Lost Lake (near Vail)

Distance: 7 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,611 ft - 10,323 ft (max), 10,200 ft (at the lake)
Elevation Gain: 712 ft (net) 1,082 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: Off Leash

Serene Lost Lake

In my eternal quest to find Forest Service trails where we can let Ginger, the hyper one, run off leash, I discovered Lost Lake (one of the many with that name in the state) above Vail. The route to the trailhead alone was fun as it travels up a bumpy dirt road on the north side of Vail Valley. Wildflowers covered the green hillsides and verdant meadows appeared out of no where along the way.

While mostly in the pines, the trail did contain some Aspen

Heartleaf Arnica and Lupine

The trail itself traverses a ridge covered in Ponderosa Pines and occasionally Aspen. Having never done the trail before I was fearful there would be no views but this is not true. At 1.8 miles, there is a social trail heading off to the right with deep-sigh views of the Mount of the Holy Cross. It looked much larger from this vantage point than it did from Game Creek, which I found very interesting because I could see the Game Creek area across the valley. A little farther up the main trail, and there is an area of clear cut that also allows you this view.

A blanket of Heartleaf Arnica

Looking southeast at the Mount of the Holy Cross

I was enthralled by the carpet of Heartleaf Arnica and Lupine that blanketed the stark forest floor with blinding color. With all that yellow, the dead Ponderosas were hardly noticeable. My Id wanted to romp through them with wild abandon, but alas I figured the sight of a middle-aged woman frolicking in flowers would scare the local wildlife.

A trail segment after the big views showing a young pine forest

Two trail segments showing the pine forest and easy-going dirt trail

There is a small (200 ft elevation gain) hump in the middle of the trail. The descent from this small hill provides phenomenal views of the back side of the Gore Range. That was another pleasant surprise.

The view of the Gore Range from part-way down the small hill

The turn off to the lake

The lake itself does not have any dramatic background, but it was incredibly serene. There were large logs to sit on and eat lunch, and the seclusion was only marred by the occasional Jay trying to get to our sandwiches.

Views of Lost Lake

All in all, Lost Lake is a pleasant excursion particularly on a day when getting above treeline is problematic. That was another reason I chose this trail. The storms were going to start early. If you do go to Lost Lake, be sure to take the additional 15 minute drive and visit Piney Lake. The scenery there will knock your socks off.

Frosty Ball Thistle

Frosty Ball Thistle (Cirsium scopularum) is not the most attractive wildflower you will every come across, but it sure is common. It can grow up to 2 feet tall, but I have usually seen specimens around a one foot tall.


This plant prefers light sandy soil. I often see it along road sides where the soil has been disturbed.


Drink at altitude (never recommended) and you might just think this plant arrived from someplace farther away than Kansas!

South Willow Falls

Distance: 4.52 miles one way to the falls, 4.9 miles one way to the upper falls and overlook
Elevation: 8,824 ft - 10, 111 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,287 ft net, 1,560 ft cumulative

South Willow Falls with Buffalo Mountain in the background

South Willow Falls is a dramatic cascade that roars down a narrow gully between Buffalo Mountain and Red Peak. I have seen the trail to the falls on the map and figured it would be deep in the trees the entire way. It is not. There are wide open meadows on both the initial Mesa Cortina Trail as well as the Gore Trail. There were also numerous peak-a-boos.

Buffalo Mountain is an obvious landmark on the trail. Its dome-like shape is visible from miles around.

A more wooded section of trail

A large rock formation near the turn off to the fall

A ruin of an old cabin after the turnoff

What I did not expect was the hordes of people on this trail. There are so many trails in Summit County that I am used to being practically alone. This trail felt like 3pm on I-70 during the height of ski season. It was practically bumper to bumper. I would highly recommend doing this trail on an off day.

Images of South Willow Falls

(On the left: The trail sign indicating the turn off) There are two ways to get to South Willow Falls, one is via Mesa Cortina, which I did, and the other via the Buffalo Cabin Trail, which I am told is steeper but shorter. I plan to take that route and try and go beyond the falls to Red Mountain Pass.

The Mesa Cortina Trail is 2.9 miles long and ends at the intersection of the Gore Trail. It is a total of 3.94 miles to the intersection of the Buffalo Cabin Trail (9,654 ft), 4.52 miles to the turn off to the falls (well marked), and 4.6 miles to the falls themselves (10,035 ft).

More Images of South Willow Falls

A small fraction of the people gathered at the falls

I would highly recommend getting back on the main trail and heading another 0.3 miles to the upper falls. Nearby is a massive, channel-your-favorite-lizard, boulder with wonderful views. I was torn between hanging out in the trees by the upper falls or on the rock with the other sun worshipers... except there were no other sun worshipers. The hordes all stopped at the falls, so I and my friends had this lofty perch all to ourselves. Sweet!

The upper falls

The boulder above the falls

The view from the boulder

Dwarf Clover

Dwarf Clover (Trifolium nanum) is the smallest of the 95 species of clover that grow in the United States. This year, I found this species growing all over the route to Mt. Sniktau. It seemed to be most prolific at altitudes between 12,000 and 13,000 ft.

