What to Expect at Maroon Bells

Maroon Lake near Aspen Colorado is one of the most beautiful places in the world at sunrise. There may have been more film and pixels burned here than anywhere else in the state.

You can find dozens of books about hiking, photography, and general Colorado scenery for this place. But what they usually don't tell you is just how crowded it can be at sunrise.

We arrived 45 minutes before sunrise on a foggy, cold, snowy Monday morning in late September and found a very busy shoreline with over 50 people jostling for a spot. There wasn't much room to move once you found a hole in the crowd. And this was on a day when the heavy fog completely hid the Maroon Bells. They were partly visible for about 5 minutes after sunup, and then the clouds and fog settled in and started snowing again. Admittedly, I got a gorgeous shot during those 5 minutes.

A crowd with absolutely nothing to see in the fog.

The next day we arrived a full hour before sunrise, and took the last spot in the parking lot. It was a beautiful, clear, very cold morning. We found well over 100 people squeezing along the shoreline, jostling for space, and bumping each other. Most people were considerate of others, but tempers flared occasionally. Each person's tripod was right next to the next guy's, sometimes overlapping the legs. People who came later stood on the grass behind the front line of folks and tried to get a good shot over their heads.

The remaining crowd after half of them have left.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! But plan ahead. If possible, scout ahead the previous day. Arrive very early. Take everything you'll need with you. Dress warmly because ice may form on your equipment and on you. And remember that the guy next to you who just bumped your tripod is just trying to get a good photograph in a heavy crowd, the same as you. Please be kind.

Dale Keller