Colorado 2013

Trip Summary: June 24 - July 2, 2013
1) 4-day backpacking trip at Four Pass Loop in Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, CO
2) Mountain biking Emerald Mt. (6 mi) and Rabbit Ears to Storm Peak (24 mi) in Steamboat Springs, CO
3) Day hiking at Mount Zirkel Wilderness in Steamboat Springs, CO

Four Pass Loop - 4 day backpacking trip in Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, CO
There is a lot of available information out there on backpacking Four Pass Loop. It is a 28 mile loop in the Elk Range that wanders through stunning mountain scenery, but it is a difficult hike and much of it is above 9,000ft. We used this trail guide provided by the Aspen Ranger District, and there are many trip reports on Summitpost.org and 14ers.com. I went with a group of three other guys, Alan, Ahmed, and Omar, and while the loop can be done as a backpacking trip in three days, we took four days to do it. I highly recommend taking four days, especially if you are coming from low altitude. I don't know why you would want to skip through that place in three days as the scenery is so beautiful. That said, this loop can be done as a trail run, and the record is 4 hours and 27 minutes.

Topo map of our trip at Four Pass Loop. We went clockwise, Maroon Lake to West Maroon Pass direction.

Before driving up to Colorado, I gave the Aspen Ranger District office a call to ask about snow conditions. The ranger told me that the mountain passes were impassable with over 10 feet of snow, and he didn't expect conditions to improve for several weeks. I scrambled to come up with an alternate trip, but before changing our plans, I talked to Alan. He had been in Colorado the previous winter, and he told me that Colorado had a light snowfall that year and didn't believe what the ranger told us. I called back again, and received the same answer, but after calling a third time, someone different picked up the line. He told me that while it was still early in the season, he didn't think there was much snow. With that information, we set off on our trip, planning on going as far as we could and turning back if we had to. As it turned out, all of the passes were passable, and we only had to cross a few snowfields.

We had originally planned to hike Four Pass Loop in 5-6 days, stopping along the way to climb Snowmass Mountain. By the time we got there, we were pretty exhausted, and since only Alan and I were interested in climbing, we decided not to climb. This turned out to be a good decision as we were not prepared for the climb, lacking helmets to protect us from falling rock and ice axes and crampons to deal with the snow that covered the upper half of the mountain. Alan and I are planning on returning this summer to climb Snowmass Mountain and Capitol Peak, armed with the proper gear.

The car was so full of stuff we stowed our food on the dash.

Below is a list of equipment I think is necessary for the trip. We made the mistake of bringing too much, so as a lesson learned, PACK LIGHT. For food, we bought dried and/or lightweight foods at Walmart in Salida the night before, and repackaged in Ziplock-bags. We got lots of it too, as you eat a lot when backpacking, and we wanted to plan for an additional day in case of bad weather or emergency.
-Breakfast: Oats, energy bars

-Lunch: Energy bars, beef jerkey, dried fruit, trail mix, candy

-Dinner: Dried foods (stuffing, scalloped potatoes, mac+cheese, pre-packed camp food, etc.)

Equipment:

Backpack (55-85L) Pack rain cover Hiking boots Sandals (for stream crossings) Carabiners and straps as needed Hydration reservoirs (150oz+), and/or water bottles Headlamp (and extra batteries and possibly even an extra headlamp) Sleeping pad Sleeping bag (and compression bag) Knife Sun glasses Trekking poles (optional) Compression shorts (or other moisture-wicking underwear) Hiking socks Short-sleeve shirt (moisture-wicking, NOT cotton) Shorts (exercise-type, I use mountain bike shorts) Long hiking pants (NOT jeans) Base shirt layer (Under Armor mock or similar) Long underwear top (PolyPro or similar) Long underwear bottoms (PolyPro or similar) Polar fleece (lightweight) Soft-shell jacket Raincoat Winter hat Baseball hat (or other hat for sun protection) Rain pants (optional) Mountaineering socks (optional)

Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, soap (all small travel versions) Chapstick Chamois (to use as a small towel) Bowl, spoon/fork, cup Ditty bags, Ziplock bags, and hard case (for camera or other electronic items) Camera (and batteries) (optional) Glasses, contact case, contact solution (as needed) Hearing aid batteries, any other personal items (as needed) Backpacking tents (depending on number of people in group and how many they can sleep) Backpacking stove (and fuel) Lighter (and/or matches) Rope (for hanging packs) First-aid kit Water filtration Bear mace Bear bell Maps (and compass) Aspirin (for altitude) Sunscreen Bug spray Cooking pot Ladle or spoon (for cooking) Toilet paper Sewing kit Water jug (Reliance)

Day 1 - June 25, 2013

Alan, me, Omar, and Ahmed at the trailhead at Maroon Lake.

