The Yule Creek Valley in the Raggeds Wilderness

My home in the Crystal River valley is bordered to the northeast by the Snowmass-Maroon Bells Wilderness and to the southeast by the Raggeds Wilderness.  There are many fantastic trails in this under-traveled area.  My favorite is easily Yule Creek.  From just below the top of the quarry road south of Marble, Colorado, the trail climbs about 1,500 feet in the first mile and a half.  At this point, you're on an overlook above a beautiful hanging valley.

I call those three peaks "the Baby Bells," because of their resemblance to the Maroon Bells - the most photographed feature in the state.  The taller one on the right is Mt. Justice.  The wide area below is Thompson Flats.

If you descend to Thompson Flats, there's a stream crossing (which is running very high and fast this year).  I recommend a pair of water shoes, as I try my best to keep my shoes and socks dry for my hiking comfort.

From here, the trail is relatively easy for the next mile or two as it winds through wildflower meadows and past rapids and small waterfalls.  Eventually it climbs to Yule Pass.  At this point, some hikers will do an about-face and traverse the slope to Yule Lakes, whose exit streams crossed the trail along the way up.