Grizzly vs American: the wildflower fight

[Skimo95]

Grizzly gulch was on fire a few weekends ago! The San Juan’s are prime time right now.

[dr_j]

Without hijacking this thread too much, two hikes this weekend, with peaks being secondary to the flowers, which ones would you choose?

Handies loop (Grizzly Gulch -> Handies -> American Basin -> Grizzly Gulch)
Wetterhorn
Columbine Lake
Ice Lakes Basin
Blue Lakes
Crested Butte (specific recs)?
Elsewhere?

Considering this years conditions. I've hiked all of them before except Columbine Lake.

[daway8]

Well American Basin was really good this past weekend. The Grizzly Gulch side seemed to have a lot that were already wilting. I wonder if all the heat might end the show early this year? The road hike from American to Grizzly was oppressively hot (I was too stubborn to try to hitchhike from any of the many vehicles passing by...)

Someone just posted yesterday in the Colorado Wildflower Reports page on Facebook that the flowers on Ice Lakes Trail are really good.

Out of curiosity, do you have any favorites from the ones on your list that you've hiked in past years?

[dr_j]

I was a fan of Ice Lakes and Blue Lakes, although this was a few years back before things got way too crowded. I swear that the columbines at Blue Lakes were on steroids, they were huge. Haven't experienced American Basin during the wildflower season, I went a few weeks too early. Ditto with Wetterhorn, either a bit too early or too late.

I'll just toss a coin and see if I end up on the Silverton side or the Lake City side. Can't lose either way.

[Wentzl]

Grouse Gulch is the hands down winner for Handies. While in the neighborhood, Wetterhorn basin is best of class.