Poi 1
Location: 39.8247539, -105.6790352
Wild mountain buffett. Filled up on raspberries here and saw marmot and elk.
Poi 2
Location: 39.8349046, -105.6802368
Great series of pickniking spots and camp sites on the south side of the Loch
Poi 3
Location: 39.8395181, -105.6783485
Take care moving up this ridge and over to the ridge of Mt. Bancroft
Poi 4
Location: 39.8209305, -105.6810951
Here we did not stay high and were plagued with very wet, thick, bog-like terrain and deadfall. It took us twice as long through the forest as it did on the flanks of the ridge
Fall River resevoir
Location: 39.8197439, -105.6881332
The resevoir is not much to look at (man-made) but the feeder stream coning into it is rather spectacular with high peeks and waterfalls leading from smaller cirque lakes above
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Location: 39.8200076, -105.6888199
Fall River Resevoir
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Location: 39.8298954, -105.6757736
View down the valley from the escarpment
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Location: 39.8339819, -105.6790352
Lunch at Loch Lamond
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Location: 39.8359592, -105.6816101
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Location: 39.8376727, -105.674057
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Location: 39.8201395, -105.6822968
Coming out of the woods...no worse for wear??
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Location: 39.8369807, -105.6805801
Waterfall from the upper lakes
Drive up Fall River road West of Idaho Springs on I-70 and turn at Rainbow Road on one of the switchbacks with a large house at the locus. Be prepared with a high clearance 4 X 4 or the approach will include ~2 miles of rough road hiking to the resevoir. Once at the resevoir you may choose to hike south to Chillis Lake, west to the top of the Continental Divide, or begin our route north around the middle edge of the peak above the thick forest and below the towering escarpments above. The route follows the edge of the forest around the peak with no trail, so be prepared for heavy bushwacking and a small creak crossing. About halfway around you should see yellow bellied Marmots and a few elk feasting on the buffet of berries. Watch for bears. You will eventually see a few campsites and a road leading to loch Lamond.
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