Like most alpine plants, Dwarf Clover survives by growing in tight mats close to the ground that help it retain moisture and heat. The blooms also stay hidden until the last minute, when they pop out all at once.


I have hiked the Mt. Sniktau trail 4 times now, and this is the first year I have seen this flower.

Mesa Cortina

Distance: 2.9 miles one way, 5.8 miles round trip
Elevation: 8,824 ft - 9,473 ft
Elevation gain: 649 ft net (790 cumulative)

One of the larger meadows that the Mesa Cortina Trail crosses

I was surprised by the Mesa Cortina Trail. I had thought it was mostly in the pines, but the trail crosses several expansive meadows with great views of the Williams Fork Range and also travels quite a bit through a large Aspen grove before hitting the trees.

The trailhead

A more lush and living part of the trail

Many of the Lodgepole pines are dead, but I found these sections to be less depressing then I would have thought. I was traversing this trail on the way South Willow Falls, which I'll blog next and doubt I would have chosen to walk this trail as a destination in and of itself, but for quick outing, it is not bad at all.

A not so living part of the trail

There were many downed trees we needed to walk over

Looking back at an intersection with an unnamed trail heading east. The sign is pointing to the Mesa Cortina to the right.

Popular with families that live in the area, we ran into several groups with young kids. They did peter out after the first mile and a half though and we were alone until the trail intersected with an unmapped trail coming from South Willow Creek.

South Willow Creek

The intersection with the Gore Range Trail at 2.91 miles. This is technically the end of the Mesa Cortina Trail.

As a final note, the trailhead is located part-way up Buffalo Mountain in a residential area. The parking lot is small and there is no bathroom. The Eagles' Nest Wilderness begins 0.82 miles into the route.

Corn Lilly, False Hellbore

The Corn Lilly or False Hellebore (Veratrum viride) is the mountain psychopath's trusted friend. Brew a cup of tea for the cretin who litters the trail or shove it lovingly down the throat of your favorite, environment-basing politician, either way the toxic juices will work wonders. The litany of symptoms include nausea and vomiting followed by decreased respiration, plummeting blood pressure, and death. This is why Corn Lilly cocktails are best served with pop corn. It is quite a show.

The Corn Lilly is found throughout Colorado in open meadows, sun-dazed streambanks, and damp forests, so one can always be sure to find some ... in case the pantry runs low.

Eaglesmere Lakes (Almost)

Distance: 7.2 miles round trip
Elevation: 8,727 ft - 10,400 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,673 ft
Dogs: Off Leash before the Wilderness Boundary at 2.34 miles

Eagles Nest Mountain (13,432 ft) viewed from the Eaglesmere Lakes Trail

The trail to Eaglesmere Lakes in Summit County is lovely trail filled with vistas, rock formations, and Aspens. It is near the popular Cataract Lake and so is probably a mob scene in the summer, but on Memorial Day weekend, we were the only people on the trail.

The hiker travels through Aspens all the way to the ridge. Here, the leaves rustled in a slight breeze and birds sang their homage to spring. The warm sun and solitude were cathartic after our abysmal winter.

The trail became very narrow after the Wilderness Boundary

The route to the trailhead is tricky, once you depart Highway 9 out of Silverthorne and onto Forest Road 1275. The road around Green Mountain Reservoir is a dirt road cut into a hill side. While not particularly treacherous, but it is one-lane in places and twisty. Your passenger car can make it, but you should go slow and keep an eye out for others.

Cataract Lake, viewed from the trail

Ute Peak (12,303 ft) and the Willams Fork Range dominate the view to the west

(On the left: The intersection with the Gore Range Trail). Eaglesmere does have its own trailhead. This is not as obvious on the National Geo map, which make it look like you start out at Cataract Lake. This is not true. Follow the signs to Eaglesmere Trailhead and you'll be fine.

The trail starts off in an expansive Aspen grove, which stays with the trail all the way to the top of the ridge. As the trail climbs, views of Cataract Lake come into view. A constant companion is Eagles Nest Mountain (13,432 ft), which dominates the view to the south. Near the top of the ridge, Sage Brush take over and the rocky outcrops through which Cataract Falls travel are clearly visible.

The intersection with the Gore Range Trail). At 1.64 miles the flora changes from Aspens to Conifers. At 2.34 miles, the trail crosses into the Eagles Nest Wilderness. Shortly thereafter one can glimpse Tipperary Lake across the gorge. At 3.34 miles was the intersection with the Gore Range Trail.

The snow was not everywhere but seemed perversely attracted to where we needed to go. We post holed at every step, usually up to our knees and occasionally up to our waists. I finally had to put on pants legs to keep my skin from being sliced by the ice crystals.

Even though the trail was hot, we ran into snow around 3 miles in, and by the intersection of the Gore Range Trail, we were seriously post holing. After struggling onwards for only another tenth of a mile and 100 ft of elevation gain, we decided to turn around. I could see the lakes on the GPS map, but it was taking us a half hour for every 10th of a mile. At times we were sinking up to our waists. I really hate not reaching a destination, but it was already late in the day and the going would be just as slow coming down. I liked this trail enough that I know I will return and get a photo of the lakes. I'll update this post at that time. I am thinking fall might just be the time of year to do this trail. The Aspens really are lovely.