Tubal Cain Mine to Buckhorn Lake — Saturday, Jun. 24, 2017

We did an overnight trip to the Tubal Cain former mining area alongside the trail about 4 miles (approximate 1100' gain) from the trailhead.  This area has a lot of tent spots scattered over about 4-5 acres.  Copper creek flows along the west boundary of this area and provides a good water source.  We got up bright and early and did a trip up to Buckhorn Lake which sits about 2.5 miles (another 900' gain) up from the former mine area.  The lake sits down a couple hundred feet from the main trail with a clearly marked trail heading to the left and down from the main trail.  The lake trail has a couple ups and downs and currently has 9 trees down across the trail with a walk around a jack straw of 6 logs.  None of the standalone logs are more than 16" in diameter and easy to step over.  The Lake is completely unfrozen and we saw several Brook trout swimming in the very clear waters.  There are some tent spots up the trail from the lake but only 1 right alongside the lake.   The hike out to the lake starts with 3 switchbacks up from Copper Creek (take the right trail after crossing the creek) with a 1+mile long traverse heading southwards towards BuckHorn mountain and Marmot Pass.  Most of this traverse is open and the views are INCREDIBLE.  The wild flowers also in full bloom right now.  Between the trailhead and the mining area is the Tull Canyon trail (about 3.1miles from the TH) that takes you up to a 1952 B17 bomber crash site.  If you have time this fairly short, but steep, side trail is very worth taking.