This hike starts from the Buckingham trailhead near the Fourth Of July campsite. The road from Eldora to the trailhead is about five miles long, narrow, dusty and quite rough. I was mostly alone on the way up to the lake. I was surprised later though, on how many people there were considering the road to get to the trailhead. It was a great hike with perfect weather.
Be sure to click on these thumbnail photos for larger versions.
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1. The trail starts out heading into the woods. |
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2. I saw lots of Blue Columbine on this hike. More pictures to come. |
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3. Not too far up the trail, you can see the stream that drains from Diamond Lake. The trail is like one big switchback that goes to the right in this picture, then comes back and ends up at the top of the hill in this picture. |
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4. Just a bit farther up the trail and you can see the stream better. |
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5. Another cluster of Blue Columbine. |
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6. A smaller switchback in the trail, not the big one. |
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7. Mount Jasper is the far peak just left of center, Mount Neva is the far peak in the right half of the picture. |
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8. A Gray-Headed Junco I think. |
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9. A pretty cascade. |
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10. The trail through the woods. |
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11. Another cascade crosses the trail. |
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12. Looking up the cascade. |
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13. Looking back. |
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14. Looking back, down the North Fork Middle Boulder Creek valley. |
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15. Another cluster of Blue Columbine. |
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16. The third peak from the left is Mount Jasper. |
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17. The far peak is Mount Jasper. |
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18. There were quite a few bridges like this. |
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19. Waterfall on the North Fork Middle Boulder Creek. |
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20. Waterfall on the North Fork Middle Boulder Creek. |
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21. The trail. |
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22. North Fork Middle Boulder Creek. |
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23. The trail. |
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24. More of the trail. |
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25. This meadow was just full of wild flowers. |
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26. Globeflower? |
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27. The meadow nearing Diamond Lake. The peak is the ridge leading up to Mount Jasper. |
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28. Here it is, Diamond Lake. |
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29. First, I hiked around the North side of the lake. A cascade flowing into the lake from the west. |
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30. I followed it up hill a little ways. |
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31. Then followed it back down hill to the lake. |
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32. The stream reaches the lake. |
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33. This is that same cascade as I was walking back around to the east end of the lake. |
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34. Wildflowers. |
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35. The best view of the lake is from the east end. |
