A few weeks ago, Joe and I hiked up to Parika Lake, a stunning alpine lake, that sits at an altitude of 11,380 feet. The trailhead begins at 8,850 feet with a 5 .4 miles distance to the lake. The last hour of the hike is fairly difficult, as the ascent is very steep and rocky, but the payoff is sublime. Our dear friends Callae and Ed have arrived for the month, and Joe, Callae, and I were planning our annual hike together, and we suggested Parika Lake, as Callae had never been there. So off we headed, enjoying wonderful conversation, as we hiked our way to this beautiful lake. Once we got to the lake, we had a bit of lunch, and met a father and son from Kansas City, who were headed beyond the lake up to the peak of Parika Mountain, which we all immediately decided we had to try.
The snow covered peak to the right is Parika Peak, with an altitude of 12,394 feet. It is about nine tenths of a mile straight up, with an altitude gain of over 1000 feet.
This is a view of the trail to the summit from above. That tiny patch of water is Parika Lake.
The weather cooperated, we scaled the peak, and I'll let the rest of the pictures do the talking.
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