Natural History Wanderings

Thus far, some areas where aspen have not changed include the Alluvial Fan, and Beaver Meadows. The area around Lily Lake and the drive along the Peak-to-Peak highway is starting to change, but be aware that there are several construction areas just south of Lily Lake which might make CO-7 very slow going.

Trail recommendations

Storm Pass Trailhead – Some of the colors on the north-facing slopes along the road to Bear Lake are accessible from Storm Pass Trailhead. Parking there is extremely limited, so you may plan to start from Bierstadt Lake Trailhead, just a quarter of a mile down the road (there are trails, you don’t need to hike on the road). Head up the Boulder Brook Trail half a mile, or 1.5 miles toward Storm Pass.

Timber Lake Trail – – Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get over to the west side this visit, but it was so nice last year at this time that it’s worth mentioning: the aspen on the west side change a bit sooner than the east. Timber Lake Trailhead has some great stands of aspen nearby, and through 0.7 miles up the trail. Unfortunately, our map doesn’t include all the aspen here – the distrubances that made space for them are more recent. The Kawuneeche Visitor Center is a also a good stop.

Alberta Falls from Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake – – Most of the aspen close by Glacier Gorge and Bear Lake aren’t changing much, except for the fantastic stand near the junction that splits off toward Alberta falls. It already has some strong color and will probably peak within a couple weeks.

See photos and more resources at Afield Trails