Comanche and Venable Lakes Loop Hike--13 miles, elevation gain and loss 3,600 feet. Moderately Difficult
The hike is located South of Westcliffe. On Highway 69, make a left on Road 328/140 and 140 will lead you to the trailhead. The hike is located in the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range. This loop hike has both trailheads in the same parking lot, which is always a major bonus. You can approach the hike from the Venable Lake side or the Comanche Lake side. I recommend that you start the hike with the Northern entrance, which is the Venable Lake side. The trail is well marked with the exception of one important left about 30 minutes after you pass the Venable lakes. The left is marked by cairns but it was really nice to have a map with us to make sure we didn't miss it. Long loop hikes make an error on the trail quite painful. Luckily, we had no trouble finding the right path.
The Good: This loop hike passes by three stunning Alpine lakes.
The Venable lower lake is especially beautiful as it seems to have a look of an infinity pool as the cliff drops off nearby it's edge. I recommend walking up to the upper Venable lake because you will be able to take beautiful pictures of the lower lake.
The Bad: At the top of the loop, you have to cross Venable pass (12,533 Elevation) and this precarious section of the hike is called Phantom Terrace. If you have a fear of heights, crossing this pass isn't a pleasant experience. The trail has a steep drop-off on one side although I always felt like I had good solid standing. The extremely high winds made matters a little worse. It was quite the thrill ride :) The high winds that we encountered on the pass felt like our faces were going to fall off. A face cover is definitely advised for attempting this hike in the Fall.
The Beautiful: The bad was also one of my favorite moments. What a thrill ride it was to get over the pass! It felt like such a wonderful adventure. The views of the San Luis Valley are heaven on earth. This may be my "last hurrah" above treeline until the end of winter and I am thrilled to go out with a bang!!! I highly recommend this loop. Thank you Kevyn Brown for the glorious recommendation. Thank you Jamie Lynn for joining me on this adventure. #westcliffe #sangredecristo #jamie #venablecomanchelooptrail#venablelake #venablepass #phantomterrace #backpacking