Cascade Creek to Crater lake
When somebody mentions “a true Colorado experience,” what do you imagine? Mile high skyscrapers towering over everything else within reach? Or, titanous, sprawling mountains? You can find the answer located just south of the great Rockies, lying in wait. Behold the Indian Peaks wilderness. This vast land spans over 76,111 acres, and features rugged terrain, windswept peaks, waterfalls, wildlife, and an immense tundra.
Starting out at our Rocky Mountain Cannabis location inFraser, Colorado, you can reach the Cascade Creek trailhead (just one of the many trails in the Indian peaks) from HWY 34, roughly a 40-minute drive from us, but well worth it. I’ve lived in the area long enough to experience many of the diverse trails that the area boasts, but so far, none have captured my imagination quite as much. This experience is so picturesque, you’ll wallow in regret if you don’t bring a camera. And as always, a walk this beautiful, deserves some beautiful herb togo with it. Luckily, the Rocky Mountain Cannabis dispensary in Fraser, has a handful of products that make a great pairing for this trekk.
There’s plenty of different ways you can enjoy your time here. The way I chose to spend mine, was traversing over 4 miles of trail. Mind you, the trail to Crater Lake itself is clocked at 14.8 miles round trip, so if you plan on completing it, consider camping there overnight, or, getting a very early start. It’ll begin as an easy walk, keeping you lakeside as you are taken past a thick marsh and into the sprawling forest. From this point, it appears as if the landscape is ever changing. From enormous rocks, landslide debris, to fantastic views of the Indian Peaks valleys and waterfalls, it’s hard to get bored.
Bewilderment crossed with a delightful high, is the true way to experience your time here. So, I did what any cannasseur would do, I made a little cannabis cocktail, bringing together 2 of my favorite strains: Chemmy Jones and Brain OG. Chemmy Jones is a sativa dominant strain from In the FlowBoutique Cannabis. It boasts terpenes such as myrcene, limonene , and caryophyllene. A winner of 2 first place connoisseur cups, 2 years in a row, this strain has the ability to produce an enriching and comfortable buzz, definitely stimulating creativity and energy.It’s citrusy to smoke and pungent in smell, a prime sativa choice for me. Brain OG, from Veritas Fine Cannabis, is the offspring of two famous strains: OG Kush and Sour Diesel. Due to this strain’s lineage, it contains a wide spectrum of terpenes such as caryophyllene, limonene, myrcene, pinene, linalool, and terpineol. If you don’t know much abut terpenes yet, that’s ok! Visit our blog again to read Terpene Talks, where I’ll cover the science behind the wonderful world of terpenes. For my cannabis cocktail, I focused heavily on dosage. Dosage is often overlooked in the pursuit of stronger highs, but did you know that you can really tailor your high to what best fits your needs? I did so by weighing out a half gram (.5g) of both theBrain OG and Chemmy Jones, for a total of 1g. That’s it! Easy, right? Just use your smoking method of choice, and after a few minutes, you could be taken to that happy place of blissful energy.
Trekking on, I felt the peak of my high shortly after passing through the point of trail connection from the Cascade Creek trailhead toCrater Lake. I was wonderfully energetic and happy, as my little journey took me to an elevation of around 10,000 ft. It was here, perched atop large rocks, that I was able to gauge the entire wilderness for what it was- a truly magnificent portrait of mother nature. Breathtaking only touches the tip of the iceberg when it comes to detailing this area. A thin mountain breeze swept across my body as I gazed out into a sea of vibrant, lush trees. A variety of mountain birds diving and zig zagging through the crisp sky, and the calming rush of the nearby creek; it all was reminiscent of a true Bob Ross masterpiece.
Moving on, the trail will take you to a set of waterfalls.These cascading wonders are the perfect places to simply chill out and rest fora few minutes. It’s from here that the trail begins to turn into a steeper grade, so take care to pace yourself. On this hike I didn’t venture much further than the waterfalls, but further ahead you will be on the direct path to Crater Lake itself! This way will take you about another 4 miles to complete, which is one reason many say the journey to Crater Lake is best saved as a small hiking/camping trip. Crater Lake is yet another beautiful piece of land scape, and thus deserves its own Weed Walks story. Be sure to look for it sometime in the future! Thanks for reading, and remember, if you’re visiting our Rocky Mountain Cannabis shop in Fraser near Winter Park, Colorado, adventure is really just right around the corner!
