Colorado bound

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EyeMissColorado
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Colorado bound

Post by EyeMissColorado »

Greetings everyone! It's been a loooong time since I've been on this site but I wanted to reach out again to get some info, particularly for some great must-see must-do day hikes in and around the San Juans. My family and I are planning a visit back to Colorado probably mid to late July this year. Let me explain a bit of background that may help you help me.

My wife and I moved to Colorado in 2004 for me to attend grad-school at Mines. I ended up staying after school and we lived in the state for 10 years before heading back east. Both our children were born in CO and are thus "Natives", LoL. We bought our first house there, living up near Black Hawk next to Golden Gate Canyon SP. We miss it dearly (hence my new user name) and are excited to get back for the first time in nearly 7 years!

Shortly after moving to the state I got the climbing bug and met some amazing life-long friends, through this website; Andy Leach, Baron Von Bergschrund, Brenta, Scott Patterson and I even met and hiked/climbed with Talus Monkey and USA Keller a time or two. I couldn't recall my old username and password so made a new one, but I think it was something like 'COfox' or whatnot. Anyway, I spent a lot of time on this site, making friends, climbing the 14ers and others, while progressing from a class-2/3 hiker to a class-5 climber (ice, mixed, sport, trad etc.). I can't believe it's been so long since those days! I think I joined this site in 2006 or so.

Short story long, I sold my rack, ice tools, crampons etc. before moving back east. I am probably in no shape to climb peaks, and having a 15 yo and a 9 yo, we're looking for some decent beautiful hikes in SW part of the state. I never spent much time down there, only visiting Ouray for the Ice Festival. I spent most of my climbing/adventuring closer to the Front Range, the Sangre's and the Sawatch range.

1. Any tips, hints, must-do hikes for a family of 4 avid hikers? I like remote, hidden alpine lakes. Looking for mellow, away from the crowds, day trips to a scenic vista for a relaxing picnic spot type setting.
2. Is the hike into Wham and Vestal doable? Always wanted to see those and regret not getting around to it when I lived there. The only peak I've climbed/seen down that way is Sneffels (Snake couloir) so again, not real knowledgeable on trailheads etc.

Thanks in advance and it's cool to be back in this community, albeit in an indirect kind of way. :-D

Cheers!
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daway8
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by daway8 »

Welcome back!

Scenic vistas, few crowds and accessible for little kids is a tough order to fill (getting 2/3 is easier though).

I don't know the region very well either but the Lake City area with it's surrounding 14ers is pretty scenic and you can probably find some stuff around there.

Also Durango-Silverton-Ouray is quite scenic even just for a drive. Various outdoors activities in those places (but also likely crowds).

Haven't been out to Wham/Vestal - perhaps some others can chime in on that...
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dwoodward13
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by dwoodward13 »

Hike into Vestal Basin is nice. Gets decently steep once you leave the CT, but a pretty well defined trail. It is (I think) unmaintained however, so don't expect some highway. A few trees down last year but nothing major. Are you looking at it from a day hike? That'd be a pretty big effort for a single day, something like 17 miles and 6.5k RT.
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SkaredShtles
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by SkaredShtles »

dwoodward13 wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 10:45 am Hike into Vestal Basin is nice. Gets decently steep once you leave the CT, but a pretty well defined trail. It is (I think) unmaintained however, so don't expect some highway. A few trees down last year but nothing major. Are you looking at it from a day hike? That'd be a pretty big effort for a single day, something like 17 miles and 6.5k RT.
Yeah... with a 9yo I wouldn't do it... regardless how avid the 9yo. :wft:
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nyker
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by nyker »

Haven't heard the mysterious Baron mentioned in a while!

I like the Lake City area too. The basin under Wetterhorn is really nice. Maybe camp up there and do the combo adding a 13er too.
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EyeMissColorado
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by EyeMissColorado »

Cool, thanks for the replies so far!

I just did some quick Google Earth path measuring from the Molass Lake TH and see that it's a roughly 14 mile round-trip to the Vestal basin. #-o
That's most likely a no-go for my daughter.

I will look into Lake City area that some of you mentioned.
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CaptainSuburbia
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by CaptainSuburbia »

Columbine Lake is scenic, less crowded and probably doable for your kids. Couple 13ers nearby too.
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dwoodward13
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by dwoodward13 »

Closer to Telluride I think a little day hike out of the Cross Mountain TH up to the pass where it drops down into Bilk Basin would be a good kid hike. Views up there are stunning, and if you hit it during wildflower season....wow. No lake but that would be some picnic spot. There will be some snowmelt streams if the kids wanted to play in something small too. Incredible views of the Wilson Group, Lizard Head. I was up there 4th of July weekend last year and wasn't busy at all. Telluride has a really cool town park with a kids fishing pond, big playground, stream right there too if you need something else to do.
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SkaredShtles
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by SkaredShtles »

Anything reasonably accessible will very likely be a $hitshow.

So it goes...
ltlFish99
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by ltlFish99 »

+1 on the Columbine lake reccomendation.
I would add ice lakes basin, but they are going to a permit system which will make things difficult.
Blue lakes by Ridgeway is always quite beautiful, but crowded as it is very popular.
Closer to Telluride is the hike to Navajo lake from dunton. Trailhead is accessible from south of the summit of lizard head pass.
Ruby lake is stunning, but currently the train is not running so day hiking this would be a concern.
Wetterhorn basin is beautiful and accessible from near owl creek pass summit.
Courthouse mountain, and precipice look like very nice hikes, outside of Ridgway.
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Gene913
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by Gene913 »

Just outside Creede you will find the West Willow Creek TH which gives you access to the south ridge route to the summit of San Luis.

https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=s ... +Luis+Peak

There are old mine ruins to explore on the road to the trailhead.

The route to the summit is a straightforward class 1 trail.

The peaks surrounding the route include part of the continental divide, so you can see some amazing peaks.

There is good camping at the trailhead and more dispersed sites along the road leading to the trailhead.

And the route gets far less traffic than others so there is some relative solitude.

Creede also is a quaint little mountain town with some shops to explore and it that has a couple good spots to eat, one of which has a huge carved bear outside the place.

It might be just right if you are trying to give your young pups a taste of the mountains that will make them want more.
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CUaaron25
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Re: Colorado bound

Post by CUaaron25 »

Highland Mary loop in silverton sounds like a good option. The entire loop is about 8 miles if I remember correctly. You could also just hike up to the lakes to make it a little shorter. The upper parts of the loop have some great views of Vestal and Arrow! Happy hiking!!!
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