Directions:

Hike Description:

This was one of those Fall Colorado days that defies imagination. A winter storm rolled through Summit County the night before the hike resulting in an amazing combination of snow covered ground and golden Aspen trees in the early morning.

The Booth Lake trail is nothing short of spectacular. If you are looking for a good, though, hike starting in the Vail valley, then look no further. The trail climbs up to the top of the Eagle's Nest Wilderness, to a wonderful alpine lake surrounded by rocky peaks. The entire way you traverse through beautiful Aspen groves, glowing in the fall, and follow Booth Creek as it carves deep gorges and cascades down waterfalls. The final pitch takes you over red rock ledges until you pop out at Booth Lake. The views looking back down the trail are also quite spectacular. Once you climb out of the forest, you'll be rewarded with a terrific view of the Mt. of the Holy Cross as it towers above the Vail Ski Area.

The hike is actually very straightforward. The trail is easy to follow, well marked, and there are no trail junctions to make wrong turns at. The only time you may loose your way is when you are leaving the lake, if you meander away from the trail it may be tough to find your way back. Otherwise, climb up, up up, and then go down, down, down. There is your trail description...go forth...