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Climb to a big, beautiful sparkling lake cupped in a cirque high on the craggy Chiwawa Ridge. Silver logs line the shoreline and shine in the afternoon sun. Asters and gentians add strokes of indigo and violet to the surrounding meadows. In autumn, low-lying blueberry bushes set the basin afire in crimson. While the climb can be stiff, the toughest part of this hike may be right in the beginning. If the Chiwawa River can't be safely forded, head to nearby Estes Butte or Basalt Peak instead, returning to Schaefer when river levels have subsided.