Trip
Intermediate Snowshoe – Hessie Trailhead
This is the second in a series of Ascending Hikes, Winter Edition this season: A ~ 4 mile snowshoe/microspike hike to Lost Lake in the Roosevelt National Forest. We'll leave from the Hessie Trailhead and follow the Devil's Thumb and Lost Lake Trails. The "adventure" of this hike will entail some off-trail snowshoeing where we'll find ourselves captivated by views rarely seen by the human eye. This is a second trip to accommodate the waitlist from the Lost Lake snowshoe hike on Jan 17, 2025
Contacts
- Fri, Jan 17, 2025
- Ascending Hikes Section
- Snowshoeing
- Adults
- Moderate
- Mileage: 4.0 mi
- Elevation Gain: 850 ft
- High Point Elevation: 9,794 ft
- Pace: 1.3-1.8 MPH
- 2 (9 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
Carpool Place & Time: Meet at US 36 & McCaslin Blvd PnR-South 7:30AM for a 7:45AM departure (US 36 and McCaslin Blvd Park and Ride - South - Google Maps)
We'll carpool to the Hessie Trailhead parking (Hessie Trailhead - Google Maps)
Additional carpool meeting place could include location further north.
This will be an out-n-back snowshoe (or microspike hike) from the Hessie Trailhead (~4 miles and ~850 ft elevation gain). We'll follow the Hessie Trail to Middle Boulder Creek crossing and then head northwest along the Devil’s Thumb, Devil’s Thumb Bypass and Lost Lake trails to Lost Lake. We’ll hike mostly in the trees, with a few sections of moderate elevation gain, but our reward will be spectacular views of Chittenden Mountain (10,860’) and the South Arapaho (13,397’) and Bald Mountain (11,342’) massif when we get to Lost Lake. We will stay to the east and south sides of Lost Lake to avoid avalanche danger. We have a lunch/snack at Lost Lake and will return by an off-trail route. Our pace will accommodate all participants. (Lost Lake Snowshoe Hike - CalTopo)
Required Equipment
10 essentials, snowshoes and microspikes are required. Trekking poles are recommended.