Olsen Lake is located 5.6 miles from Grouse Creek Trailhead in the Holy Cross Wilderness near Minturn, CO.  This small lake is ringed by thick timber at the base of a steep ridge, just over which is the Beaver Creek Ski Area. Olsen Lake comes highly recommended in the fall for the trail's colorful aspen groves and abundant berries along West Grouse Creek.

Lupine is a flowering perennial plant from the legume family; the seeds are edible, but many species contain alkaloids that are toxic to livestock

Aspen have a relatively short life span, and often don't produce seeds; instead, lateral roots produce vertical shoots called suckers, some of which will grow into mature trees

The name Columbine is derived from the Latin word 'columba', meaning dove or dove-like

Marsh Marigolds (Caltha leptospala) are in the Buttercup family; Caltha is a Greek word often applied to plants with yellow flowers, and leptosepala means 'slender sepals'

West Grouse Creek empties into the Eagle River, which flows into the Colorado River

Open slopes along the first half mile support a wide range of wildflowers in a relatively small space

The West Grouse Creek Trail passes through thick stretches of spruce-fir forests that may hold snow well into summer

Red phases of Scarlet Gilia tend to be pollinated by hummingbirds, whose excellent vision draws them to the color

Colorado subalpine forests typically occur 9,000' - 11,000', and are dominated by subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce

While the Grouse Lake Trail requires several potentially challenging fords, the West Grouse Creek Trail is aided by two solid bridges over the creek

Blow-downs may occur where root systems are unstable, a condition that can apply to young trees, past-prime trees and those weakened by disease

Gaps in the forest reveal views north of the Gore Range, named after Sir St. George Gore, an Irish nobleman who led a hunting expedition across the range in 1853

Globe flowers grow low to the ground in damp subalpine and alpine meadows, and are common along West Grouse Creek

An open slope past the 2.6 mile bridge crossing offers great views north of the Gore Range