Trailhead information sign at Bellas Lakes.
Within the first mile or so you will encounter aspens that turn yellow and orange in the fall.
Balancing on a log across Bellas Creek.
Balancing on a log across Bellas Creek.
The trail passes through stretches of open terrain.
False hellebore, or corn lily (Caltha leptosepala).
Looking into the Bellas Lake Basin from a ridge south of the canyon. Altair Peak (11,825 feet) is on the left and Pyramid Peak (11,628 feet) is on the right.
The impressive east ridge and east face of Altair Peak.
Looking down Bellas Canyon to the Copper Basin and across at the Lost River Range.
One of the last meadows before reaching Bellas Lakes can be full of pretty wildflowers earlier in the summer.
The forest in the upper basin of the Bellas Lakes drainage has been hit hard by a pine beetle epidemic.
The forest in the upper basin of the Bellas Lakes drainage has been hit hard by a pine beetle epidemic.
Sunset over the lower Bellas Lake.
Camp at night.
The sun climbs above a thick layer of wildfire smoke that settleed overnight. The view is looking down the southeast ridge of Pyramid Peak from the summit.
Smoke tinted sunrise.
Smoke-filtered alpenglow on the east face of Altair Peak.
Looking across granite ridgelines from the upper slopes of Pyramid Peak.
A morning reflection in one of the upper Bellas Lakes.
The smoke moves in, bringing detail between rideglines above Bellas Lakes.
Jumping rocks in the alpine basin to the west of the lower Bellas Lake.
Colorful aspens highlight the descent to the car.