Lost Lake Backpacking Trip to Wheeler Wilderness

Lost Lake is a beautiful alpine lake in the Wheeler Wilderness that is stocked with cutthroat and rainbow trout. While not easy, this is one of the least difficult trails in the area, so if you want great views without the effort of climbing nearby peaks 12-13,000 feet high, the trip will be a great introduction to this wilderness for you. Lost Lake receives a number of visitors, but it will be far less populated than Wheeler Peak, and there are several great camping sites a short distance from the lake. Please Note: Anyone attending our trips must have a signed 2010 Waiver & Release Form on file with us. This covers all trips and activities for 2010, so you only have to sign it once. If you have not already signed this form, it can be downloaded from our "Files" section and turned in to the organizer when you arrive for the trip. If you RSVP Yes for this trip please plan on attending. Please read our "RSVP" Policy located in our "About" section. Drive time to trailhead: 4 hours from Albuquerque Directions to trailhead: Head North on I25 to Santa Fe, and take the St. Francis exit, heading North. This will put you on US 285/84, and you will stay on this road to Espanola. While in Espanola, the road turns into NM 68 if you keep going straight - stay on NM 68, rather than turning left to continue on 84/285. In Taos, the road turns into NM 64W; continue on this road. 4 miles North of Taos you will continue on the middle road of the fork onto NM 522, and you will follow NM 522 for the next 20 miles into Questa. There you will turn right onto NM 38E and follow it for 13 miles to the far edge of the town of Red River. Take a slight right onto NM 578S, and go for 6.5 miles to the end of the pavement and park. Directions to campground for Friday night: We will stay Friday night at Columbine Canyon campground, which is located in between Questa and Red River. The campground has water and facilities, and there is a $15 fee for the night. To get there, follow the above directions to Questa, but only head East on NM 38 for 3.8 miles, at which point you will see the entrance to the campground on your right. The entrance is right after a few privately owned buildings. The deadline for changing a "Yes" RSVP to a "No" RSVP is July 16, 2010 Trip Dates: July 30 (Friday evening) thru August 1 (Sunday hike out) Trip Rating: Moderate to Difficult (part of the hike is steep and rocky) Trail Length: 5 miles Saturday, 5 miles Sunday Elevation Gain: 2,095 ft Elevation Range: 9,400 ft to 11,495 ft Expected Temps: Highs in the mid 70's to low 80's, lows in the mid 30's to low 40's Dogs Allowed Notice: Disregard the info/map directions link as it is incorrect. Contact Jon with any questions