Maroon Bells

This being my first visit to Aspen, I spent the past few months asking friends and colleagues where I should plan to hike.  Although there were many great suggestions, I had only one day I could fully allocate to hiking.  From my research, it was eminently clear that the Maroon Bells are a must-see destination.  Fortunately, they are easy to reach from Aspen, with a free city bus from Aspen town over to the base lodge of the Aspen Highlands ski area – which in summer serves as the base for the shuttle bus up the Maroon Creek valley to Maroon Lake and its trailhead. Read on and be sure to visit the photo gallery!

This site is in the White River National Forest, apparently the most-visited National Forest in the United States.  (I stumble over the name, as I live near and frequently hike in the White Mountains National Forest.)   I suspect that Maroon Lake, where one gets a spectacular view of the twin peaks known as Maroon Bells, is the most-visited spot in the entire WRNF.  I reserved a spot on an early bus and enjoyed the half-hour ride up the Maroon Creek Valley, in which a pre-recorded narrator explained the history of the area, the geology of this glaciated valley, the landscape evidence of recent avalanches, and tidbits of information about the famous aspen trees.  (For example, the valley’s aspen grove is one of the largest living organisms in the world, so large that its golden fall foliage is visible from the International Space Station.)

I spent the first hour photographing the Maroon Bells from different angles – allegedly they are the most-photographed mountain peaks in North America.  I’d love to come back here during golden hour, or in the Fall – though in autumn I understand there are hundreds of photographers lining the lakeshore looking for that perfect image.

I hiked a mile and a half up to Crater Lake, which offers its own views of the Maroon Bells but also, around the corner, Pyramid Peak.  These three peaks are all taller than 14,000 feet, and thus are popular climbs among those who want to bag all 53 of Colorado’s “fourteeners”.   Given my experience, just two days earlier, with the challenging 11,270’ altitude of Aspen Mountain, I could not imagine hitting a 14,000-foot peak today.  That, and they can be incredibly dangerous peaks.

Along the trail to Crater Lake I encountered a fox coming down the trail.  Ironically, I was reading a review on Alltrails, posted two days earlier, which said “Crater Lake is gorgeous and the hike passes through a beautiful stretch of aspen woods. We also encountered a fox coming down the trail. The fox nonchalantly diverged from the trail by a few yards to avoid us, then promptly returned to the trail after having passed us.”  That’s exactly what happened to me! Same fox, perhaps. See the photo and video.

I reached a tricky stream crossing – all the streams and rivers are running high, what with the warming temperatures and ongoing snowmelt – and decided to turn back.  It looked doable, and I saw others do it, but I was more interested in exploring further back toward Maroon Lake. First, a selfie by Crater Lake:

When I reached the lake I took a side trip around the “Scenic Loop Trail” — frequented by visitors who aren’t up to the longer, steeper hike up to Crater Lake.  It offered nice views of the Bells, and of cascades along Maroon Creek.  The highlight, however, was a moose.  A passing hiker tipped me off that a moose was ahead, and where to look; sure enough, a moose was bedded down in the grass on the opposite shore of the creek.  I stood watching her, and she watching me, for a good fifteen minutes.  Suddenly, I noticed movement next to her; a young calf stood up out of the grass, wobbled to the shore for a drink and then to his mother for a nuzzle, before heading back into the grass.  Neat!  Check out the video.

When I reached Maroon Lake and my starting point, I decided to keep going.  The bus narrator had pointed out the option of returning via the West Maroon Creek Trail, which begins at Maroon Lake and follows the creek downstream (as does the road) and rejoins the road a few miles later.  (There, I flagged down the bus to complete my return to base.)  I was tired, and the sky warned of possible rain, but couldn’t resist extending my hike in this beautiful terrain.  The trail followed the creek, passing through conifer forests, groves of aspen, and across massive debris fields left by torrential avalanches of various ages – from a few years ago to a few decades ago.  I startled a couple of small snakes, and a browsing mule deer. I saw bear scat, fox scat, and loads and loads of horse scat, evidence this trail is frequented by a valley ranch that offers trail rides.   I saw no horses, or riders, or even a single hiker; the trail was mine alone.  Spectacularly beautiful, with glimpses of jagged ridgelines above, and wandering through peaceful aspen groves with wildflowers strewn below, it was a wonderful way to cap off my visit to Aspen.

Don’t miss the photo gallery for more photos and some videos!

Hike stats:
Elevation start: 9,580′ (2920m)
Elevation high point: 10,181′ (3103m)
Time including many photo stops: 6h 16m
Distance total: 9.46 mi (15.2 km)

Two maps below – one with the whole route, one zoomed in.