Click on photo to continue far ahead to lilies at 11,000 feet.
We have left the smokers behind. After this stream crossing, the trail
levels out somewhat for the next hour and a half until it crosses
the stream again and comes to a major junction. For our end of
June hike, we saw snowbanks near this junction. There is a sign
with an arrow pointing to "Watanga Lake" up the main valley and a
"Roaring Fork" arrow pointing the east (right). We take the steep right
trail. It climbs for over 1000 feet to a saddle with breathtaking views.
This is 3000 feet up from Lake Granby. From there we will work our
way across to Round Lake and then descend to Stone Lake and Upper Lake
in Hell Canyon. The trail is not marked on some maps. There is a hiking
guide book that says it takes about 4 hours to get to Stone Lake. This is
bogus. You can double that time easily. Another guide says it's only 5.5 miles.
It feels like ten, but easily worth the effort, if the weather is kind.

jump ahead to the remote entrance to Paradise Park.

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