Snowmass Lake (above 10,800') Gear Checklist
Snowmass Lake is an out-and-back of about 8 miles each way from the Snowmass Creek trailhead, ending in a camp with no fires and a bear canister rule that rangers enforce in person. The hikers we read worried most about the log jam where the trail crosses the creek, about where to pitch camp, and about whether the peak above needs an ice axe. Their answers depend on the month. One June pair carried snowshoes they never wore and crampons that would not stay on, so test every tool at home.
What shapes your gear on Snowmass Lake
- Zone and quota
- Recreation.gov lists the Snowmass Lake zone at 13 groups a night, which splits into 11 permits for 1 to 4 people and 2 permits for 5 to 10 people. The neighboring Upper Snowmass zone allows 6 groups a night. In zones other than Conundrum, Crater and Capitol, the Forest Service says to use an established campsite 70 big steps from trails and water.
From Recreation.gov and White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
- Distance and the trailhead
- One writer measures 8.3 miles one way from the Snowmass Creek trailhead and 17 miles if you keep going over to Maroon Lake. Two climbers list the trailhead at about 8,380 or 8,400 feet and the camp area at 10,800 to 11,000 feet. The Forest Service banner warns of limited parking at the Maroon-Snowmass trailhead from August through November because of a project.
From gjhikes.com, Daniel Joder Photography, 14ers.com and White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
- The log jam
- About 6 miles in, the trail crosses Snowmass Creek on a tangle of logs. In a high snowmelt year, one pair found the water 3 or 4 feet deep and rushing, and a partner later fell in on the way out. In another July the jam was no factor, and the writer simply used the most worn logs with a pole or stick for balance.
From 14ers.com, 100summits and Daniel Joder Photography
- Where people camp
- A 2016 party camped about a quarter mile below the lake at 10,800 feet. They say sites around the log jam are good if you are tired of a heavy pack, while the next viable sites are 1.5 miles up steeper switchbacks. A June party camped a short walk before the jam, next to the creek. Rangers expect camps at least 100 feet from the water and the main trail.
From 14ers.com, 100summits and The Aspen Times
- How busy it is
- On one patrol a wilderness ranger counted 14 overnight groups with 42 people on the hike to the lake, and the reporters met another 40 backpackers heading in the next morning. A 2016 pair counted 12 people coming down on a Friday and about 40 going up on Saturday.
From The Aspen Times and Daniel Joder Photography
- The road in
- The Forest Service recommends a high-clearance vehicle for the last stretch to the trailhead. A blogger who drove it says most vehicles can manage it in dry conditions.
From White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): West Snowmass #2187 and gjhikes.com
What the agency requires on Snowmass Lake
A permit for the Snowmass Lake zone
Overnight stays in this zone need an advance reservation from Recreation.gov. The Forest Service lists Snowmass Lake and Geneva Lake as part of the Four Pass Loop permit zones.
From White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and Recreation.gov
No campfire at the lake or anywhere above 10,800 feet
The ban covers every site above that elevation in the wilderness, and the permit page names Snowmass Lake.
From Recreation.gov
An approved bear container for food, trash and scented items
The container must be on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee list. Someone caught without one is ticketed and told to leave. The permit page's introduction also names a soft-sided alternative, so follow the stricter container rule.
From White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and Recreation.gov
A plan for human waste
Free waste bags are stocked at the Snowmass Lake trailhead. The Forest Service highly recommends them, and the permit page says they are not required. If you skip the bag, bury solid waste in a hole 6 to 8 inches down, 200 feet or more from water, camp and trails.
From White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and Recreation.gov
What hikers carry on Snowmass Lake
A bear canister, not a rope
On a patrol with a reporter, a wilderness ranger found 7 of 14 groups without a canister and sent three sisters home to rent or buy one. A father and son from Lakewood stored all food and trash in theirs and were the ranger's model campers.
From The Aspen Times
A waste bag from the trailhead
Even with free bags at the trailhead, the ranger on that patrol had to bury waste and paper in six places around the camps in one evening. One camper they spoke with said bluebells hid more piles.
