Home»All Photographs»2016 Hikes»Barrier Lake Fire Lookout 04-02-16

On Friday afternoon, I couldn't ignore the +22 degree forecast for the next day, and went for a hike first thing in the morning, even though I had to be at work by 4 p.m.. I needed a shorter hike with not much driving, so Barrier Lake Fire Lookout would fit the bill.
The beginning of the hike was windy, which is usually the case in this area, where the westerly wind blows across Barrier Lake.
Soon, however, I was hiking up through a thick balsam poplar forest which blocked the wind nicely. The trail has several switchbacks as it rises toward the fire lookout. From the heli-pad at the lookout, it is surprising how many peaks can be seen, especially considering that this front-range peak isn't even 2000 m high. Mounts Grotto, Fable, Yamnuska, Baldy, Fisher, Wedge, Kidd, Fortress, Ha Ling and Rundle are a few, but by no means the complete list. After a short stay with my binoculars, I moved on, returning to the Prairie View Trail.
I descended the west side of the hill to Jewell Pass. The trail down Jewell Creek was icy and required attention in places. Soon, the heat of late morning was quite noticeable and by the time I had descended to the lake, it was t-shirt weather.
I still had time to check out Jewell Bay back-country campground, so I veered west and headed there for lunch. After a bite to eat and a couple of photos, it was time to hike back to the trailhead.