Colorado Travels: Maroon Bells

Click to enlarge panoramic collage

A couple of us took an afternoon to take a series of buses to get to this natural wonder, the Maroon Bells. They are perhaps one of the most iconic scenes from Colorado, gracing many a postcard. The elevation at Maroon Lake, at the base of the mountain, is 9,580 ft, even higher up than Snowmass, which is 8,209 ft.

They are also nicknamed "The Deadly Bells" as many would-be climbers fall off due to the crumbly nature of the rock (it's basically hardened mud).

A lot of wildlife can be spotted in the area around the Maroon Lake, including these cute little guys, running in and out of little burrows under rocks.

We hiked on a little trail that took us into the forests next to the stream that flowed from the lake.

And this is my favorite shot of the whole series: the Canadian geese with the Maroon Bells in the background.