Pierre Lakes

We made a trip up to a favorite remote spot for the weekend, to Pierre Lakes high above Snowmass Creek. Many people who have climbed Capitol Peak have peered down to the rocky basin with the alpine lakes and promised themselves they would camp there someday, but the reality is that few actually do.

There are several reasons for that, but generally speaking, it’s just really hard to access. For all but the heartiest backpackers it’s just too steep, challenging, and long. And those who love Pierre Lakes are just fine to keep it that way.

That said, I’ll spare the details of getting there and share some photos:

Milky Way — Some pretty good stargazing as well as being the tail end of the Perseid’s meteor shower.

North Snowmass Peak reflecting in the nearby tarn in the morning.

Snowmass Lake and the heart of the Maroon Bells Wilderness, from a high 12er near Heckert Pass.

Pierre Lakes — Two of the lakes visible in the talus below Capitol Peak from a high point across the valley.

Gary Moore flyfishing, with Clark Peak in the distance. — Gary Moore fly fishing, with Clark Peak in the distance.

Brandon Chalk

August 20, 2015 at 8:33 AM

Looks like a nice and relaxing weekend, Ted, in such a beautiful basin. Hope all is well.

Ted

Author

August 20, 2015 at 2:58 PM

Thx Brandon. It’s cool up there.

John Doyle

August 25, 2015 at 9:16 AM

It’s even more spectacular and remote on skis

August 25, 2015 at 2:18 PM

Though that feeling is quickly lost as you begin the ordeal of getting back to the trailhead.

August 25, 2015 at 9:25 PM

We came in via Climber’s Notch (near K2) and left over Heckert. Had a food cache at Snowmass Lake. A tent was accidentally blown up….

Mike

August 30, 2016 at 7:54 AM

You might want to remove those photos with the campfires. Campfires above 10,800 feet in the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness area are illegal. You might get some unwanted attention from the Forest Service.

August 31, 2016 at 5:55 PM

In over 20 years of backpacking in this the MB/S Wilderness I only first heard of that rule this year. I was always told you couldn’t have campfires above treeline, and everywhere else was fair game. I see that rule posted at some trailheads now, along with the new rules about bear canisters. There are also new signs along the Four Pass Loop that denote no fires up high. A few years ago these rules didn’t exist as far as I know, if they did they weren’t posted or enforced. I don’t consider myself to have been knowingly doing anything wrong while we were up at the lakes so I think I’ll wait for the FS to say something.