8
I visited that Emerald Lake in 2004. It was part of an almost-loop trip going up Vallecito, following one creek up to the divide and another back down to Pine River and back out a few miles from where I started. Just going up Pine River to Emerald Lake could be an overnighter or a weekend trip.
I enjoyed it a great deal. There had been some fire in the area and some flood damage. Since then I believe there's been more of the latter, especially on the Vallecito side.
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Post by larrys on Apr 22, 2023 14:02:08 GMT -8
I was going to head up there in late June after the huge snow year in 2018/2019, but the confluence of the Pine River and another river near where you turn to go up to Emerald Lake were out of their banks and very dangerous according to FS ranger. Not sure if that will again happen this year but with all the snow in that area there could be epic flooding. I know the Vallecito area got over 200% of normal snow this year. Also heard that the pine bark beetles had been at work around the lake. You might call the FS out of Bayfield to get their take.
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BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,940
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 22, 2023 14:53:34 GMT -8
the confluence of the Pine River and another river near where you turn to go up to Emerald Lake were out of their banks and very dangerous according to FS ranger. Was that Flint Creek? That's what connects to Rock Creek at the Divide, and Rock Creek connects to Vallecito. There is a bridge over Flint Creek, that if washed out would make for a dangerous crossing in high water.
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Post by larrys on May 26, 2023 18:48:33 GMT -8
Sorry Bigload for taking so long to get back. Yes it was Flint Creek and where it joined Pine Creek. Sorry but my maps are all in Durango.
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