Popular with hikers, peak- baggers and four-wheelers in the summer, the trail to Wheeler Lake takes on a very different character during the winter months.
This high-alpine valley, the Middle Fork of the South Platte, can be a raw, desolate place on a cold, windy day. Recently I headed up to the lake on a day when the high temperature was only 10 degrees and the wind was blowing down the valley at 30 to 50 mph – challenging conditions and limited visibility.
On other days, however, spectacular views of the surrounding peaks reward the winter traveler. The valley is flanked by the long ridge of North Star Mountain to the south and the mass of Mount Lincoln to the north, while the head of the valley is dominated by Mount Democrat.
Often scoured by the wind, the road can be difficult to ski. This year’s better-than-average snow conditions, however, mean that most of the road is well covered. Snowshoes are always fine for this outing.
Hike description
From the parking area, head southwest on the road as it contours around to the west end of the lake through a closed gate. The road heads up the valley, passing under the Magnolia Mill. Stay away from the buildings, which are privately owned and undergoing some repairs.
After passing the mill, the jeep trail stays to the right of the drainage to avoid private property (and also avoid the willows filling the bottom of the valley).
After 2.9 miles the road starts to diagonal up the right- hand side of the valley toward the lake and should be obvious. Follow the road as it climbs until reaching a flat spot just below the lake. Leave the road here and head directly toward the lake to avoid some potential avalanche slopes just west of the road.
If you are on skis, you may be tempted to continue on above the lake. At this time of year though, the slopes of Clinton Peak are prone to avalanche, so the lower lake makes a good turn-around point. Save these slopes for late spring when snow conditions stabilize and can provide fine skiing and snow-climbing opportunities (possibly combined with a climb of Wheeler Peak or Clinton Peak, or both, via their connecting saddle).
Dave Cooper is the author of “Colorado Scrambles: A Guide to 50 Select Climbs in Colorado’s Mountains.”
The details
Getting to the trailhead
One mile south of Hoosier Pass on Colorado 9, take the sharp exit west onto Park County Road 4. Follow County Road 4 downhill, staying straight on CR4 after 0.8 miles, where Nuthatch Drive makes a sharp turn to the left. 0.2 miles after this junction there is a three-way junction. CR4 turns sharply left, the middle fork continues slightly downhill to the Montgomery Reservoir Dam. Take the right fork (Forest Service Road 408), which passes through an open gate and contours above the reservoir to a parking area by the spillway, a total of 1.6 miles from Colorado 9. The road is usually kept open to the spillway all winter, but expect snowy and sometimes icy road conditions. Four-wheel or all-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended.
Hike statistics
Trailhead to Wheeler Lake: 1,300 feet of total elevation gain in 3.4 miles (one way).
Difficulty: Easy snowshoe or ski, mostly above treeline, to a high alpine lake.
USGS Quads: Alma, CO; Climax, CO
