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Willow Lake - Rio Grande NF - 1 member in 2 triplogs has rated this an average 4 ( 1 to 5 best )
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Sep 05 2012
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 Routes 26
 Photos 1,288
 Triplogs 124

66 male
 Joined Oct 28 2003
 Andover, NJ
Willow Lake - Rio Grande NFSan Luis Valley, CO
San Luis Valley, CO
Backpack avatar Sep 05 2012
big_loadTriplogs 124
Backpack8.90 Miles 2,793 AEG
Backpack8.90 Miles15 Days         
2,793 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
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I hooked onto this much more popular trail on the way out from South Crestone. I had the trail to myself going in, except for a crossing paths with a seemingly disoriented wandered who claimed to have just summitted Kit Carson after an unplanned night out.

There were a few locals camped below the lake, where I set up on a nice patch of grass under some nice trees. The deer liked that place a lot, so much that they didn't care about my being there. (One bedded down a few feet behind me while I ate dinner and two of them stayed around all night, even pawing under the edges of my tent.)

I took countless pictures of the lake in the setting sun, when I was inundated by an oversized party of students from a nearby college who were on a "solo wilderness experience". Not only were they 25% above the maximum wilderness limit, but they camped right on the lake in violation of the posted limits, and some of them camped in posted restoration areas.

After sunset, I went down to hang out with the locals at their campfire. It turned out that we had a fair number of hikes in common, and had similar weather experiences on some of them.

I met a few other grizzled veterans on the way out, leapfrogging each other at breaks, thereby carrying on an episodic conversation over the relentless, dusty downhill.
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Sep 04 2012
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 Routes 26
 Photos 1,288
 Triplogs 124

66 male
 Joined Oct 28 2003
 Andover, NJ
South Crestone CreekSan Luis Valley, CO
San Luis Valley, CO
Backpack avatar Sep 04 2012
big_loadTriplogs 124
Backpack11.00 Miles 3,646 AEG
Backpack11.00 Miles15 Days         
3,646 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
This was a nice start to my CO alpine lakes odyssey. I didn't want to risk my rental on the sand road, so I started a little over a mile short and 700' below the actual TH. It was mid-week and getting to be late in the season, so I had the trail to myself. That was fortunate, since there aren't many legal sites for tents at the South Crestone Lake (it's ideal for hammocks, though).
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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