A tiny community where a mannequin in a police car patrols the entrance to town, the local sheriff reports his daily duties with blunt, often entertaining, comments about offenders in Thursday’s paper, and Elvis can be spotted in his white-sequined jumpsuit performing out of an RV to patrons sitting on the porch of Avalanche Pizza […]
This hike is going viral. And no wonder. The lakes really are that stunning! When I was researching this day hike, I found online trail information that turned out to be either misleading or lacking… so after hiking here this summer, I created a detailed hiking guide to Ice Lake Basin illustrating the text with lots of […]
Thank you so much for the expensive guide. This was the most in depth one I found, super helpful.
Thanks so much, Kristen! Hope you enjoy the hike as much as we did. 🙂
Thanks for the great detail, extremely helpful. My favorite day hike is the Narrows in Zion NP, thanks for sharing you favorites, love to compare and line up the next challenge.
Was it easy to navigate where you were going? I know you said you made one error, but was the rest of the trip pretty easy to navigate? You mentioned a map, where did you get this map for the hike? Let me know, thanks.
Thanks, Kevin. I’ve had my eye on the Narrows too…and yes, it’s fun to line up the next challenge!
We used the San Juan Mountain topo map which we purchased in Silverton at the outdoor adventure store (I don’t recall the exact name, but there was only one such store along the 3 blocks on main street.) I think the newest version is this: Telluride, Silverton, Ouray, Lake City (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map (141)) Map – Folded Map, January 1, 2019 (available on Amazon). I’d say the main route to Ice Lake is easy to navigate, especially since you will likely see many other hikers along the way. The 2 other lakes are a bit trickier thus my attempt to specify all the details in the post.
Hello!This was a fantastic read! I will be in Telluride and am interested in doing this hike. My group will have 2 older individuals, 65, 68 and 2 kids, 8 and 11 …. would this trail be suitable for those ages? You mentioned a rocky ascent that was open and unprotected so that has me concerned. For reference … I have done hikes in Tahoe and the Smoky Mountains with the same group of hikers. Thank you in advance!
Hi Anne, thanks for reading! Concerning the ages of hikers in your group, I can only advise that mobility, stability, balance control and distractability are far more important safety factors than age. The one open section ascending toward Ice Lake didn’t look risky at all to me going up, just coming down. I think people are prone to tripping when rushing down, trying to get off the mountain before lightning strikes and that area gets bottlenecked with everyone coming down at once. The far tricker section that I personally would avoid with kiddos (even my 18 yr old was freaking out here) is the open faced, rocky landslide-like trail leading to Island Lake. Altitude also factors in to this hike as dizziness can lead to confusion and unsafe stepping. I certainly don’t want to discourage you from this beautiful hike–it remains one of my favorites–just want people to know what to realistically expect and be safe!
Thank you for your detailed comments, knowing information like this prior to hiking can save lives 🙂
Thank you! It’s information I wish I had known in advance…so thought important to share. Appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. 🙂
Did you know that there are 1,500 ghost towns in Colorado? Sure, some are nothing more than a few scattered remnants, but 600 of them have actual structures left over from the mining days. Planning my Colorado trip, I starred Animas Forks on my must-do list. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s […]
Mosaics of colored glass decorate this interior space that is 150 feet tall. On the outside, the steel frame of this national historic landmark has 17 spires that reach up to the sky. Half a million visitors come to see this structure each year, making it the #1 tourist attraction in the state! Although it […]
My teenage daughter, Jordan, and I were on a five day guided llama trekking trip through Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness with Redwood Llamas. We had spent last night at Eldorado Lake, camping in a beautiful valley at 12,500 ft, way up high in the San Juan Mountains. It had been a dramatic night, watching skies produce a pinkish […]
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Lynette Jacobson - Fantastic description of your adventures in Colorado! Great photos! Very inspiring and love all your suggestions of where to go! You make it feel like you’re actually there.
admin - Thanks so much! Colorado was amazing…and I still have much to post!
JaNeal Smith - Amazing itinerary of this Colorado trip. It looks so fun and adventuresome.
admin - I love discovering little known places, and Silverton was a gem of a find! Lots of adventures stem from there. We only skimmed the surface.