From The Aspen Times and White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
A trekking pole or stick for the log jam
One climber says poles help for balance, and another found they sometimes gave a false sense of security when planted on a loose log. A partner who fell in on the way out soaked one leg.
From Daniel Joder Photography and 100summits
A headlamp that works in the willows
A June pair hiked in by headlamp after dark. A group of friends in an outfitter's blog post lost the trail more than once on the boulder field before dawn. A 2016 pair advise scouting the willow trail around the lake the evening before a dawn start.
From 100summits, Aspen Expeditions and Daniel Joder Photography
A canister stove for early coffee
Fires are banned at the lake, and a group heading up for a 3 a.m. alarm lit a stove from the tent door for breakfast and coffee. They also purified lake water for the day.
From Aspen Expeditions and Recreation.gov
An ice axe, if you plan to climb the peak in summer snow
A party on July 23, 2016 used axes to take a direct line up the snow field near the summit and say that line should only be climbed with one. Another 2016 pair a week earlier found it possible to avoid nearly all the snow, though they used traction on the slush.
From 14ers.com and Daniel Joder Photography
A light bag for a July night
A July 2016 pair found a light summer down bag warm inside their tent, and wore a single thin wool layer on summit day.
10 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Snowmass Lake
A rope hang instead of a canister
A 2011 pair showed a newcomer how to hang their food from nylon rope. Today's ranger patrol sent three sisters back down because their food bag hung less than 6 feet up a dead tree.
From 100summits and The Aspen Times
Crampons that were never tried on the boots
In June the climber's hand-me-down crampons slid off at the snow, and the pair turned back at about 3:45 a.m. The writer's lesson is to use gear before trusting it with your life.
From 100summits
Snowshoes
Both June hikers packed snowshoes along with crampons and axes, but the snow was hard and patchy enough that they never wore them.
From 100summits
Skipping the daylight scout of the willow trail
A 2016 pair took the lower trail around the lake and found it muddy in several spots. They saw a drier upper trail only on the way back and say to find the split the evening before.
Gear questions for Snowmass Lake
Do you need a bear canister at Snowmass Lake?
Yes. The Forest Service requires an approved container for food, trash and scented items in this wilderness. A ranger on patrol at the lake found seven of fourteen groups without one and sent a trio down to rent or buy one.
From White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and The Aspen Times
Can you have a campfire at Snowmass Lake?
No. Campfires are banned above 10,800 feet anywhere in the wilderness, and the permit page names Snowmass Lake. Rangers have dismantled illegal fire rings near the lake, so bring a stove.
From Recreation.gov and The Aspen Times
How far is Snowmass Lake from the trailhead?
One hiker measures 8.3 miles each way from the Snowmass Creek trailhead. Two climbers each call it about an 8-mile approach, and one of them lists the start at about 8,380 feet.
From gjhikes.com, Daniel Joder Photography and 14ers.com
Do you need an ice axe at Snowmass Lake?
Not for the lake. For the peak above, reports disagree by month. A June party needed crampons on hard snow, a July 23 party used axes for a snow field, and a pair a week earlier found axes optional. Check recent snow reports.
From 100summits, 14ers.com and Daniel Joder Photography
Sources
- Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness · White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit (permit 4675333) · Recreation.gov · Agency
- West Snowmass #2187 · White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Aspen's most spectacular wilderness areas are getting overrun (evening patrol at Snowmass Lake) · The Aspen Times · Trip report
- Backpacking to Snowmass Lake - A Photographic Gem · 100summits, Matt Payne · Trip report
- Snowmass Mountain Trip Report 08/12/2016: Bagging Some Elks by Buckskin · 14ers.com, Stiffler_from_Denver · Trip report
- gjhikes.com: Snowmass Lake · gjhikes.com · Blog
- Snowmass Mountain Trip Report · Aspen Expeditions · Blog
- 14er Report #33: Snowmass Mountain and North Snowmass (Summer Conditions, East Slopes Route) · Daniel Joder Photography · Blog