Around this time every year, when the city gardens begin to bloom but the snow still lingers on the mountaintops, my thoughts turn to Ptarmigan Lake.

Cradled by the craggy peaks of the Sawatch Range, Ptarmigan Lake sits at 12,132 feet.

Even on the hottest summer day, its water is numbing and the wind is chilled. And in early summer, the meadows surrounding this high- mountain lake are carpeted with wildflowers.

The trail begins just off Cottonwood Pass Road outside Buena Vista. The 3.3-mile trail climbs steadily through dense pine forests. After passing through the graying corpses of trees left from logging, the trail opens up into impossibly green meadows.

A trio of mountain ponds lies just off the trail with trout feeder rings breaking the water's glassy surface; Ptarmigan Lake is just a little farther uphill. You won't see it until you finish the final switchback. The alpine lake is surrounded by 12,000- and 13,000-foot peaks with 14,196-foot Mount Yale reaching the highest. Stop here for fly-fishing or a lakeside picnic or continue south to a saddle where you get a view of Mount Princeton.

At a glance

* What: Ptarmigan Lake Trail

* Where: West of Buena Vista off Cottonwood Pass Road

* To get there: From Denver, take I-70 west to C-470 east; U.S. 285 south through Fairplay to U.S. 2 4/285; to U.S. 24 through Buena Vista; turn west on Cottonwood Pass Road (Highway 306). Drive 15 miles and watch for the trailhead parking area on the left. About 125 miles total. Watch for mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, elk, mountain goats.

* Best part: The lush meadows choked with wildflowers and the mountain-framed alpine lake just beyond.

* Difficulty of hike: Moderate with some climbing; 1,400-foot altitude gain in 3.3 miles.

* Details: Not handicapped-accessible; dogs, horses and bikes allowed. Pit toilet at the trailhead. Lake has native cutthroat and brook trout.

* More information: Salida district of the San Isabel National Forest; 1-719-539-3591, www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/sal/