Maroon Bells in Winter

The 14,000-foot Maroon Bells, just 10 miles south of Aspen, form the most famous mountain vista in Colorado. Every year, during the summer and early fall, about 200,000 visitors make the pilgrimage to Maroon Lake to see the Maroon Bells. During the winter, however, the road is closed by snow about six miles below the lake.

In March, 2003, I used a mountaineering sled to haul 100 pounds of large-format camera gear and winter camping equipment up the road, then camped for three nights on the shore of Maroon Lake. Each morning I shot sunrise at the lake, then explored the valley above and below the lake, looking for other possibilities. This shot, a pristine study in white and blue, is my favorite. After four days of complete solitude – a rare experience in this crowded world – I finally saw another person as I hauled my sled back down the road to my truck.