Grand Lake Summer: Parika Lake At Last!

Last summer, on our last hike of the season, Michael and I set off for Parika Lake, took a wrong turn where the trail sign had been removed, and ended up four hours later at Bowen Pass instead, where lightning struck the mountaintop nearby and sent us scrambling for cover below the treeline. This summer, we have been waiting for the snows to melt and the waters to recede to complete that hike to Parika Lake; Saturday, we set off early because Sue and Sherry were due to arrive that afternoon. We were at the Bowen-Baker trailhead at 7:10 a.m. and a herd of elk awaited us in the Kawuneechee Valley -- auspicious beginning. The peak straight ahead is Parika Peak, below which lies Parika Lake, our destination, at 11,300 feet. The trail begins at 8,800.

The first hour or so of this hike is fairly uninteresting, within earshot of a stream coming down from the Never Summer Mountains to join the Colorado River. Then the terrain opens up and the views improve, with dramatic rocky crags rising out of subalpine meadows. We have never seen so many Columbines, with hundreds of them everywhere alongside the trail.

After two hours, we reach the Grand Ditch, a water diversion project built in the early 20th century to trap snow melt before it reached the Colorado River basin and thereby became subject to riparian law. The water is diverted to the front range and to thirsty Denver. The picture below shows Michael where Little Baker Creek feeds into the Grand Ditch, very near its beginning. Further on, it gets progressively wider and fuller.

The trail picks up on the other side of Grand Ditch Road and grows very steep. The views become more and more expansive, with the Never Summer Peaks rising all around us.

At this altitude, the snow has only recently melted, the ground is wet and the new growth prolific. On our Lake Verna hike, we were surprised and delighted to find one small patch of glacier lilies, but here there was meadow after meadow with HUNDREDS of flowers, and many more blooms not yet open. Just before the final climb to the lake, the terrain really opens out with spectacular views of Mount Baker to the right, and a valley with a trail leading to Baker Pass -- a hike we intend to take late this summer.

Here's a view of Michael climbing the last stretch of trail to the lake, with the headwaters of Baker Creek to his left.

We finally reach our destination, above tree line, with the Parika Lake in the cirque before us. I hope my video captures the drama of this beautiful landscape.

Here's another view of the entire cirque.

We stopped for lunch on a rock amidst the tundra, surrounding by Alpine Forget-me-Nots and in the company of a curious (as they usually are) marmot. For me, this hike was the most spectacular of all we've taken, and satisfied my craving for high altitude views and the exhilarating experience of being above the tree line.