Roaring River Wilderness Loop, 6/14/18
Posted: June 14th, 2018, 4:21 pm
I did a quick overnight trip around the high country of the Roaring River Wilderness with a friend last night. This Wilderness is practically snow free (there are a few 20 foot long patches on flat sections of trail). Most trails are well maintained, and some had just been logged/brushed. Though the Cache Meadows Trail is a mess (who thought it'd be a good idea to route a trail right over a seasonal creek???), the parallel Cripple Creek Trail is quite well maintained (when it dead ends at a deep ford of sluggish Cripple Creek, hike uphill through the dry forest about 50 yards to find an actual trail tread, just south of the site of the shelter). Roads were totally sedan passable.
We hiked up from Hideaway Lake (mosquitoes) to Frazier Turnaround, then around Rock and Serene Lakes, then around the loop of trails at Cache Meadows, then back to the car via Frazier. No problems.
It's possible to cobble together something like about 20-24 miles of hiking out of this trail network, and it's surprisingly beautiful. I'd never been before. It's not the Enchantments, but for those looking for early season hikes or medium length backpacks, not in the Gorge, this would certainly fit the bill.
We hiked up from Hideaway Lake (mosquitoes) to Frazier Turnaround, then around Rock and Serene Lakes, then around the loop of trails at Cache Meadows, then back to the car via Frazier. No problems.
It's possible to cobble together something like about 20-24 miles of hiking out of this trail network, and it's surprisingly beautiful. I'd never been before. It's not the Enchantments, but for those looking for early season hikes or medium length backpacks, not in the Gorge, this would certainly fit the bill.