The West Branch Trail in the Rawah Wilderness is one of those hidden gems in this beautiful box of treasures we call Colorado. This past weekend, I grabbed some good friends and we headed into Poudre Canyon, east of Fort Collins, for about 68 miles. We arrived at night, so it was too dark to see our surroundings. The next morning however, we were greeted with a mountain range painted bright red, orange and gold with blooming aspens. With ambitions set high, we did the 17-mile out-and-back day hike to Camp Lake. There were golden mountain meadows and thick woodlands that kept us motivated on this long trek, not to mention the aspens were at their pinnacle of autumn hues. Views along the way included the North and South Rawah Peaks as well as Cameron Peak. We even caught a little snowfall – my first of the season. Bring on the fall and winter adventures!
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