It’s the final day of Colorado adventure! I planned to hike a 15 mile, 4900’ ascent Telluride loop including Bear Creek, Wasatch, and Bridal Veil. However after seeing lots of traffic heading into Telluride last night for a festival on the trip back from Mesa Verde, I used AllTrails to find a great alternative.
The Columbine Lake Trail starts from south of Ouray and north of Silverton. The trail starts in a dense forest, then rises above the tree line to great vistas and ultimately the colorful Columbine Lake at 12700’ elevation.
Today was the first chilly day of the trip, with temps in the 40s in the shade and a bit of ice pellets falling.
Hiking stats: 9.6 miles, 4h 37m, 3010’ ascent, peak elevation 12709’.