Avid hikers have a chance to test their mettle by joining the Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign on Saturday as they hike three peaks over 13,800 feet on the Tenmile Crest and pass by Colorado's highest lake.

The hike begins in Mayflower Gulch on the Copper Mountain side of the Tenmile Range, and ascends through the wildflower-laden meadows before cresting the ridge at Crystal Peak (13,852 feet). It then follows the ridge south over Pacific Peak (13,950 feet) and an unnamed thirteener some refer to as “Atlantic” Peak. Here the route passes Pacific Tarn, which sits close to the ridge at over 13,400 feet and is surrounded by rose crown.

The hike is strenuous and is designed for fit hikers with experience at high altitude. It is part of a larger series of hikes of all levels of difficulty led by the Hidden Gems into proposed wilderness areas in Summit, Eagle and Pitkin counties. To view the hikes schedule and sign up, or to learn more about the Hidden Gems Wlderness Proposal, visit www.whiteriverwild.org/p-Hikes-74.html or contact Collin Stewart at (970) 963-3799.

The hikes are a great way to get out into less explored areas of Summit County and see firsthand many of the areas in the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal. With so much public discussion about the Hidden Gems, this is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of where the wilderness proposal areas are and what they look like on the ground.

Other upcoming Hidden Gems hikes in the in the Summit/Vail area include an ascent of Castle Peak on Aug. 1, a Quandary Peak climb on Aug. 14, and a hike up Ute pass on Aug. 29.