July 9, 2019

By Tim Briese

16.5 miles, 2300’ elevation gain, 14:15 roundtrip time

Lone Eagle Peak is unquestionably one of the most photogenic and incredible peaks in Colorado. I had seen photos of it and read reports about it and was irresistibly drawn to go see it in person. It is located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness and is best accessed via a long hike from the west from the Monarch Lake Trailhead near Granby. My wife Teresa wanted to go on this adventure too. Many people backpack up to Mirror Lake below the peak but sites are scarce and popular. Backpacking did not appeal to us at any rate so we opted to do a long dayhike. We wanted to be at the lake at the perfect time for optimal photos with good sunlight on the peak though, which I determined from a map and from the internet to be about 830 or 9 am, so a very early start would be needed. We wanted to have perfect weather too, for prime viewing and the photos. I carefully watched the weather report and when I saw a window of sunny weather approaching with zero chance of rain we sprang into action. Online reports indicated some snow remaining up near the lake from a heavy snowpack but it sounded manageable. We drove to a motel in Granby the afternoon before the hike and drove out to scout the Monarch Lake Trailhead where we would be embarking in the dark the next morning. We arose at the motel at 3 am, got coffee at the local 7-11 at 330, and drove out to the trailhead. We embarked in the dark at 415 under a starry sky. A faint light reflected off Monarch Lake as we hiked the trail along its north shore. The trail turned up into the Buchanan Creek drainage and the creek thundered in the gorge below as we hiked along in the dark. An hour or more after we started it began to get light and we were able to put our headlamps away. After a while we reached a trail junction and turned right to continue on the Cascade Creek Trail up the Cascade Creek drainage. This was a most impressive stretch of trail, with numerous cascades and thundering waterfalls, carrying very high runoff from all the melting snow in the basins above.

one of the many waterfalls along the trail

Around 630 we spotted three moose ahead close to the trail. We proceeded carefully and passed within about 75 feet of them, ready to jump behind a tree or boulder if charged by one of them, but they merely watched as we walked by.

one of the moose

The jagged peaks lining the valley ahead were most impressive, including 13er Apache Peak.

the jagged ridgeline above

apache peak

At one point we had to straddle a couple of logs to cross a raging side creek tumbling down through some cliffs. We finally reached a trail junction where we turned to the right onto the rougher Crater Lake Trail, about a mile from our destination. With about a half mile to go we began encountering massive snowbanks obscuring the trail so we were forced to resort to a time-consuming bushwhack the rest of the way. We arrived at Mirror Lake at 920, and were treated to jaw-dropping view of incredible Lone Eagle Peak beyond the lake. We had hiked 7.8 miles from the trailhead. We sat on a large flat rock in the sun on the north shore of the lake for a long time, resting and gazing up at the iconic peak which towered some 2000 feet above. This was the spot from which those impressive photos were taken that we had seen before. There were a few backpackers scattered about in the trees, and one of them was sitting on a rock not far away gazing at the peak too.

lone eagle peak and mirror lake

the top of the peak

what a wonderful place to spend the morning!

Eventually we rose and made our way up to much larger Crater Lake, about 0.3 miles to the southwest. This was a challenging undertaking since much of the trail was covered with deep snow but we managed. The view of Lone Eagle Peak from Crater Lake is quite different and somewhat less impressive, as it is obvious here that the mountain is not a freestanding peak but rather the high endpoint of a rugged ridge.

crater lake

lone eagle peak from crater lake

We returned to Mirror Lake and rested a while more before leaving this enchanted place around noon. We took our time on the hike back, taking a lot of photos, and sitting at a couple of the waterfalls for a while soaking up their positive energy. Although we had seen no one on our hike up to the lake, as we hiked back we met several parties on their way up, both backpackers and dayhikers. We noticed that some people set up backpack camps in the woods in the Cascade Creek drainage, a good alternative when Mirror Lake sites are unavailable. We noted that the valley was very green and lush, with luxuriant wildflowers growing profusely, an observation that had escaped us in the dusky early morning light. The roaring creek provided enchanting natural music for most of the hike.

a pretty stream flowing below mirror lake

a mossy wall along the trail

one of the many verdant meadows along the route

We were getting very tired as we tramped the last few miles back, ending with a nice flat stroll along beautiful Monarch Lake.

monarch lake

We got back to the trailhead at 630, and drove our aching bodies back to Granby for a most welcome dinner and rest for the night.