The window of access to the high country of Colorado, if you don't want to tromp through winter snow, is from July to early October - just three short months. The area known as Indian Peaks Wilderness - a great place to check out the high-country - would not be out of place in Rocky Mountain National Park (indeed, this area lies just south of the park, and is so similar in character that in the 1920's, the park superintendent tried to annex the area).

I first visited this area several years ago. A friend and I discovered the unusual pools above Gourd Lake rather by accident, and - although there could have been contributing effects from the lack of oxygen - I remember being excited by the pools character and beauty even then. Thankfully, they appear in great shape years later, and seem to have changed little.

There are undoubtedly several areas in Colorado that have this kind of scenery, but this is one of my favorites. I'm not too concerned popularizing them by publishing their whereabouts on the internet: Not only do you need a permit to camp during the not-so-snowy times, only the most serious are going to hike the nine miles (from Monarch Lake trailhead) and endure the 3,000' vertical gain. However, if you decide to try it, grab your camera gear and tripod, and head out! This is bentwave photography's new weight-loss program!
Alpine Pool Obsession
A description of the pools might require a blend of mythology and religion. These kinds of "hanging-lakes" have a Japanese Garden look to them, complete with large boulders that look as if they haven't moved since the glacial period that probably placed them there. It's quite surprising; you could come to believe that, under the right conditions (perhaps with the helpful influence of some 15 year-old Laphroaig and some mild mescaline) the fairies that inhabit the place would reveal themselves if you were only able to sit quietly enough.
Gourd Lake
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Photographic Potential

Upon arrival, a photographer will naturally begin evaluating the pools for good composition. Great shots seem to be everywhere, although I found it tough - perhaps because of the narrow edge around the "hanging" portion of the lake - to get the right ratio of sky, pool edge, and water reflection. Combinations of elevation (i.e. standing on a nearby hill) zoom, lens focal length, distance, etc. should help achieve the balance you're looking for.
The zen-fairy pools (marked here by the yellow arrow) are nearly 600' above Gourd Lake, at 11,400' (3,470m). UTM coordinates are approximately 13T, 442783mE, 4443701mN.
NAD 83 Datum.
This is a different crop of the top image.

I've put up two examples of what I consider to be nice composition, which are identified as simply "Pool :: angle I" and "Pool :: angle II" . These images were enhanced, as were most images on the page, with Nik Color Efex Pro Selective 2.0. This software was bundled with the Spyder Pro Monitor Calibration tool I recently acquired.

So, you've got the scene, and you'll probably have interesting enough weather, but the jaw-dropping shot will likely be taken at dawn or dusk. And that presents a challenge:  You either have to camp near there (at 11,400' or thereabouts), or make the trek up from (or down to) your camp at Gourd Lake (10,820').
A view from the ridge northeast of the lakes, looking southwest.
Cooper Peak.
Lightweight or High-Resolution?

I confess that I've not given this location a serious go with a tripod and respectable camera:  All of these shots are taken handheld with my little SD500. A great camera for backpacking, but frustrating when you see the results after you upload your pictures back home.   I suspect next year I'm hitting the area with a new Canon 5D and the Gitzo.

It's worth walking on a bit further to Island lake, but the real goal should be to summit Cooper Peak. My sense of accomplishment was shattered during my trip when, sitting around at camp after returning from Island lake, someone shouts down from the summit of Cooper. I could barely see them from Gourd.
"Zen-fairy Pool :: Angle I" - All you need to really pull this off is to wait for a killer sunrise or sunset.
"Zen Fairy Pool :: angle III" - A panorama created, amazingly enough, with the photomerge program in Photoshop. Amazing, because like every shot on this page, these were SD500 pictures, which is to say that the exposure was not locked when it was panned. Handheld.
"Zen-fairy Pool :: Angle II" - All you need to really pull this off is to wait for a killer sunrise or sunset.