Backpacking trip to Cow Lake

We will meet at the Wooly Mammoth parking lot, location LL on Friday at 7AM, and car pool up to the trailhead which is near Buena Vista, about a 2.5 hour drive from Denver. From U.S. 24 and Main street in Buena Vista drive west for 19 miles on the paved Chafee Road 306, to Cottonwood Pass. Continue down from Cottonwood Pass on the good, wide gravel road for 6.0 more miles and turn left into the parking area for the Timberline Trail.

PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE AS YOU ARE HOLDING UP THE ENTIRE GROUP FROM STARTING A LONG EXPEDITION. WE WILL WAIT NO MORE THAN TEN MINUTES FOR LATE COMERS.

The hike to Cow Lake: It is a 2.8 mile hike with 1,650 feet of elevation gain. The difficulty is listed as Moderate. There is a left hand turn that we will need to take just before the river that comes from Cow Lake. It is a tricky left because there is swamp by the river and before that there are a lot of downed trees. So we will bush-whack through the woods off to the left just before all the downed trees and will follow the edge of the downed trees until we get to the trail by the creek.

We will arrive at the campsite at Cow Lake in the afternoon and will set camp and have a camp fire and sharing after dinner. Saturday will be a free day to do whatever you like: fish, read, nap in your hammock, do local hikes, swim (Brrrrr) or just hangout and enjoy each other's company. Saturday evening will be dinner again and another campfire and an opportunity to share with each other. On Sunday there will be some time in the morning to again hangout and do whatever you like. We will break camp and leave 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.

You are backpacking at your own risk and are responsible for bringing the appropriate gear to handle inclement weather and gear that will keep you warm down to 35F at night. Consider bringing sufficient protection against mosquitos. Sometimes they can be bad. Clothing that will minimize exposed skin is important and even a head bug net. Also bring insect repellant, but I caution you against bringing repellant with DEET in it as the DEET dissolves plastics and polyester.

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. This is a leader led group activity and so it is expected that you will travel with the group and will not leave the group to do your own thing. If extenuating circumstances come up, talk to the group leader to work it out.