Indian Peak Wilderness - Mitchell Lake & Blue Lake

Fisherman in Brainard Lake

6.29.2013

I had been wanted to go to Blue Lake but had never made it there until today. There are a few Blue Lakes in Colorado. The one I went today is in Indian Peak Wilderness Brainard Lake recreation area and near the town of Ward. Here is the description of the trail on trails.com. According to trails.com, the length of the trail is 5 miles but there are other resources saying it is over 5 miles. Maybe someone started counting it from the parking lot.

To get there from Denver, take US 36 west then CO 119. Turn to 102 west towards Brainard Lake recreation area right after the sign of Ward. The travel time from the central of Denver is about an hour and a half or more. We took Peak to Peak highway 72 all the way down to Nederland from Westminster.

The road between parking lot and the TH 

The fee to enter the park is $10 per car. Several passes can be used here to cover the fee,  i.e. the national park pass (RMNP pass can't), the senior pass etc. After entering the park, there is a big parking lot with restroom can be easily seen. This is a very popular hiking spot, the parking is always a pain. In the peak season, many people have to park a mile or even more away from the trailhead. Not sure whether this area just opened a few days ago, the parking lot was quite empty this morning when we got there.

From the parking lot, follow the sign to Mitchell trailhead. There is another small parking lot by the trailhead but it is not open until July 14 as the additional parking. Following the sign to get on Mitchell Lake trail. It is only 1 mile easy hike to get there. The trail was a bit rough and muddy but overall, it was fine. After we passed Mitchell Lake, the trail became more rocky, muddy and many parts were covered with snow, which made the hike a bit challenging. But we finally made it to the Blue Lake. The lake was still covered with ice although the waterfall on Mount Toll was running. The view was gorgeous. It was a bit windy by the lake but it wasn't too bad or too chilly.

Mitchell Lake

Ice covered trail

Crossing the creek

Muddy rocky trail

Mount Toll

Blue Lake

Blue Lake

Blue Lake

We did see lots of wildflowers along the trail but it is still not the peak bloom yet.  I am sure it will be even more beautiful in July and August but then the ice in the lake may be gone by then.

It is an in-and-out trail. The way down was not necessary easier because of the road condition. My pace had to slow down in order to keep my balance. In about half way, we encountered the thunderstorm. Luckily, no lightning but rain. The rain made the rocks more slippery. Even with the carefulness, I still fell on the trail and stepped half my foot into the mud once.  So the rain gear and a good pair of hiking boots are essential.

It was definitely a hike with great views and worth all the efforts to get up there. A few of us felt exhausted from the hike, especially the hike in the rain so we decided to skip the after hike lunch and headed back home. When we turned from 119  to 72, we saw a moose and her baby! What a great reward to our long day!

Moose Mom & baby

Hoosier Pass & Continental Divide

Hoosier Pass is the perfect trail for people who would like to escape from the heat in the city by hiking above the tree line but have hard time to keep the breath while climbing for a good elevation gain.  The hike is easy and less than 4 miles round trip from the trailhead to Crystal Lake with about 700 elevation gain. But what you get is the spectacular view of three 14er: Mt Bross, Mt Lincoln and Quandary in addition to the stunning lake view.

To get there, Google maps will lead you to I-70 west towards Frisco/Breckenridge. Exit on 203 then follow CO-9 south to travel for about 10 miles. The parking lot is on the left with a big sign. We were afraid of the possible traffic jam and the blast on I-70 so we took an alternative – US285, which also connects to CO-9. The travel time is about the same for these two routes on the map and the view along US285 is fabulous.

There is a big map on the parking lot but no restroom. The trail starts from elevation 11,539 feet (I am using the number from the sign but I have seen 11,541 on many other resources – must be something more accurate).

This is what I found on summitcountyexplorer.com

"

Hoosier Pass rises to an elevation of 11,541 feet. It's a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, situated on the continental divide at the northern tip of Mosquito Range in a space between Mount Democrat in the west and Hoosier Ridge in the east.

"

It didn’t take us long to get to Crystal Lake although there were a few barriers along the trail. We continued to hike up to the hill for a great overlook of the lake then got to the bottom of North Star Mountain to check out one of the mining ruins. The additional hike took us to above 12,000 feet and to pass the 2-mile mark.  

On the way back, instead of following the way we came, a couple in the group who are very familiar with the area took us to the other trail that runs over the ridge. After passing the Crystal Lake trail, we made a right to get on this steep trail. It is an uphill trail all the way to the ridge. This was the only challenge we had for the entire hike but it was a great exercise and gave us a chance for an even better view. The route we did was probably between 5-6 miles round trip and took us about three and a half hours. Even though it is considered as an easy hike, wearing a pair of comfy waterproof hiking boots and proper socks are highly recommended.  

After the hike, we went to South Park Saloon for a late lunch. The food was OK. There was a kick ass BBQ competition held in Alma, which made this tiny town pretty crowded. 

Now let the pictures tell the story!

The mountain view along 285

Huge sign in front of parking lot

Our hiking route

Water on the trail

Mining ruin

The uphill trail

Ice covers the entire trail - either go downhill to avoid the ice or step throug the ice carefully

Ice on the trail

Another water covered spot

    

Celtic Woman at Red Rocks

Some people here would tell you: If you haven't been to Red Rocks Amphitheater, you can't claim yourself a Coloradoan.  I don't necessarily agree with that but Red Rocks Amphitheater is definitely one of the landmarks in Colorado and an unique live performance venue. Last night, the famous Irish band Celtic Woman had a wonderful performance here!  

The show was at 8pm and the door opened at 6:30pm. Many people came early in order to get a good spot. At Red Rocks, General Admission tickets are sold at a very reasonable price and you can sit anywhere after Row 60 or under the trees at both sides of the stairs. You will need to climb 195 steps before you can get to the stage level. It is a very good workout for going to a concert, isn't it? 

I didn't know about Celtic Woman until Ticketmaster sent me the concert presale notice. I found their music on Youtube and instantly fell in love with their amazing voices! I was so excited to go see their live concert and they didn't disappoint the audiences! In addition to all the great songs Celtic Woman performed, the bagpiper, drummer and Irish step dancer were great contributors who helped to make it a fantastic show. My favorite of the night was 'You raise me up'!   

Lisa, Chloe and Susan

Mairead is the most energetic person on the stage 

Lovely ladies

I love the purple lighting on the stage

 

Bagpiper