Bellas Lakes (Pioneer Mountains) July 21,1999

Four Bellas Lakes lie high above Star Hope Creek in Copper Basin.

We scheduled this trip because it’s a beautiful area, and in hopes that by visiting the pretty lakes, hikers would help us to stop cattle grazing here -- the fragile lake shores and alpine terrain (9800’) are being trampled and mired by cows.

The Lost River Ranger District, Mackay, has proposed putting a fence high in the drainage, preventing the cows from getting to the lakes, but allowing their use everywhere else. Several hikers did write letters, but there are still cows at Bellas Lakes. We’ll keep working on restoring a natural landscape to the Bellas Lakes region.

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