The Long Side of the Mountain

The Aero Lakes in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness have been described as 'alpine oceans' rather than alpine lakes. Both Upper and Lower Aero Lakes are nearly a mile wide both directions, and they sit near each other on the rugged alpine rocky plateau of the Beartooth Mountains at just over 10,000 ft in elevation.

The Beartooth Plateau is an extremely rocky, rugged swath of exposed rock that were once sharp mountains, but they have been shaved off in the last ice age by giant glaciers to form a huge plateau. This table of rock has also been uplifted by the deep magma chambers found around neighboring Yellowstone National Park, and they reach a stunning 10,000 feet high. With continued glaciation and grinding caused by yearly ice and snowfields, many natural cisterns have formed causing the jeweled lakes all over the plateau. A hiker can explore the many trails in the 80 square mile wilderness and visit up to 20 lakes just in one trip!

These lakes have been on my hiking radar for some time. As an alpine fly fisherman and avid backpacker, I love to fish for the native Yellowstone Cutthroat trout f0und in these high elevation lakes. So, I plotted my trip with my GPS and topo maps, and I set out on my Aero Lakes adventure with full enthusiasm and vigor.

Plan B

I drove up to Cooke City area and found the Lulu Pass Road, which went up to Fisher Creek where the trail began near an old mining camp. This was pretty cool, as the old building showed the former gold rush days.

I headed up to Lady of the Lake and up toward the Sky Top Lake trail junction. According to my map, I was to keep following the creek until an obvious coulee that went up toward Lower Aero Lake. Well...I couldn't find the crossing point. I was literally at the point on my GPS where it showed the trail crossed the creek, but I could not find it for the life of me.

So, how was I to get to my destination? I chose to backtrack to Sky Top Lakes trail and try and find a route from one of the many other lakes around.

I eventually reached a wonderful lake called Lone Elk Lake. The skyline was dominated by a peak with spires called Villard Peak, and the picturesque open feel of the lake was incredible. I was near Montana's highest peak, Granite Peak, and I could see it in the far distance.

After exploring around for a bit for a nice campsite, I chose a smaller lake away from the trail to avoid other hikers and climbers heading toward Granite. I chose the appropriately named Shelter Lake, just over a hill from Lone Elk. It was a perfect spot for a camp!

I enjoyed the evening at my own personal lake. I saw no one, and no one saw me. I enjoyed the sunset, and even got to fish a bit with some luck--only a few small Cutties.

There was a specific reason I chose the night of August 12th to be here in the deep mountains. Ever since I was a boy, August 12th was special to me because it was the zenith of the Persiod meteor shower. I used to sleep out under the stars in my backyard with my friends and watch meteors shoot across the sky, sometimes a few dozen per minute. I looked forward to it every year. This was my first time experiencing the Persiods in the darkness of the Montana wilderness, and it did not disappoint. At one point, a huge fireball slowly streaked across the sky. I gasped in wonder, and I was suddenly transported back to my boyhood days.

I woke the next morning before sunrise, and as I sipped my coffee and ate my oatmeal, I watched the alpenglow light up the surrounding mountains. The alpine lakes are always so placid and calm in the mornings, and usually there are fish jumping. After a few tries at fishing, alas I did not have the correct fly and struck out this time. But the serenity of the scene, the complete solitude gave me a sense of completeness in the world I cannot easily describe. It was as if I was present in the moment of existence, of being a human in a wild land, with a connection to an ancient tradition extending through millenia of humanity. My timeline brought me to this place, this moment, and I greatly appreciated it for its beauty.

After my little meditation, I promptly looked at my topo map and realized Upper Aero Lake was just over the mountain in the picture above. I made the plan to venture off trail, up and over this terrain to attempt to reach my final destination at last. I set off at once from my Shelter Lake camp.

The Trek

I followed the rocky terrain up and over, and found myself in a sea of wildflowers.

This terrain is relatively easy to work up if you follow the grassy knolls up, maneuvering around cliffs and impossible terrain. I looked for passes, clefts in the rock and obvious channels to venture through.

Beautiful Indian paintbrush, bluebells, and golden bonnets dotted the grasses. At one point, I had to take photos of the paintbrush, because I had never seen such a beautiful pastel red. Paintbrush comes in various reddish shades, from orange melon to peach to deep red. One of my favorite wildflowers!

After the stunning vibrant colors of the wildflowers, I was at last on top of the mountain pass and I got my first glimpse of Upper Aero Lake. After traversing a large snowfield, I began my descent and ran into some hairy cliffs of rock. Eventually, I maneuvered myself down, one grassy spot at a time, and after many bouldering stints, I made it to the shore of my destination.

What a huge lake! I could only imagine how long it would take to circumnavigate the entire lake...it was a bit mind boggling. At 292 acres, it was easy to understand why it was almost like an alpine sea.

I did a short attempt at fishing, but it was the hottest part of the day with full sun, and it was obvious the fish were deep down below the waters, away from my small fly-line.

Even though the fishing wasn't the greatest during the short hour I was on the shoreline, Aero Lake did not disappoint in its majesty an greatness. The scenery was breathtaking and rugged. I enjoyed just hanging out on a large boulder near the lake shore, and i even talked to a guy from my hometown that was also at the lake. It was actually fun to share the experience with a fellow human, where I normally prefer to experience these things solo.

As I worked my way back over the mountain, my new friend watched with his wife. No doubt they were making bets on weather I would make it, but gradually they disappeared and I made it back to my camp, safe and sound.

Rough Lake

The next day, I decided to explore another lake near Lone Elk Lake which was called Rough Lake. It was indeed very rocky and jagged in appearance, and as I wandered around it I gazed in awe at another beautiful lake.

The beauty of the Beartooths is that there are so many lakes to see. Each one is different, but they are all a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the region around Yellowstone National Park that includes the surrounding wild lands. It is true that I was in Grizzly country, and I always carry my heavy duty pepper spray in case I have an unwelcome encounter (which has not happened as of yet). But I know that I am a visitor in another creature's land, so I have a deep respect for the wildlife that roam the woods. This area encompasses the last residence of North America's predators that include wolves, bears, mountain lions, and moose to name a few. Yes, even moose will attack when provoked to defend its young, so I consider it a preditor. This was their protected lands, so I will treat it always with respect.

At one point, I found a nice rock above the lake to sit, observe, and contemplate.

I feel so lucky to live where I live in Montana. I know my Facebook friends are jealous, and many have expressed an interest in visiting--if I will guide them on one of my wildereness trips. It has happened many times, and I love to show my friends my beautiful state.

I just hope and pray that it continues to last. We have made a great step in protecting these lands for future generations, and my wish is to continue to do so. If you visit, please adhere to the 'Leave No Trace' philosophy. It will preserve the land, keep it beautiful, and give countless people awe and wonder at the beauty of Creation. It is our responsibility to keep it pristine and wild.

Thank you for going with me on this trip to Upper Aero Lake. If you like what you are reading, please consider supporting future trip journals of The Long Side of the Mountain by clicking the button below.

You can also visit my photograpy website at:https://claytonoberquellphotography.darkroom.tech

Thank you for visiting, and see you next time!