Total: 15.6 miles
Hike to Cataract Lake
July 29, 2020
The Cataract Lake Trail is a beautiful walk in the woods, all uphill. The first four miles follow Cataract Creek, a constant series of whitewater cascades and waterfalls.
The well-cairned trail weaves through some talus fields and involves several creek crossings up high. We had to take off our shoes to ford one of the crossings.
For the final mile, the trail levels out and shoots straight across a high, alpine meadow above timberline, with a great view of the intimidating cliffs along Half Peak’s east face the whole way.
Cataract Lake isn’t even visible until you top out on the hill right next to it. We set up camp in the grass between patches of willows, with a great view of Cataract Lake in front of us, Half Peak behind us, and fourteener Sunshine Peak to our north. Storms quickly overtook us, and we hunkered down in our tents as wind ripped through the area. There was some thunder and rain, but mostly just gusty winds. When we emerged a short time later, we were flabbergasted to see completely blue skies. As quickly as it had overtaken us, the wind now ceased, and the temperature plummeted as daylight faded.
Across from us, the local residents made themselves known. We counted six giant moose among the willows, and a couple of them jumped in the lake and went for a loud swim! That was fun to watch. A muley doe and two fawns also sauntered by. Besides the wildlife, we also met up with some other campers, local through-hikers of the Colorado Trail.
July 30, 2020
The trail crosses above a huge waterfall, then angles up into the basin before rounding the corner and bending back toward Point 12,820. We left the well-beaten path here and started up the steep grassy slopes, finally heading toward Half Peak’s south ridge.
We found it easy to avoid the worst of the willows, and before long we were on the 13,000 foot shoulder of the mountain.
More slopes rose above us from here, but the angle relented, and after another short uphill stroll we were facing the final obstacle: the ridge.
It was the bluebird day the forecast had promised, and the views were opening up all around us–an amphitheater view of mountains in every direction. All we had to do now was follow the ridge to the summit plateau.
It was loose and exposed, as promised, but with maybe one exception, the trail never exceeded class 2. I prodded Greg and Dad on, knowing they could do it. Having come this far, there was no reason to come up short of the summit!
And after the last exposed walkway… we were on the summit plateau! Actually, this wasn’t flat either, as we still had to hike uphill to the highest point.
This was a great day. Dad is 76 years old, and still in better shape than most 30-year-olds I know. He absolutely loved being able to make it to the top of Half Peak, and I was so glad we were able to do it together. This grand finale topped off a tremendous couple of weeks in Colorado for Greg and me, which started out with an epic six days in the Weminuche Wilderness including Jupiter and Jagged Mountains.
Six to go!