I did a two day overnight hike heading to Hunts Lake in the northern portion of the Sangre de Cristo wilderness area. I hiked for six miles through scenic country on the Rainbow trail, which runs across the front of the steep mountains, up and down through open meadows and deep forest.  I next turned southwest on the Hunts Lake Trail, into the wilderness and climbed steadily through an enormous stand of aspens.  Above a stream crossing, the trail became very steep and rocky and was soon covered by an extensive area of recently downed trees.  I tried to climb around the blowdown of trees, but it was getting late and I was getting tired.  I had another 1000 feet to climb and another mile to go, and not knowing what the conditions were ahead, I decided to descend and camped back at the stream crossing. I failed to reach the lake.