Finally!!!! I have tried several times to get to Snowmass Lake, which lies at the base of Snowmass Mountain, and now I realise I got a lot closer just hiking than I knew at the time. This time we rode the horses – it still took just over 3.5 hours from the Snowmass Creek trailhead to the lake and just over 3 hours to get back. It was so worth it – this is breathtakingly beautiful!

We are so lucky to live surrounded by such beauty so I was stunned to see just how spectacular this lake is. Right before the lake there are falls that seem to come down a solid rock face about 30-50 feet high. A guy was fishing the hole at the bottom and actually caught a fish while we were watching!

I was surprised at how many campsites there were at the lake and how many people we met who had camped for the Labor Day weekend. Some of them had come over Buckskin Pass which links this to the Maroon Bells. There is a sign on the side that we came up warning that one may not tether horses within a quarter mile of the lake so we took some pictures and briefly enjoyed the views. There are also campsites located right where that sign is so I am guessing that if you are riding that is where you would need to stay.

The beaver ponds on the way are also very beautiful. They are about 1 hour (hiking) below the lake on the Snowmass Creek trail. We saw lots of marmots just above the beaver ponds calmly sunning themselves on rocks in the wildflower-covered meadows. Some were a lovely golden colour that I have not seen before.