Going up the half-mile, 600-foot gain, rocky ridge, what I'll call a bowling ball hill, for lack of better terms. The trail is still well-defined for the most part, with the exception of a couple short sections.
Essentially, though, you just walk this ridge (there is a downslope on either side) in a line all the way up to where the trail comes off of it cutting back to the northwest.
Still going up, the trail is still well-defined here
1:47 PM — Nearing the basin, and now exiting the rocky ridge that started after the stream fork, the trail is impressively well-worn, but first we need to eat lunch after the big uphill exertion. The section pictured here is also a substantial grade for a ways. We just couldn't believe this area sees that much traffic for there to be a trail like that, so it must be far greater visited than anyone realizes.
Continuing along after lunch and looking back to the southeast
Looking back to North Snowmass
Looking up the trail to Clark Peak
Clark Peak taken from a very soothing pool to look at. It would've felt great to dip the feet in here, but we press on. You can see the trail in left-center going up.
Looking back to unnamed 12,902' to the southeast
2:24 PM — Following the stream for a ways and looking up to Clark Peak
At this waterfall, which will be distinct when you see it, this is where we should have left the trail and started heading uphill to the west (left), as there is a vegetation that grows a little ways up. More details on the last page on the way back down. Instead, we keep going up not really knowing our best point of entry into the main basin.
Looking up to the unnamed ~13,040'. What a fine sunset spot this would be. The eastern-most lake sits immediately to its southwest base.
2:42 PM — The unnamed 13,431' peak comes into view for the first time behind the slope we end up ascending
Taking just short of forever making our way through this mess, we are going nowhere fast! Man, this was draining.
Perhaps more mentally than physically. We really wanted to see the basin views!
Our first look of Capitol Peak
Tad crests a shelf while I slowly make my way up . . .
3:14 PM — . . . but still no view of any of the lakes! More rock to go.
At this point we don't know exactly know where the big lake sits, or where it would be visible from (as we now know, it is behind the distant ridge)
3:45 PM — We finally get our first view of the lake. It is big—and purdy! Capitol Peak overhead.
A colorful tarn just south of the big lake's outlet
What's that? A tent down there? You mean we're not alone in this place no one talks about, and in a place going into we thought a few people might venture each year? Given the fairly well-established trail situation, I suspect this is a far more common scene than anyone realizes. I know I was quite disappointed upon realizing we weren't alone.
This is along the start of Bear Creek.
Zoomed in
Looking down the Bear Creek valley
Now we're on our way checking out our surroundings looking for a suitable campsite and searching for a sunrise position
North Maroon Peak (14,014') peeking through the Heckert Pass window to the east-southeast
The two northeastern lakes with Clark Peak and unnamed 13,040'
Looking back across the basin and the big lake
Unnamed 13,040' again
North Maroon again. Maroon Peak might become visible from the top of this green foreground mound, but we never did go to its top.
Sunset over the two northeastern lakes
Looking off to unnamed 13,336' (right), which lies one ridge this side of Sievers Mountain above Maroon Lake
10:38 PM — Our tents aglow with the Big Dipper's pot and Clark Peak
We awake to clear blue sky with unnamed 13,431' catching the dawn's light along the big lake's shore
Unnamed 13,431' and Capitol Peak (14,130')
Halfway back to our tents from the lake, which was a 10-minute boulder-hop session
Not many places to lie one tent, let alone two, but we found a site that would work.
This is looking across to Willoughby Mountain.
“When cairns go wrong.” That was Tad's statement. I won't claim ownership upon seeing just a virtually idiotic place for cairns! And this wasn't the only one around. Perhaps a party put them up for their own use, but still . . .
This is a seasonal tarn just behind our camp. We believe it is filled up into mid to late July based on pictures. As it was, there was a good bit of standing water depth at the base of the rocks.
A wider view of the tarn area and our campsite. Look at all those shade trees!
Home sweet home
During the heat of the day, and it was pushing a very warm 80 degrees, Tad used his engineering skills to build us a shelter from the sun. Oh, what a guy can build with four trekking poles, two tripods, and a tent rainfly!
If I didn't show the above picture for reference, I wouldn't have a hard time convincing you this was an Afghan outpost
This is the life! We've arrived at a place we had given much thought to, had dreams about, and all the anticipation build-up. It certainly easily lived up to expectations.
Our climate zone-controlled shelter helped quite a bit, reducing the air temperature by a good 10 degrees.
Unnamed 12,902'
Out exploring the basin
Looking down the start of the Bear Creek valley and over to Heckert Pass.
North Maroon Peak is barely sticking up in the saddle.