Poland Lake Trail

Length:  7.2 km
Condition:  Well trodden, in winter it is often a broken trail.
General Route: From parking lot at Strawberry Flats, the trail runs along the NW side of the road, then angles up steadily in a well defined road. Runs south of Grassy Mtn then Bojo Mtn, and around to Poland Lake.

How to Find: To find the trail in summer, drive up the paved road to Gibson pass. About 1 km before reaching the downhill area, there is a long parking area for Strawberry Flats X country area. There are two places you can start the trail: (1) At Strawberry Flats and (2) About 1.5 km further up the road, at the bottom of the downhill ski lifts. 

If you are starting from Strawberry Flats, park in the strip of parking spaces on the south side of the road, and look for the Poland Lake trail sign on the north side of the road. Then follow the well defined signs and upsloping road cut until you emerge on the downhill ski run at about 5100' (see waypoints). Then you can either switchback north eastward and follow the creek drainage shown faintly on the 1:50k map, till you come around the north side of the Orange chair. Then head northwest across the crest of the ridge till you find a parks sign marking the Poland Lake trail.

[If you are starting directly from the bottom of the downhill ski lifts (at 4700'), stay to the western edge of the westmost run down from the orange chair. It is a wide run, and you won't be obstructing any downhill skiers. Then climb directly up the run, and leave the run at the northwest corner, almost at the top, just before it climbs eastward back to the top of the chair. There is then a short tricky switchback and then look for a Poland Lake trail sign, or the trail. Don't try and contour westward too early, as there are lots of micro gullies.]

With either lower route, once you find the Poland Lake trail sign, follow the well defined trail up a short switchback and then westward below Grassy Mountain, then Bojo Mountain, and finally around to the lake. The trail drops gradually almost 200 feet before climbing to the lake.

Trail Description: From the Strawberry Flats parking lot, the trail parallels the road for 1km, then becomes a road and ascends away from the main road to the ski area. When the road crosses under the lift line and switches back to the right, the trail continues north-northwest. The location where the trail leaves the road is not signed.