Wednesday, July 15
Maroon Bells and Beyond
We both woke early this morning so decided to go ahead and
drive to the Maroon Bells. It is 42 degrees
but clear.
We reach the unmanned welcome gate at 6:20AM and drive another 10
minutes or so to the parking lot, which is about 1/3 full already. The walk to Maroon Lake is a short one and we
find about a half dozen photographers with tripods and gear, most of whom are part of a class. The lake is smooth and calm and the
reflection of the Bells is gorgeous!
We decide to take the trail to Crater Lake instead. Unfortunately, the welcome center wasn’t open when we arrived, so we have no map or information. But, off we go. It is a rocky, climbing, twisting trail and if slow and steady wins the race, we would have been crowned victors. Instead, we stop to take photos and are passed by quite a few younger folks, including the “sorority girls” – 4 cute young things who talked rather loudly constantly. The frat boys also passed by (we saw the two groups flirting later at the lake.)
Lots of cool rocks and beautiful wildflowers like these
Columbine, which another hiker tells us, tastes like honeysuckle.
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| columbine |
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| columbine |
We spot this little pika munching on flowers along the way.
Crater Lake is quite lovely, surrounded by other mountains and snowy peaks. Very Alpine. Very peaceful and serene.
We rest a bit and wonder around before heading back – a much easier walk mostly downhill. Find a rock or two to take home. Back near the parking area we see a bridal party getting ready for a wedding. What a gorgeous spot in their little amphitheatre! The wind has picked up a bit and clouds have rolled in, so the lake is no longer such a perfect mirror. Still a beautiful beautiful spot. 
We eat a little and then depart as the shuttles are arriving
and there are many more people than this morning.
We go back out past last night’s campsite and continue into
the mountains, through Independence Pass and the Continental Divide, at 12 ,095
feet. It is 50 degrees and windy up
there above the tree line. Different
wild flowers dot the tundra, along with some patches of snow.
We stop at Leadville, an old mining town, for gas and
grocery supplies, and then stop at a Forestry Service office in Dillon to ask
about National Forest or Boondocking sites.
They direct us to Cataract Lake Campground which is 5 or 6 miles off the
highway. Only two sites are available
(of the 5 total), so we sign up.
Greg spots some smallish standing dead wood, so goes back to
the trek and gets his saw to get a supply for firewood. While he is doing this, I wonder around the
area looking for things to photograph. I spot two
big rocks beside the parking lot and decide that would be a good spot to perch
for a bit. Just as I get to the rock I
am startled by movement on the ground!
Yikes! 3 snakes have slithered
quickly into the nearby field! One
lingers a bit before moving on. No idea what kind they are – probably some sort of grass snake - not too fat, but close to 1 yard long.
Not sure who was more startled – them or me! I carefully move around to the other side of
the rock where there is yet another one, curled on what I assume is a
nest. I decide I really didn’t want to
sit on that rock!
We drag the wood back to camp where Greg cuts it and builds a nice
fire. Since we stopped at the grocery
store today we have all sorts of choices for dinner. We settle on salmon, asparagus and baby
potatoes. Half way through dinner, the
rain moves in and we move into the Trek.
It doesn’t last long, and some folks arrive to claim the
last campsite. We turn in early after a
busy day.
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