Maxwell and it’s diminutive neighbor Jackson, get less traffic than they deserve. I suppose that that is a very good thing. High in the rocky alpine, nestled among 8500’ peaks these two lakes are just quietly doing their thing.
Abundant wildflowers (100+ for us), beautiful rainbow trout if you are so inclined, and an alpine swim without ice floating in the lake! Who could ask for anything more.
The trail left directly from our campground. We felt blessed not needing to break camp before going hiking. The first few miles were graded for stock, making for easy going. Only a few spots had logs to straddle or crawl under. Abruptly however, at ~7000’ the switchbacks ended and the trail largely makes a beeline for the lake 800’ overhead. It is as though the trail boss told their crew, “funding is done so just finish up however you can”.
We swam and Maxwell to cleanse off the trail dust. Trees gave us shelter from the sun. A faint fisherman’s trail leads over to Jackson where we lunched and caught some beautiful Rainbow Trout (gratefully returned to their lake).
Upon returning to Maxwell we startled a young mountain goat noshing at the lake’s shore. All rippling with muscles and glistening white in his summer coat, he was a sight to behold. With a shimmy and a bounce he was 100’ up a cliff and no longer concerned with us.
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