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Post by cweston on Jun 7, 2021 10:19:28 GMT -8
Just wondering if/where you ended up doing a trip, texasbb.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Jun 8, 2021 18:50:23 GMT -8
Perfect timing. I just finished an overnighter to Willow Lake (and Upper Willow Lake) last night. The schedule didn't work for any more than that except for a couple of acclimitization day hikes near Crested Butte. Willow is gorgeous, but I enjoyed the morning trip to the upper lake more. There's no trail that I saw, and the hike was brushy, snowy, and bouldery. The lake itself was a frozen wasteland surrounded by regal 14ers.
Edit: I'll post a few pics when I get to where I can deal with them (I'm still on the road now).
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Post by cweston on Jun 9, 2021 3:38:08 GMT -8
Nice.
When the area above Willow Lake thaws out, there are some nice camps up there (exposed).
Did you see any bighorn?
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Jun 9, 2021 16:36:38 GMT -8
The area around the top of the falls was thoroughly melted out--the occasional snow fields didn't start till a bit higher up--but the sign below the main lake says no camping above that spot.
No bighorn or anything else, really, except a few menacing stare downs from marmots daring me to stop for a snack.
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Post by absarokanaut on Jun 9, 2021 17:39:38 GMT -8
Glad you had a good time man. I might be going down there to do Willow and another one of my favorite hikes, the Buffalo Peaks from Salt Creek, in August or early September.
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Post by cweston on Jun 21, 2021 7:21:25 GMT -8
The area around the top of the falls was thoroughly melted out--the occasional snow fields didn't start till a bit higher up--but the sign below the main lake says no camping above that spot. I *THINK* that sign is intended to say no camping beyond that spot in the lake basin (not above), but I could be wrong. Last time I was there was a dayhike and I therefore didn't pay too much attention to the sign. But I could be wrong. That area above the falls gets a fair amount of traffic from climbers headed to Challenger/Kit Carson, so maybe too many people were making camp up there.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Jul 14, 2021 11:14:11 GMT -8
Well, it's been more than a month since I was there (June 7-8, 2021), but I'm finally getting a quick report together. I was only able to fit in a single overnighter, which I used to hit lower and upper Willow Lakes. There's room for quite a few tents in the area just below the lake; there are even (at least) three bear wires that I saw, so the USFS apparently expects large crowds. I had the whole place to myself. Lower Willow Lake: Looking back out from over the falls: The falls from a little ways up (near the climbing route): I got up early the morning of the 2nd day to hike up to the upper lake. It's about 800 ft higher and a mile as the crow flies. It was a gorgeous frozen wasteland. It's right at the base(s) of Point 13,799 and Kit Carson Mtn, so it's hard to photograph. Here's a distorted stitched pano...the mountains are really a lot more vertical that that: A lot of the geology is what I call hardened stone soup: Stone soup everywhere you look: Thanks again to all who gave recommendations and advice for this quick but gorgeous trip!
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Post by cweston on Jul 14, 2021 11:20:31 GMT -8
Nice!
The stone soup is officially called Crestone conglomerate.
Last time I was in the area, I met a geologist. We spoke briefly in town, and then crossed paths again on the Willow Lake trail. (One *always* meets interesting people in and around Crestone.) She told me that the rocks in the Sangres have an unusually high iron content, which is believed to be part of the reason why the lightning there is so frequent and intense: the range is literally a giant lightning rod.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Jul 14, 2021 12:18:02 GMT -8
Crestone conglomerate. Glad to know the offical name.
One *always* meets interesting people in and around Crestone. On my way up I ran into a gentleman headed down whose house is up there...somewhere. He was walking down to town on his periodic (weekly? monthly?) food trip.
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