For most people, Memorial Day weekend is the de facto beginning of summer... but not in the mountains of Colorado! Look at all the snow on this page!

Today I hiked the Waterdog Lake Trail, a relatively short trail that leads to three lakes above timberline near the Continental Divide. This is an excellent hike for those in Salida, Poncha Springs and elsewhere in southern Chaffee County. But be warned: There is a lot of snow on this trail throughout the winter and spring months!

How To Get There: The trailhead is located on State Highway 50, west of Poncha Springs, Maysville and Garfield. I did not track the exact mileage, but it is west of the Monarch Ski Lodge and east of the Monarch Ski slopes on the right (north) side. Your topographical map will show the general area. Don't have a map? You should be able to buy one here. (It's what I used for this hike.)

On a personal note, twice I considered turning back because of the large amounts of snow. In some spots, the snow was up to two feet deep with occasional post holing. Not fun at all! Ahhhhhh, but I made it. Enjoy my photos of Waterdog Lake and a video at the bottom of the page. :)

All the best,
Steve

Contact:
Twitter: @stevegarufi
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	Snowfall & The Trail Thick snowflakes came down hard near the trailhead as I sat in my car on Highway 50.
	At first, little snow existed on the trail, but as I continued uphill much of the trail was covered in snow (right photo).
	More snow on the trail.
	Two random photos of snow.
	I had to cross two creeks. :)
	A self-portrait of me with the snow.
	Almost to the lake! TOP: Looking up toward where I would walk. BOTTOM: Looking back. Such a snowy scene, isn't it? :)