Willow Lake - Marron Bells - Snowmass W A

[gnwatts]

The guide books say Willow Lake is a crowded place to camp, as is the trail from Maroon Lake. I have found this to be partially true. True, Maroon Lake is a zoo, a spectacular zoo, but a zoo nonetheless. So you go into this journey expecting that. Get to the entrance gate before 8am and you can park at the lake. By doing that you also avoid the hordes of tourists. Hike to the end of the lake and continue up to Crater Lake (1 Mi). You can take the main trail on the north side of the drainage, or cross over at the inlet to Maroon Lake and take the trail on the south side. If your there at the right time of year you will have 1/2 mile of rasberries, a gluttonous little trail, but worth the gastronomical implications.
I digress. Just before you get to Crater Lake you want to turn right, heading for Minnehaha Gulch (great name) and Buckskin and Willow Pass.
For some reason my pictures start on the approach to Minnehaha Gulch:









The north face of North Maroon Peak from Minnehaha Gulch










You can go left and over Buckskin Pass to Snowmass Creek, or go right to Willow Pass which is where I am headed. I have been here twice, and aside from the first 2 miles of the 7 mile hike I have seen few people, comparatively speaking. Same with the lake.





View of North Maroon from further up Minnehaha Gulch.






The Goal: Willow Pass, El 12,500', where the gray rock is.





At the pass, Willow Lake 1000' below. Maroon Lake is actually just on the other side of the ridge, 3000' below.




View back towards Willow Pass











Cocktail hours














View down Willow Creek.
I think I am going to go back soon, only an hour or so away!