Lake of the Clouds Trail

Lake of the Clouds is a remote out-and-back in the Never Summer Range: about 13.2 miles round trip from Colorado River Trailhead, with roughly 2,400 feet of climbing. The route leaves the Colorado River for Red Mountain's switchbacks, follows the Grand Ditch, passes Dutch Town, then climbs into a high basin below Mount Howard and Mount Cirrus. Allow 12 to 15 hours. This is a serious alpine day, and the last section is a steep, exposed scramble over loose boulders. The mapped path stops about 450 meters short of the lake, where the final line through the talus is not mapped. Turn around at Dutch Town for a less technical hike, though that is still about 12 miles round trip.

The first half mile follows the Colorado River through small meadows. Cross the river where the trail turns left, then climb on Red Mountain through forest and boulder terrain. Switchbacks carry you up to the Grand Ditch, about 3.5 miles from the trailhead. The ditch road is easy walking, but it adds about 1.8 miles before the footbridge at Hitchens Gulch. Take a moment to look across the valley toward the Never Summer peaks; the broad water channel is a working diversion, not a natural stream.

Past the bridge, follow Big Dutch Creek through spruce and wet meadows. The ground can be muddy, and the path gets faint around Dutch Town, about six miles from the start.

Dutch Town was a prospectors' camp built around 1900. Cabin remnants and unusually tall cut stumps are still visible. The maintained trail ends here. Beyond the campsite, descriptions follow cairns along the north side of the creek to a large talus bowl. Cairns can point in several directions; stay on the north, or right, side of the waterfall and look for grassy ledges above the boulders. The footing is slow, loose and exposed, and the last stretch is not a defined trail. Only continue if you are comfortable route-finding on steep talus.

Lake of the Clouds sits around 11,430 feet in a rocky basin. Alpine flowers grow around the shore, and pikas or yellow-bellied marmots may be heard or seen. Keep your pack closed and close by; marmots are known to investigate unattended food.