Rawah Wilderness-Carey Lake-Island Lake-Timber Lake-Backpacking 3 Days 2 Nights-Colorado

On August 25-27, 2024 We did a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip in the Rawah Wilderness of northern Colorado. No permit is required to hike or backpack in the Rawah's. We hiked from the West Branch Trailhead. We camped the first night at Carey Lake. The weather was challenging but gave way to some beautiful days. On our second day, we headed off to explore Island Lake and Timber Lake. Island Lake is just south of Carey Lake. Timber lake required off trail navigation with a GPS. Timber Lake has a magnificent waterfall flowing out of it. This portion of our trip was challenging. We had to walk through multiple streams and our feet were wet. Only highly experienced hikers should attempt getting to Timber Lake. I couldn't have done it without Dave and his knowledge and experience in route finding. On our second night we camped near the junction of the Blue Lake Trail and West Branch Trail, 2 miles below Carey Lake. There are a number of campsites in this area. We had an amazing adventure. 17 miles and 3055 feet of elevation gain.