Snowmass Lake
From Buckskin Pass, we climbed down through floral meadows to Snowmass Creek where it started to drizzle. From the valley bottom we climbed a short distance to Snowmass Lake where we found a campsite in the forest along the shore. Unlike other campsites on the trip, we camped in a small village of campers since the shoreline was crowded. Our immediate neighbors consisted of an elderly gentleman with a friend and two of his grown grandsons, accompanying him on his eighth trip around the four-pass loop in the wilderness. He was very interested in our longer trip and associated skills that we employed. Dave talked to them a great deal. The elderly gentleman told us that he found great strength in the hard stone mountains and that the wilderness reinforced the values he had employed in a successful life. Laura helped them hang their food bag. When we got up in the morning, Snowmass Lake, along with Snowmass and Hagerman peaks behind it, glowed like coals in the early morning sun. The shining peaks reflected in the mirror surface of the lake.