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  1. #1
    Member curtiseddie's Avatar
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    Rawah Wilderness

    Just got back from an epic backpacking trip in northern Colorado. Planned on being out for four days, three nights of 23 miles. Ended up hiking closer to 30 miles and summiting South Rawah Peak (12,600ft). We also underestimated our hiking speed and finished in three days and two nights. I chalk this up to significantly lightening our packs. Our base weights were 18-20 lbs.

    Spent one night at Tunnel Campground near the trailhead. This was the only place we could have a fire, since there was a fire ban that started a couple days before we arrived.
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    The next morning we started the trek on the West Branch Trail, heading toward the Twin Crater Lakes. Of course the first day is all uphill. We ascended approximately 2500ft from the trailhead to the Lakes. We crossed, paralleled and drank from the Laramie River multiple times.
    20180709_100010.jpg20180709_085526.jpg20180709_085513.jpg20180709_080209.jpg20180709_074850.jpgRawah-Coburn -11.jpg

    From the West Branch Trail we veered onto the Rawah Trail. Eventually taking the spur trail to the Crater Lakes (not truly "crater" lakes, as they were actually created in the cirques from glaciers).
    Rawah-Coburn -12.jpg20180709_132747.jpg20180709_121410.jpg20180709_121359.jpg20180709_122402.jpg


    more to come tomorrow...
    Last edited by curtiseddie; 07-18-2018 at 10:58.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Otter1's Avatar
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    Looks like a great trip! And it feels good to lighten up.

  3. #3
    ObdewlaX's Avatar
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    Going light makes all the difference. Looks like a great trip & great pics too.

    Thanks for posting.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Red Cinema's Avatar
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    Sweet trip report!
    //
    “Stories set in the Culture in which Things Went Wrong tended to start with humans losing or forgetting or deliberately leaving behind their terminal. It was a conventional opening, the equivalent of straying off the path in the wild woods in one age, or a car breaking down at night on a lonely road in another.”
    ― Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games

  5. #5
    Member curtiseddie's Avatar
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    We originally did not plan on hiking to Twin Crater Lakes. After we got there, we were so glad we did. Aside from the skeeters (which buzzed around us, but did not bite) our campsite was amazing, with great views of the lake, mountains and sky. We hung our tarps to be prepared for a spontaneous night rain, but folded them back to keep a clear view.
    20180709_134141.jpg20180709_134207.jpgRawah-Coburn -28.jpg2016_0102_122235_003.jpg2016_0102_122259_004.jpg


    I have never seen so many stars or seen the Milky Way so clearly.
    sky1.jpgsky2.jpg

    The morning light makes the mountains glow!
    I woke up like this:
    20180710_052432.jpg20180710_054409.jpgRawah Pyramid.jpg

    The next day we back tracked to the Rawah Trail and headed to Grassy Pass.
    Rawah-Coburn -37.jpgRawah-Coburn -38.jpgRawah-Coburn -39.jpgRawah-Coburn -41.jpg
    Last edited by curtiseddie; 07-18-2018 at 11:20.
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  6. #6
    Member curtiseddie's Avatar
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    When we made it to Grassy Pass, we decided to summit South Rawah Peak. It was about 2 miles off trail to the top and much steeper than it appeared to be.
    Rawah-Coburn -51.jpgRawah-Coburn -50.jpgRawah-Coburn -42.jpgRawah-Coburn -52.jpgRawah-Coburn -53.jpgRawah-Coburn -49.jpg

    Another thing (that no one seems to mention in any high elevation trip reports I've read) that we all had a good laugh about is that as we ascended from around 10,500ft to 12,600ft the gasses in our intestines began to expand. This lead to SO much flatulence. We were literally farting every couple minutes until we returned to a lower elevation.

    Descending seemed almost more treacherous than the climb up.
    Rawah-Coburn -57.jpgRawah-Coburn -60.jpgRawah-Coburn -59.jpgRawah-Coburn -61.jpgRawah-Coburn -58.jpg
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  7. #7
    Member curtiseddie's Avatar
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    After the summit we were pretty wiped. We headed toward the area we wanted to camp as storm clouds formed and thunder boomed both east and west of us. We found a perfect site just in time to get our tarps up, before the rain poured down for about 25-30 minutes. This was the first woods time my new Warbonnet MountainFly has seen. It performed wonderfully.
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    The next day we hiked to Upper Camp Lake. It was at the base of Sheep Mountain (11,840ft). It was pretty, but the views were not as amazing as the Twin Crater Lakes.
    20180711_093927.jpg20180711_095519.jpg2018_0711_094906_002.jpg


    Then we decided to hike out and find some beer and spend out last night at one of the National Forest campgrounds. This turned out to be a total of a 12 mile day.
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    This was a much deserved relaxing evening. We took a dip in the Cache la Poudre River (pronounced POO-der). Drank some beer. Ate the rest of our food. And stared at some stars. The campground was on the shores of the river so we slept to the roaring sound of the water and couldn't hear any of the nearby campers. No tarps that night either.
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    Our last day/night in Colorado was spent in Fort Collins. We hit up many of the craft breweries there and stuffed ourselves with cheese burgers and tacos.
    Last edited by curtiseddie; 07-18-2018 at 11:24.
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  8. #8
    ObdewlaX's Avatar
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    Great pictures & trip report!

  9. #9
    Senior Member johnspenn's Avatar
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    Some beautiful country out there! TFS!

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