Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cross)

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chinookhead
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Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cross)

Post by chinookhead »

Hi. I'll be driving up 25 coming from Dallas in a week and I'd like an idea for a place to hike into and set-up a base camp and day hike summits and fish. I'll eventually be spending significant time in the Gore Range, but I'd also like to do a backpacking trip in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness and/or Holy Cross Wilderness. I love the scenery of alpine lakes. I'm looking for suggestions in a spot that is not usually overly crowded, so my preferences are:

1) Nice Scenery
2) Not a "mob" scene
3) Good fishing
4) Fun class 3 and under summits to climb and preferably several lakes to explore.


The two spots that I was considering so far are the Sand Creek Lakes and climbing Tijeras and Music Mountain or perhaps the base camping at lower Tuhare Lake and exploring the seven sisters lakes and one day taking the Halo Ridge from Upper Tuhare Lake to Mt of the Holy Cross (I know that this summit will be crowded). I've never been to Colorado so I would like suggestions and opinions. I'm in pretty good shape and I am comfortable with route finding. Please feel free to PM me if that is what you prefer.
iquack08
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by iquack08 »

For the Sangres, my first recommendation is the Humboldt Peak, Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak area. My second recommendation would be the Kit Carson Peak, Challenger Point area. I would skip the Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point, Little Bear Peak area - the hike to the lake sucks.
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chinookhead
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by chinookhead »

How is the fishing in the S. Colony lakes and how long should my hike take up humboldt if I start at the S. Colony lakes?
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SummitKathy
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by SummitKathy »

I would recommend the Willow Lake area near Challenger Point/Kit Carson. The lake is beautiful. I was up there just this past weekend and there was a LOT of people fishing. We camped right near the creek and I could see many trout at least 1ft long. I was joking that I wouldn't have even needed a rod. If I'd had a net I could have just scooped them up! haha
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by tmathews »

chinookhead wrote:How is the fishing in the S. Colony lakes and how long should my hike take up humboldt if I start at the S. Colony lakes?
Fishing is better in the upper South Colony Lake from what I've been told (I have it on good authority), but the area is probably going to fail your #2 criterion. A lot of people backpack up there. Usually, there are no available campsites near the lower lake available on weekends if you get there too late in the day.
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Floyd
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by Floyd »

I would say your original plan far exceeds what your going to find on any of the 14er routes for your criteria. I've heard the fishing is stellar in the Sand Lakes region, those peaks are gorgeous, and you'll have a fraction of the crowds that you'll find around the 14ers.
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by RoanMtnMan »

Floyd wrote:I would say your original plan far exceeds what your going to find on any of the 14er routes for your criteria. I've heard the fishing is stellar in the Sand Lakes region, those peaks are gorgeous, and you'll have a fraction of the crowds that you'll find around the 14ers.
I second this. The fishing in the Music Pass area is quite good and there will be far fewer people than any 14er area. The Gores and Zirkels also have top notch fishing. I would provide specifics, but I of course can't divulge that kind of info on the internets, my fishing friends would disown me.
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JQDivide
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by JQDivide »

Just a suggestion.... Three lakes, three peaks.
Kroenke, Anglemeyer, Bear...Yale, Harvard, Columbia
And you can fish the Arkansas on the way in and out.
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Dave B
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by Dave B »

The trout in the stream coming off of Pitkin Lake could almost be grabbed with your bare hands.

Plus the scenery was beautiful and it's a great staging ground for East and West Partner Peaks.
Make wilderness less accessible.
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sevenvii
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by sevenvii »

RoanMtnMan wrote:
Floyd wrote:I would say your original plan far exceeds what your going to find on any of the 14er routes for your criteria. I've heard the fishing is stellar in the Sand Lakes region, those peaks are gorgeous, and you'll have a fraction of the crowds that you'll find around the 14ers.
I second this. The fishing in the Music Pass area is quite good and there will be far fewer people than any 14er area. The Gores and Zirkels also have top notch fishing. I would provide specifics, but I of course can't divulge that kind of info on the internets, my fishing friends would disown me.
3rd this. It meets your criteria. Scrambling on Tijeras and Music, good fishing (never fished myself, but 2nd hand says it can be at both upper and lower lakes), and it isn't too far of a hike from the trailhead over Music pass. Its a gorgeous area that I am excited to get back to soon!
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sevenvii
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by sevenvii »

Just to prove I'm not lying :)
Image
Image
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chinookhead
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Re: Suggested lake hike, fishing,summits(decristo or holy cr

Post by chinookhead »

It sounds like the sand lakes are the way to go with climbing Tijeras, and going into the milwaukee basin and just following the trail for a bit, but not trying to really summit Milwaukee or music mountain b/c I'll be hiking alone. Like I said, I don't feel any need to have a "14'er" in every hike. Thanks for the suggestion guys.....keep em coming.
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