The Karma Thegsum Tashi Gomang Stupa is a beautiful stop while in Crestone, Colorado. We enjoyed the peaceful walk and sitting near the stupa and reflecting. If you go, make sure to be quiet and respectful of other guests. You can learn more about the stupa and how to donate here: http://www.kttg.org/pages/the-stupa.php
While in Crestone, we decided to visit this outdoor stupa, and we parked at the 2WD parking lot near the Cottonwood Pass Trailhead. Then, we hiked along the 4WD road to the stupa. I only recorded the walk back — so, it was about 2.4 miles round trip!
The sand dunes are one of the coolest places in Colorado— we definitely always stop by to hike the dune field anytime we are near the area! This was our first time hiking the dunes in the summer— we usually go off season and explore when the weather is cooler. To avoid baking in the sun, we went for golden hour Friday evening, when the temperature was perfect out!
We got to the Dunes parking lot around 7:30 PM— although we have a park pass, they do not collect fees that late on the weekdays. The dunefield is exactly what it sounds like— a field of sand dunes, and you can pick your own path. There is no defined trail once you are in there— perfect for social distancing. The Medano Creek was dried up, and there is about a quarter mile of flat sand before you reach the base of the dunes. We hiked around the dunes for awhile, but avoid high dune since many people were gathered there to watch the sunset.
We took Friday off work and headed down to the Sangre de Cristo range for some weekend adventures. We got to the trailhead late morning (about a 3.5 hr drive from Denver), a short drive from downtown Crestone on a dirt road. The parking lot was primitive, with some obvious bear signs on a parked car. The trailhead has a log for backpackers, with free permits available.
From the trailhead, we took the N Crestone Creek Trail 2.5 miles uphill, turning around at the trail junction with Venable Pass and North Crestone Lake. The trail starts wide and rocky, following the creek through aspens. I was thankful for the shade, as it was already almost 80 at 10 AM. The trail is mostly shaded and forested, until about mile two. Then, you hike out of the forest and have beautiful views of the San Luis Valley, aspen forests, and the Sangre de Cristo peaks. We were overheating fast, so we turned around at the trail junction and headed back to the car. Only saw two other hiking parties the whole time. We definitely want to come back for a longer hike or a backpacking trip!
Crestone CreekSan Luis Valley viewLooking towards Comanche and Venable Peaks
Fourth of July was our second day in the backcountry, and we had just enough time to hike up to Crystal Lake before an afternoon full of storms. Crystal Lake is a small alpine lake above Lawn Lake, following a primitive trail. We hiked downhill from our campsite back to Lawn Lake, then followed the trail around Lawn Lake to the right. The trail is moderate for the first half mile around Lawn Lake, through marshes and melting out snow patches. The snow was avoidable, no need for traction.
Once at the end of the lake, the path opens into the alpine, and begins short switchbacks up the mountain side. At one mile (from Lawn Lake), you reach the junction with The Saddle Trail. Crystal Lakes is to the right, going slightly downhill for a quarter of a mile before a steep ascent to the alpine lake. Here we saw plenty of marmots and had a beautiful view of Mount Fairchild! The clouds were building, so we hurried back downhill to our campsite to escape the rain. Great backpacking weekend!
Trail junction for the saddle— left to Crystal Lake, half mile markerFinal half mile to Crystal LakeLooking back to Lawn LakeCrystal Lake
For the Fourth of July we continued our annual tradition of a weekend backpacking trip! We spent two nights in the backcountry, at the Lawn Lake site. We have been planning and scoping out this trip since this past December, so it was so fun to finally see it in person. This trail is located in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park, nestled in the Mummy Range, off Lawn Lake Trailhead. We packed in Friday morning, stayed at Lawn Lake for two nights, then packed out Sunday morning. From the trailhead, Lawn Lake itself is 6.4 miles (one way), but the campsite is a little further uphill.
When we got to the trailhead, I already wasn’t feeling great. I chalked it up to being car sick from the drive, and told our party to hike ahead. I briefly rested, hoping my stomach would settle, until I realized that I had told Trav to hike ahead and he had all the snacks / emergency supplies. Realizing that I was not setting myself up for success, I strapped my backpack on and slowly started the ascent to our campsite. I trucked on slowly and probably broke my record for slowest hiking speed— but, I made it!
The Lawn Lake Trail has a steep elevation grade for the first mile, snaking west towards the Roaring River. This rocky trail flattens and widens out around 1.2 miles, where there is an overlook for the Roaring River. Around 1.5 miles, there is a trail junction — we followed the path to the right towards Lawn Lake. The next mile was pretty buggy, following the river uphill through a shaded forest. At mile three, the switchbacks and elevation gain begins again. The rest of the hike packs the majority of the elevation over some switchbacks, finally opening up around 5.8 miles. This is where the trail from Lumpy Ridge Trailhead meets up with the Lawn Lake Trail. From this junction, Lawn Lake is a little under a mile. We did not encounter any snow.
Lawn Lake was way bigger than I thought it would be— I read that it used to be a reservoir, but the dam broke in the 80s and caused a major flood. You can see evidence of this flood throughout the hike. The lake is nestled in a beautiful cirque in the mummy range, below Mummy Mountain and Mount Fairchild. It was a great challenging backpacking trip!
Campsites off to the right of the lake Lawn lake midday — about to rain Lawn Lake in the morning Base of Lawn Lake at sunsetLawn Lake at dusk
Annie Hikes 500 Miles 