American Lake near Aspen

Not far from the popular Cathedral Lake hike in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area south of Aspen is American Lake.  Surrounded by steep cliffs that rise nearly two thousand feet above the lake, this hike is well worth the effort.  The trail climbs about 1,700 feet over three and a half miles, and has very good footing most of the way.  Once at the lake, it's not difficult to walk its circumference, and something I recommend, since there's nowhere else to go except back down.

The trailhead is a couple of miles shy of the ghost town of Ashcroft, on the south side of the Castle Creek valley.

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.

Josephine Lake in the Holy Cross Wilderness

To the west of Savage and Carter lakes in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area is Josephine Lake.  It's a longer and more strenuous hike than the Savage-Carter loop, but one worth doing once you've done the others.

To reach the trailhead, take the North Fork Road (#501), a left turn from the Frying Pan road, a little ways east of Thomasville.  It's the same road you take to reach the Savage Lakes trailhead, but you don't need to go nearly as far.  Keep a lookout for the signs indicating the trailhead on your left.

Kebler Pass

West of Crested Butte, east of the Paonia Dam and Reservoir, and south of the Redstone/Marble area of Colorado is Kebler Pass.  Numerous trails (e.g. Three Lakes, Beckwith Pass, Dark Canyon, Ruby Anthracite) have their trailheads on this dirt road that is closed in winter due to the high elevation of the pass.

East and West Beckwith Mountains (seen above) dominate the landscape for much of the road west of Kebler pass.  The large aspen groves make the area very popular in autumn, with cars stopped every few hundred yards to photograph the incredible colors.

Lyle Lake in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area of Colorado

The first time we hiked to Lyle Lake, it instantly became one of our favorites.  We've been back several times since, including an overnight stay last summer.  I'm sure we'll return again this coming summer.

The Lyle and Mormon Lakes trailhead is on the road toward Hagerman Pass, in the upper reaches of the Frying Pan River valley.  Starting at over 10,000 feet, with a very moderate elevation gain, one hits the 11,300 foot Lyle Lake relatively quickly.  Take some photos, grab a snack and drink, then continue around the lake toward the saddle that leads to Mormon Lake.  The overall round trip is a medium-distance day-hike that offers incredible views of the Holy Cross Wilderness Area, wildflowers, and more.

Eagle Lake in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area

Eagle Lake, in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area of Colorado, is a relatively easy hike worthy of your time.  Unlike most of the Holy Cross hikes we do, that are accessible from the Frying Pan River valley, this one seems to draw more visitors from the Eagle River valley. 

Sharp-edged ridges and peaks surround the lake on three sides, and only the view to the west (above) is open.  The lake empties into a series of waterfalls, which look better than they photograph.

Thomas Lakes and Mt. Sopris

It may be the heart of winter (the first two mornings of the year saw fifteen degrees below zero for the low temperatures), but that doesn't mean we can't think of summer.  While I don't get far from home in the winter, the lengthening days has me thinking about what trips to take this coming year.

One hike we do at least once every summer is Thomas Lakes, on the northern slopes of Mt. Sopris.  From the trailhead near Dinkle Lake, it's about four miles to Thomas Lakes.  There are two big ones, and several smaller ponds - all worth exploring.  There are also over a dozen approved campsites, as this area is popular with those seeking to climb Mt. Sopris in a two-day adventure.

The above shot is taking from the northern shore of the eastern lake.  As it clouded over quickly on our first visit, we returned a few weeks later, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Mt. Sopris is several miles south of Carbondale, Colorado.  To reach the trailhead, turn east on Prince Creek Road, and head uphill until you see a well-defined turn-off to your right (south).  Proceed to the large lot above Dinkle Lake.  There are often plenty of cars there.

Winter travel in the mountains - stay low or gear up

 The onset of winter makes it more challenging to reach the backcountry.  Snowshoes are my favorite means of venturing out in winter, even if I can't get nearly as far as I can on snow-free trails in the summer. 

We've received several feet of snow so far, but settling, melting, and evaporation mean that you can get around pretty well with just boots below 9,000 feet.  Above that, I think skis or snowshoes are the way to go.

You may recognize the location of these photos, as the bend in the Crystal River below Chair Mountain is one of my favorite places to shoot any time of year.  We had a one-day break in the winter storms, and I went out yesterday morning to capture many images.

Colorado's colors of autumn

 

One thing I've learned in the nine years I've been photographing the fall colors here in Colorado is that the best photographs are ones in which the photo would be a good photo in any season.  The addition of color just makes it better.  The mistake some people make is to see some trees with nice colors and photograph those.  But if they were just green, you wouldn't take the shot.  Therefore, you ought to reconsider shooting it in the fall.  The two shots here are from a couple of my favorite places around Marble, Colorado, in the Crystal River valley.

Yule Creek Valley after the season's first winter storm

The Yule Creek trail starts a couple miles south of Marble, Colorado, at 9,000 feet.  This overlook, above Thompson Flats, is almost exactly 10,000 feet above sea level, and offers an incredible view of the hanging valley and bordering peaks of the Raggeds Wilderness area.

Colorado's Yule Creek

Yule Creek, in the Raggeds Wilderness south of Marble, Colorado, is one of my favorite hikes. 

A relatively steep trail for the first mile, it moderates just before reaching an overlook above Thompson Flats.  The view there is one of the best you'll find.

The trail then descends a few hundred feet to cross the creek, and is quite easy to hike as it works its way up toward Yule Pass.  Many rapids and waterfalls along the way make it a very scenic hike with lots of photo opportunities

I had heard there was a trail from the quarry up to Thompson Flats, and so on our descent, we stayed on the east side of the creek and followed an easy trail down.  We didn't notice the crossing at first, and found ourselves bushwhacking around the willows and stinging nettle until we returned and crossed over to the west side for the rest of the descent.  When we reached the quarry, I recognized the area from taking visitors there.  Since I was last in the area, however, a private homeowner erected a barricade which we had to scale to get back on the quarry road and down to the car.

Lower Savage Lake, Holy Cross Wilderness Area

Savage Lakes are in the Holy Cross Wilderness area.  The trailhead is east of Ruedi Reservoir, in the Fryingpan Valley.

If you go, consider the Savage-Carter loop.  Though not "an inventoried trail," there is a way down from Carter Lake, so you don't need to backtrack.

The trailhead to Savage Lakes is near the end of a dirt road that branches off to your left as you head up the Fryingpan River valley east of Thomasville.

autumn near Marble CO

This is not the one I posted to flickr. That one was a horizontal orientation. I like verticals because of all the foreground they can include. While at the pond I saw some good foreground elements, but when reviewing my photos, they didn't make the cut. This one has the shallow rocks and a good amount of reflection.

This pond near Marble is a favorite subject of mine, and if you explore my blog, you'll find photos taken in all four seasons here. 

Mormon Lake, Holy Cross Wilderness area

The hike to Lyle and Mormon Lakes is one of my favorites, despite only doing it twice. There are many opportunities to view the lakes from above, and complex shorelines with all sorts of interesting features that I incorporated into my photos.

We've done this as day hikes until now, but think that it would make a great backpacking trip, as there's so much to explore here.

This shot was taken on our way back to Lyle Lake.  As you can see, most of the wildflowers are gone now, and the amber and red hues of autumn are starting to dominate the scenery. 

Also in the Holy Cross Wilderness, like Savage, Carter, and Josephine Lakes, the trail to Lyle and Mormon lakes is on the way up to Hagerman Pass at the eastern end of the Frying Pan valley.