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2. Willow and South Crestone Trail Heads
   Of the area trails, certainly the most popular is the Willow Lake Trail. Simply from the context of attainable gratification, the Willow Lake Trail is the penultimate of spectacular views interspersed with periods of side hill forest hiking as the trail winds steadily uphill through varying degrees of natural paradise.
   From the parking lot, described below, the trail has a spur to the south after a few hundred yards. To continue North, past the sign-in area, leads to South Crestone Lake. Crossing the South Crestone Creek, and heading down the spur to the south from the sign-in area, the trail on the other side of the creek leads to Willow Lake.
   Willow Creek Trail #865 leads to Willow Park, Willow Lake, thence to Adams Summit or Challenger / Kit Carson Summit.

   Willow Park is attainable in 30 minutes (very fast) to 2 hours (easy pace). The trail is easy to follow and well maintained. It switch backs through the trees for a thousand feet of elevation change until you emerge onto a view of Willow Park and the headwall which holds Willow Lake. Challenger Point dominates the sky to the south-east. Kit Carson Summit hides behind its mass further to the south.
   Willow Lake (see photo page 37) is about a 9-10 mile round trip hike from the trail head. If you carry on to the lake, make sure that you have enough time, water and energy to continue. This is a spectacular yet arduous hike. The lake is surrounded by 13,000 and 14,000 ft. peaks, with a waterfall at the east end of the lake. Hike along the north edge of the lake to the top of the falls for an incredible view. Willow Lake is also good fishing for cutthroat and brook trout.
   This trail is access for the summits of Kit Carson and Challenger Point and Mount Adams. A campsite just below the lake provides a haven for overnight stays. Remain bear - savvy by not leaving out any accessible foods. This is also a precaution against the bighorn sheep who will graze through your trail mix like a kid in a candy store.

South Crestone Lake trail
   The trail leading to South Crestone lake is less traveled and a bit more rugged in spots in comparison to Willow. The hike to the lake is a full day 9-10 mile round-trip that begins at 9,000 ft. and ends at 11,800 ft..
   The hike to the South Crestone lake spends more time in the sun down low than does the hike to Willow Park, but then it dives back into the woods and winds along the creek, through thick areas of trees and switch backs up steep sections of the hill. The exposed field, side hill trail just below 10,000 feet offers sunny views of the valley and, during the spring bloom, fields of flowers. Although, prancing through the fields is likely to lead to a precipitous tumble down hill with certain crown breaking and subsequent dousing with pails of water, etc...!

Directions:
The trail head for South Crestone / Willow can be accessed by going to Crestone downtown, turning uphill at the intersection of Galena by the 21st Amendment Liquor Store and following the road east and uphill to the end where parking is available.

3. Spanish Creek
   To hike along Spanish Creek is to love trees, both living and dead. There is no lake at the end, although there is water for camping. The final area before the ridge of the Sangres is called the Bears Playground (photo below), and is the saddle between Kit Carson and the Crestone peaks. Rock climbers who set out to climb the edge of the Prow, a multi-pitch high exposure climb, may choose to bushwhack through the forest and crawl over the dead fall trees (for about a solid 30-40 minutes of the hike) to attain this area. For the rest, I will provide a photo.

Directions:
If you wish to pursue your love of botany and bushwhacking, follow the main road into the Baca Subdivision and follow signs for the Haidakandi Universal Ashram. Park near their parking lot. The creek is there to follow. Please bear in mind you are crossing private land and should check with the owners (Ashram).

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