It's a bit hot in the valley right now, but the weather is perfect on the Grand Mesa for a great hike along Crag Crest Trail (FS Trail 711). This trail is the most well-known trail on the Grand Mesa, but considering how famous it is, I've never seen many people hiking here.
 
I hiked the upper 6.2 mile stretch from the West Trailhead near Island Lake recently, then returned along the lower trail, a four-mile trek, completing the 10.2 mile loop. I only passed two other hikers the entire way.
 
The upper trail climbs more than 1,000 feet in elevation from either trailhead, then runs about four miles along the top of a steep-sided craggy crest, a long ridge left behind by two parallel glaciers in the last ice age. While the trail is not terribly difficult, other than an ascent on one end or the other, it is not suitable for hikers who fear heights. Along the crest, this trail narrows to about three feet wide with steep drops on both sides.
 
To find the trail, take I-70 east into DeBeque Canyon. Turn off I-70 at Exit 49 (the Powderhorn/Grand Mesa exit). This is Hwy 65. Stay on it for 33.9 miles, through the town of Mesa, past Powderhorn, past Mesa Lakes Resort, all the way to Grand Mesa Lake Lodge at Island Lake. About .3 miles past Grand Mesa Lakes Lodge, near mile marker 28, you’ll see the turn for the Crag Crest Trailhead on your left. This is the west trailhead.
 
The east trailhead is at the Crag Crest Campground, off FS Road 121 (Trickle Park Road). Keep going on Hwy 65 past the west trailhead and around the bottom side of Island Lake, then take a left turn on the Trickle Park Road at the Grand Mesa Visitor's Center. Follow that road toward Eggleston Reservoir and you'll find the trailhead on your left.
 
This trail has been designated as a National Recreation Trail. The springtime melting snow pack makes it nearly impassible. When the snow is finally gone, the Grand Mesa’s infamous mosquitoes will take a bit out of you if you don't put on lots of bug repellent. They disappear around mid-August. By October, temperatures drop and snow can already cover the trail.
 
Both upper and lower Crag Crest trails are well marked, but that first mile and a half is a bit of a climb. You must watch your footing as rocks leap out to grab your ankles and stub your toes along the full length of this trail. This is not a place to wear tennis shoes. You need good foot gear.
 
After just a quarter-mile or so, the trail crosses one of many wildflower-filled meadows. Even this late in the season, there were plenty of golden asters and purple daisies shining brightly in the daytime sun.
 
About one mile from the trailhead, you'll come to the well-marked junction of the upper and lower sections. Go left to the upper 6.2 mile stretch, and right to the lower four-mile stretch. The lower path takes you beneath the top of the crest, and climbs to an elevation of 10,680 ft (the west trailhead parking lot, by comparison is at 10,360 feet).
 
If you stay on the upper trail, you'll reach a series of switchbacks that will take you to the Cottonwood Lakes Trail. This is another great hike, but one for future blogs.
 
Continue past this trailhead to the actual crest of the route. You'll hike along a windy, narrow ridge flanked by drop-offs on both sides for about two miles. The San Juan Mountains are visible to the south. The West Elk Range spreads to the east. Battlement Mesa looms to the north and the chalky white Bookcliffs and Roan Plateau dominate the northwestern skyline.