Date: August 26 - 27, 2016
Location: Indian Peaks Wilderness
Distance: 26 Miles
Elevation Gain: 7,000 feet
Weather: Perfect: Perfect. Lows of high 20s to low 30s. High of about 55. Blue skies.
Group: Devin, Greg and Mat
This trip beat me up a bit. It is a loop I have taken before, but I came home this time with blisters, sore joints, and I just plain hurt in most places. It could be my old age, the extra chub I'm packing around these days, or the effects of sitting behind a desk for 11 to 12 hours a day, but whatever it was, I paid the price on this trip.
Above Lake Isabelle
Due to some family and work obligations, we didn't get out till about 8:30 AM. Fortunately, the drive to the trailhead is just over an hour. We started up the trail by Long Lake, heading towards Pawnee Pass.
The climb to Pawnee Pass seems to take longer than you think it should. We were being pounded by the wind and our hands were numb as we saw the remnants of the snow that had fallen on the pass the day before.
Continental Divide
Descending from Pawnee Pass
Cascade Creek is a beautiful series of waterfalls surrounded by jagged peaks. This was my favorite part of the hike.
We slogged on into the evening and arrived at Fox Park after about 15 miles of hiking.
As the sun went down, the temperature dropped. We were in bed by about 8:30 PM and woke to clear skies and 33 degrees.
Frost on the vegetation
We had a leisurely morning and were on the trail around 8:00 AM. We made it over Buchanan Pass without too much trouble, but were again hammered by the wind. It was amazing to see how fast the wind dropped off once we crossed over the summit.
Looking back towards Fox Park
The hike out was nice from a scenery perspective, but not amazing. There is about 8 miles of ankle-breaking and pain-inducing rocky trail before returning to the trailhead. All in all, a beautiful area and well worth the physical discomfort to see it.
