East side Zirkels . Trails in Mount Zirkel Wilderness - 43. It provides access to the southeastern portion of the 159,935 acre Mount Zirkel Wilderness via trail#1130, the Rainbow Lake Trail. Walden, CO Intermediate. Zirkel Wilderness for four days of fishing. Gilpin Lake Loop via FS 1161 and FS 1150. Oct 15, 2018 - A great trail in the Zirkel Wilderness that runs past Rainbow and Slide Lakes. Zirkel Wilderness - 6-mile three-day backpack June 2014 - Jared - Bernard and Chong Newcomb Creek trail in the Mt. It contains the headwaters for the Elk, Encampment, and North Platte Rivers, has more than 70 lakes, and has roughly 170 miles of hiking trails. Wyoming Trail. Rainbow Lake is a beautiful trail, and it's pretty easy. And each time, I get turned away from getting past a certain point. The Zirkel Circle hike is a loop that connects the Gilpin Lake and Gold Creek Lake trail (1161 and 1150, respectively) in the Zirkel Wilderness just outside of Steamboat Springs. Our trek began with a night of acclimating at the trailhead on Buffalo Pass at 10,300'. Folks have been out in the Mt. Gilpin Lake Loop via FS 1161 and FS 1150. The West Face of Mount Zirkel offers many steep snow and ice couloir routes as well as many fine rock climbs. Zirkel Wilderness Area encompasses more than 160,000 acres, and straddles the Continental Divide along the Park Range, as well as the southern edge of the Sierra Madre Range. DIFFICULT 10.5 mi. I periodically make a pilgrimage to it. Log in sign up. Zirkel Wilderness. Rainbow Lake Trail [CLOSED] is a 8.5 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Coalmont, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. And Gem Lake is another diamond up here.” “Hey, what about us back here off Buffalo Pass?” asked Luna Lake. Gilpin Lake, named for Governor William Gilpin, is one of the most popular destinations within the Mount Zirkel wilderness. The 6.4 mile out and back to Slide lake starts out at an elevation of 8750 and gives you a total elevation gain of 1777 feet at the end at Slide Lake. Plus, Lakes Elbert and Margaret are right nearby. Rate this Hike ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Public Tracks. And a side hike up to 11,924-foot Mt. Lake Katherine Trail, Mt Zirkel Wilderness, CO July 8, 2005 Specifically, the Lake Katherine trail and then branching off that to continue up to the continental divide. Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area is a protected area in Colorado. MODERATE 4.4 mi. 8.6 mi 13.9 km #1 Rainbow Lake Trail #1130. West Coast Trail (us) More information Start at the Rainbow Lake Trailhead 1126 in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness which is 19 miles south west of Walden, Colorado off Country Road 22A.The 6. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The Zirkel Circle is a gorgeous loop hike using the Gold Creek Lake Trail and Gilpin Lake Trail. The trail down to Rainbow Lake is easy enough for almost any hiker, with a short but more challenging loop around the lake and many options for longer routes. Rainbow Lakes and Slide Lakes Hike - Mount Zirkel Wilderness - Routt National Forest - Colorado. 1. 3. The small store in Clark provided the entry. As far as Colorado outdoor recreation areas go, the Zirkel Wilderness is a bit off the radar for most. There's a nice waterfall and creek at the bottom of the trail. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and nature trips and is best used from June until August. Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, Steamboat Springs Picture: Mica Lake, Mt. This Wilderness area is home to the headwaters of the Elk, Encampment and North Platte Rivers, as well as some 70 lakes, high mountain peaks (including the 12,180 foot-tall Mount Zirkel for which it is named) and a portion of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Along the way, you'll enjoy the serene sounds of mountain streams, a 35-ft. waterfall, and take in a pair of beautiful alpine lakes. This hike took place in the Mt. Lake Katherine Trail, Mt Zirkel Wilderness, CO July 8, 2005. If you’re willing to drive a little farther, you will be awarded with hikes to a handful of high Alpine lakes. There’s plenty of room around me for everyone. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. All … Press J to jump to the feed. This trail goes by Middle Rainbow Lake. Please go to my trail blogging site (opens a new window) for a full description of the trip. 5. Zirkel Wilderness. Today the Clark store is thriving from serving the growing population in the area and the large influx of vacationers and hunters. A subreddit for traveling backpacking and wilderness backpacking, not restricted to one or the other. MT. Newcomb Creek falls, Round Mountain Lake… Mt Zirkel from Pt 12006. Walden Lake There is a, ummm, “location”, in the Zirkels that confounds me. The east side of the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area experiences significantly less visitor traffic than does the west side. https://scrapperblackwell.blogspot.com/2010/10/dome-peak-loop- Gilpin Lake via FS 1161. Zirkel Wilderness Area, enjoying it before serious snow flies: Jeff Hall was at Gilpin Lake (above) and Rainbow Lake (below): Cindy Kinnear was on the Three Island Lake trail: Just a few weeks earlier Noah Wetzel caught the twilight pastels: It's hard to believe such a short time ago Noah was able to find wildflowers, even after the snow! Overview. Mt Zirkel and company taunted me to the north but worsening snow drifts and changing weather turned me away. This was one of those trips. MT. Wilderness. The index will go here. Three Island Lake is one of the largest lakes in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness. Trail#1130 intersects the Grizzly Helena Trail (#1126) and a short spur trail to Roxy Ann Lake (#1179) before terminating at it’s junction with the Wyoming Trail (#1101), which is the Continental Divide Trail through the Park Range. This means the geography is quite a bit more arid than those trails found in the western ranges where weather patterns tend to deposit most of the moisture. This trail goes by Middle Rainbow Lake. What Makes It Great. Gold Creek Lake via FS 1150. Last week for my sixtieth birthday many months of preparation and training paid off, Bear and I backpacked into the Mt. Near Walden, Colorado. The Mount Zirkel Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in Routt National Forest in northwest Colorado.The closest city is Steamboat Springs, Colorado.The wilderness is named after Mount Zirkel, the highest peak in the range at 12,182 feet (3,713 m), which itself is named after German geologist Ferdinand Zirkel.. Posted by 2 hours ago. After setting up camp Bear chased a few brookies out of the shallows of Summit Lake. It offers a 29 acre, deep, blue alpine lake of magnificent beauty and views of the nearby Sawtooth Range. Intermediate. So I wandered along the CDT for a bit before heading back down to my peaceful camp. Walden, CO 2 21.1 mi 33.9 km #2 CDT: Buffalo Pass to North Lake (CO Sec. Zirkel Wilderness. … Photo: Caption. The Mt. 1. DIFFICULT 9.9 mi. Add Your Trails. Rainbow Lakes and Slide Lakes Hike - Mount Zirkel Wilderness - Routt National Forest - Colorado . The Zirkel Wilderness which is northwest of Steamboat provided my entry into backpacking and fishing. Close. 6. This is a moderate one way trail in Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area. Other Routes Red Dirt Pass can also be climbed from the east via the little used Frying Pan Basin trail and route. 2. Rainbow Lake Run by LP Rock on Flickr. MODERATE 3.7 mi. Hiking Trails (15) Reviews (11) 1. 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