East Snowmass Trail runs 7.05 miles south from the backside of Snowmass Ski Area to a 12,684' pass separating the East Snowmass Creek drainage and Willow Lake basin. It continues approximately 1 mile and 680' down to the Willow Lake Trail, which rolls .7 miles across open alpine meadows to the lake (11,795'). This lightly used trail is distinguished by nearly 5 miles of open valley travel and big alpine meadows framed by colorful red walls leading up to the pass.

The East Snowmass Trail is framed by near-contiguous 13,000' valley walls that extend from Willoughby Mountain (west) and Baldy Mountain (east)

Looking back north across the route leading to East Snowmass Pass

Nearly 5 miles of the East Snowmass Trail run through open valleys and / or above treeline

Columbine petals extend into long spurs between the sepals; the spurs contain nectar, which attracts butterflies and long tongued bees

Willow Lake (11,795') is located in a broad, level basin below Willow Pass (12,572') and East Snowmass Pass (12,684')

Snow may linger well into July and conceal long stretches of trail in the upper valley

At 6.0 miles the trail dips across the center of the valley to a final steep approach up the east wall

After a challenging 680' descent, the East Maroon Trail joins the Willow Lake Trail for another .7 miles through pond-dotted meadows to Willow Lake

Tropical sedimentation at the beginning of the Elk Mountains' formation left dark red clays, sands and gravels known as the Maroon Formation

The trail fully clears treeline at 5.1 miles (11,455') and begins a more moderate, staged climb through alpine meadows to the pass

Middle Ordovician Harding Sandstone, Lower Ordovician Manitou Dolomite, Upper Cambrian Sawatch Quartzite are 3 of several light colored rock layers that distinguish the Elk Mountains

The East Snowmass Trail joins the Willow Lake Trail in high meadows where the trail can be faint but sight-navigation can lead you right to the lake

Grasses and sedges form in the tundra where soil beds are deep and well-developed

View from East Snowmass Pass of the Willow Lake basin

Beardtongue (a perennial forb) is a member of the Penstemon genus, of which there are at least 250 species

Get an early start! Because... (see next photo)

Storms can form quickly and their approach hidden by 13,000' valley walls to the west and south

The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness covers 181,000+ acres and 100+ miles of maintained trails