Savage Lake Backpacking Trip

The hike to Lower Savage Lake is a 2.0-mile hike with 1,660 feet of elevation gain. Altitudes: Start: 9,880; Highest: 11,140 ft. The difficulty is listed as Moderate. It is in the Holy Cross Wilderness area which is managed by the White River and Pike San Isabel National Forest.
The trailhead is down the frying pan river from Basalt, CO. We will arrive at the campsite at the Lake in the afternoon and will set camp and have a campfire and sharing after dinner. Sunday will be a free day to do whatever you like: fish, read, nap in your hammock, play games, do local hikes, swim (Brrrrr) or just hangout and enjoy each other's company. Saturday evening will be dinner again and another campfire and sharing. On Monday we will have some time in the morning to again hangout and do whatever you like. We will break camp at noon on Sunday and head back to the trailhead. We will stay together as a group when hiking to and from the campsite to and from the trailhead. It will not be OK to leave the group to head back to the trailhead on your own unless this has been specially pre-arranged and agreed to.

Anyone is welcome to join us on this trip. If you are new to backpacking or unsure, I suggest that would contact me so I can help you ascertain if this would be a good trip for you to try and if there might be some training or preparatory work that might help you get ready.

You will need to bring equipment to keep you warm for 2 nights at this location and elevation. Typical evening lows are 40+°F but any night can without warning drop down to 35°F.

There will be no firearms allowed on this trip. Bear mace will be carried by me and you can bring some along too if you like.

To get to the trailhead: From Colorado 82 at Basalt, drive East on the Frying Pan Road for 26.2 miles (Pass Ruedi Reservoir, Meredith & Thomasville). Turn left and leave the paved road just before a bridge across the North Fork of the Frying pan River. Take an immediate right fork and follow the good, wide, dirt road with the North Fork on your right. Continue on the main road, pass the Elk Wallow Campground at mile 3.0 from the Frying Pan Road and go left at an unmarked fork at mile 4.4. After 3.4 more miles, park on the right with the trailhead on the left and a creek alongside it to the east.