Lead King Basin, Snowmass-Maroon Bells Wilderness

Lead King Basin is in the Snowmass/Maroon Bells wilderness area, and contains the headwaters of the Crystal River.

It's a great place for day-hikes and backpacking trips.  We camped near Arkansas Mountain, and could see for miles in nearly all directions.  The back of the Maroon Bells were to our east, while the snow-capped mountains to our south made a great backdrop for some of my photos.

The trails still have quite a bit of snow on them, especially above 10,000 feet and in shaded or north-facing areas.  The biggest challenges to hiking the backcountry this time of year are the stream crossings.  The water is high and fast - and very cold. 

approaching spring

Spring comes later to the mountains. A winter storm left snow frosting all the trees when I went out to take this photo. I really liked the wind-sculpted ridges in the snow.

The "mud season" is around the corner, but until then, great days like this are wonderful times to go for hikes in the snow.  The sun is getting pretty high in the sky now, and it feels much warmer than the thermometer would have you believe.

Walking in Sunshine

Sun, wind, gravity, and the unlerlying terrain create unusual shapes in the snow.

This scene was not far from the Marble Road, near the Bogan Flats campground.