My traditional Independence Day Gore Range hike was on the Piney Lake Trail. I left home at 7:30. It takes about 50 minutes to get to Piney Lake at 9400 feet via Red Sandstone Road out of Vail, Colorado and I was walking through the Piney River Ranch gate and past the lake by 8:30.

The trail goes left off of the Upper Piney Trail, just past the lake. It climbs moderatelythrough the aspen forest which turns to evergreen forest as usual at about 10,500 feet. There were lots of mosquitos and I had to make a stop to spread more bug repellant. I didn’t seem to have a lot of energy and moved kind of slowly this morning. By 11:00 at 11,000 feet, I reached the top of a ridge, still in thick forest and the trail began to go back downhill. I had a lousy map and an altimeter but was having a hard time determining exactly where I was on the map. Turns out I was confused and was only about two thirds as far as I thought I was on the map but since the trail was leading downhill, decided I would go up the ridge instead, leaving the trail.

The goal had been 12.390 foot Meridian Peak via the fork to Upper Cateract Lake Trail. Meridian Peak is on Elliott Ridge, the Eagle/Summit County Line. As I gained altitude and got out of the trees, it was apparent where I was...off the edge of my map. Thinking if I kept climbing east, I’d get to Elliott Ridge eventually and proceeded. Unfortunately, as is often the case when climbing without a map, at 12:45 I reached a disappointment peak at 12,050 feet where there was a lower bowl between me and Elliott Ridge. This was a very scenic spot with a great view to the south of Holy Cross, Vail and Beaver Creek ski runs and while I couldn’t see over the east side of the ridge as I had hoped when I began the day, set up the tripod for a panorama photo and decided this would be as far as I go.

After having lunch and taking lots of pictures I started the decent at 1:30. It was an uneventful hike back to Piney Lake. I saw one group of six people and a girl by herself coming up as I went down. No wildlife. I got back to the car at 4:30.