Sitting at an elevation of nearly 9,500 feet, the alpine lake rests beneath the sheer flanks of Hallett Peak and the Continental Divide; it was formed during the ice age by a glacier.

Several trails, from easy strolls to strenuous hikes, start from the lake. The Bear Lake road is open year-round, although it may be temporarily closed due to adverse weather conditions. Mike and I meandered around the lake enjoying the views, the warmth on our backs and, in many areas, the snow under our feet!

As you drive through the park, one notices that there are thousands of dead trees. Some are the result of avalanches, age, natural degeneration but in Colorado, specifically, millions of trees are being killed by native bark beetles. Burrowing through the outer bark of conifers, bark beetles lay eggs which hatch into hungry beetle larvae. Larvae consumer the living inner bark of trees. Recent warm winters and continued low rain/snowfall have combined to favour beetles and weaken many evergreen trees. These milder temperatures have aided a widespread outbreak of beetles during a time when trees are weakened by drought.

Material in these piles will be burned in winter when conditions are safest. To reduce the impact of smoke, fire management staff limit the number of piles burning at any one time. The piles are built-in a conical shape because as they burn, they collapse inwards ensuring that controlled burns don’t spread to the rest of the park.