bout this image

Pierre Lakes basin is by far the most unique alpine basin in Colorado, for it is the only one that is entirely made up of rocks. It is a location that one could easily mistake for being in California's Sierra Nevada with nothing but white talus. Measuring about 1.5 miles long by a mile wide, it is the rock garden of all rock gardens in the state. It is a location inspires your soul, captivates your imagination, and takes your breath away—perhaps even literally on the 3.5-mile, 3,000-foot hike up on a somewhat faint unofficial trail. And for that reason, this place is very seldom visited, and you'd be hard-pressed to come up with pictures from five other photographers on the Web.

Pierre Lakes was on my list of scheduled places to visit in 2008, but my co-worker and friend Tad Bowman, ended up getting the West Nile virus that caused us to delay the trip a year. August 2009 came and we had scheduled four nights for the trip, but took only three. The first morning we were greeted by those famous Colorado blue skies, but were rewarded with great series of clouds for sunrise on the second morning, of which this was taken in the dawn's light. For now, this picture is my favorite of the bunch. The pre-sunrise glow was especially intense on this morning almost rivaling that of the later alpenglow. The whole trip was an incredible experience, and we were blown away with the beauty that surrounded us. I feel truly blessed to have visited this most special place, and look forward to future visits as well. Here is the trip report.

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