Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Rating Speed and Difficulty 1
How's the Fishing? 2
Why the Stories? 4
Big Buck 4
Experiences 5
Maps 5
Wilderness Defined 6
Trout Species 9
Regional Map 14
Spring Warm-ups 17
1 Gunnison Gorge 17
2 Wigwam Trail Beaver Ponds 21
3 "Rough and Tumblin" Rich Creek Beaver Ponds 25
North-Central Colorado 29
4 Encampment River Loop 31
5 Rainbow Lake, Mt. Zirkel Wilderness 35
6 Seven Lakes, Mt. Zirkel Wilderness 39
6 Big Creek Lakes, Mt. Zirkel Wilderness 42
7 Thunderbolt Lake 45
8 Gourd Lake and Island Lake 48
9 Long Lake and Lake Isabelle - Front Range Mountains 51
10 Lost Lake and Lake Husted, Rocky Mountain National Park 55
11 Gold Creek Lake and Gilpin Lake, Mount Zirkel Wilderness 61
Eagles Nest Wilderness 65
12 Dora Lake 67
13 Upper Cataract Lake and Cat Lake 72
14 Lost Lake - Eagles Nest South 77
15 Wheeler Lakes 80
The Flat Tops Wilderness 83
16 Big Fish Lake and Florence Lake 85
17 Edge Lake 89
17 Keener Lake 93
18 BigMarvine Lake, Marvine Loop 97
18 Mary Loch Lake, Marvine Loop 100
18 Rainbow Lake, Marvine Loop 102
19 West Lost Lake, Flattops 105
19 East Lost Lake, Flat Tops 108
20 Skinny Fish Lake 110
21 Wail Lake, Wall Lake-Parvin Lake Loop 115
2 ParvinLake, Wall Lake-Parvin Lake Loop 118
Mount of the Holy Cross, Fossil Ridge and Maroon Bells Snowmass Wildernesses 121
22 Isolation Lakes 125
23 Lonesome Lake 128
24 Four Lost Lakes 131
25 Lower West Tennessee Lake and Upper West Tennessee Lake 134
26 Lake Constantine 139
26 The Two Tuhare Lakes 142
27 Missouri Lakes, Missouri Lakes/Fancy Lake Loop 145
27 Treasure Vault Lake, Missouri Lakes/Fancy Lake Loop 148
27 Blodgett Lake, Missouri Lakes/Fancy Lake Loop 150
27 Harvey Lake, Missouri Lakes/Fancy Lake Loop 151
27 Fancy Lake, Missouri Lakes/Fancy Lake Loop 153
28 Lake Charles 155
28 Mystic Island Lake 157
29 Eagle Lake 160
30 Lyle Lake and Mormon Lake 165
31 Capitol Lake 169
32 Henry Lake 173
33 Lamphier Lake (Upper) 176
Mount Massive Wilderness and Leadville 179
34 Hagerman Lake 181
35 Native Lake 184
36 Windsor Lake 186
37 Lake Ann 189
38 Harrison Flat Lake 192
39 Kronke Lake 197
40 Chalk Lake 201
The South-Central Rocky Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness 205
41 Lower Brush Creek Lake 207
41 Upper Brush Creek Lake 210
42 Hermit Lake 213
43 Horn Creek Lakes 217
44 Lower Macey Lake 220
44 South Macey Lake 222
44 West Macey Lake 223
45 Lake of the Clouds No. 1 225
45 Lake of the Clouds No. 2 228
45 Lake of the Clouds No. 3 229
46 Lower/South Sand Creek Lake 231
46 Upper/North Sand Creek Lake 234
47 Lower Stout Creek Lake 237
47 Upper Stout Creek Lake 240
48 Venable-Comanche Lakes Loop 243
48 Venable Lakes 246
49 Cherry Lake 249
50 North Crestone Lake 253
Southwest Colorado and San Juan Mountains 257
51 Vallecito Canyon 259
52 Red Lake 263
53 Ruby Lake 267
54 Little Cascade Creek and the Animas River 271
55 Rock Lake 275
55 Conejos River 278
55 Big Lake, And Big Fish! 279
56 Kerr Lake 281
57 Lower Blue Lake 285
57 Middle Blue Lake and Upper Blue Lake 287
Grand Mesa National Forest Near Grand Junction, CO 289
58 Trickle Park Reservoir, Southeast Region 293
59 Finney Cuts Lakes 295
60 Sissy Lake 297
61 Leon Lake, East Area 299
62 Lost Lake, Southwest Region 303
63 Carson Lake, West Region 307
64 Bull Basin No. 1, Northwest Region 311
65 Bull Creek Reservoir No. 1 and Bull Creek Reservoir No. 2 314
66 Butts Lake, East Area 317
Mike's Flies 319
Bibliography 323
Hub Cities 324
Denver 324
Salida 326
Leadville 327
Alamosa 323
South Fork 330
Pagosa Springs 331
Durango 332
Gunnison 334
Montrose 33^
Grand Junction / Grand Mesa 336
Glenwood Springs 338
Steamboat Springs 339
Walden 340
Threats to Wilderness 342
1 Effects of Forest Fire Suppression 342
2 Oil and Wilderness 343
3 Grazing & Wilderness 345
4 Water Diversion 346
5 Fish in High Mountain Waters 347
6 Crowded Mountains? 348
Recommended Equipment 350
Packing 355
Packing for a Long Hike 355
Index 357