We stayed in Salida the night before and drove to Aspen via Independence Pass in the morning. We saw some mountain goats crossing the road while en route. Once in Aspen, we stopped at the Ute Mountaineer to pick up some topo maps, and stopped by the Forest Ranger office to check-in, and then parked our car at Four-Mountain Sports and took a bus to the Maroon Lake trailhead. We set off around 2:00pm and it was a beautiful, sunny day. The path at the beginning of the hike is paved, then turned to gravel, and ultimately turned to clambering over loose rock and a beaten dirt track as we reached Crater Lake. We registered at the trail head (mandatory). Along the way, we saw some gorgeous waterfalls, and Alan and I scrambled up a scree field to stand underneath the freezing cold shower of snow runoff. We encountered several stream crossings, many

Me cooking stuffing for dinner over a campfire.

of which were deep enough to require changing to sandals. We didn't make it quite as far as we wanted to, but were forced to make camp as the sun was setting. I was pretty exhausted and lightheaded when we made it to camp, as we were now over 10,000 feet and had come from sea level in Texas just the day before. We made a fire and had stuffing for dinner, and we replenished our water by filtering from a nearby stream. We stored all of our food in a plastic garbage bag in one of the packs, which we distanced from the others. In hindsight, we should have tied the food pack up in a tree and kept all of our packs 100 yards away from the tent. There are many black bears in the region. As nighttime fell, we saw an animal approaching the camp in the darkness. During the night we were awoken several times, fearing a bear outside the campsite. It turned out to only be a porcupine.

Day 2 - June 26, 2013

View of the valley from the top of West Maroon Pass.

We woke up early in the morning around sunrise, and packed up our tent. While packing our gear, I busted a strap that I used to secure the tent to my pack. Fortunately, my sewing kit made that a quick fix. We set out and the trail steadily increased in altitude. When we encountered brush or forested areas where the trail weaved back and forth, I attached a bear bell to my pack to alert any bears that might be in the area of our presence so we would be less likely to startle a bear. Late in the morning, we encountered the first few patches of snow. We stopped at a stream to fill up our water, and then continued to climb up West Maroon Pass. None of these passes should be underestimated, and we were quite relieved to make it to the top. We then skirted down along the alpine meadows and climbed over Frigid Air Pass,

Our 2nd campsite in the valley behind the Maroon Bells.

which afforded us a beautiful view of the back of Maroon Peak. As we climbed down into the valley, we met a few Boy Scouts who we repeatedly passed by for the remainder of the trip. We were exhausted by the end of the day, and made camp near the river below the treeline. We again replenished our water supply and made a dinner over a fire of mac and cheese and cheesy scalloped potatoes. We were visited by a porcupine again during the night.





Day 3 - June 27, 2013
With an early start, we hiked down into the lower part of Fravert Basin, where a large, beautiful waterfall tumbles to the valley floor. The trail follows the valley floor to the base of the North Fork Cutoff Trail, at which point it switchbacks up the side of the mountain. The trail emerges above the treeline on a plateau, where Trail Rider Pass is visible several hundred feet higher. This pass was quite difficult, but we made it to the top in good time. Snowmass Lake is visible on the other side of the pass. A word of caution on the descent towards Snowmass Lake - the slope is quite steep. The trail switchbacks, but a few rocks that Alan knocked loose rolled down for what seemed like forever until they hit another rock and exploded into tiny fragments.  The pictures below show, from left to right; the waterfall in Fravert Basin, Trail Rider Pass, snowfields on the descent to Snowmass Lake, and Snowmass Mountain across Snowmass Lake.

We also had to traverse some snow on a steep slope during our descent. We had much more energy today as we were starting to acclimate. We made it to camp early that afternoon around 4:00pm, and set up our tent on a campsite right next to the lake. Some forest rangers came over and told us to move to a campsite farther away, as we had forgotten that campsites need to be a minimum of 100 feet from water. Alan broke out his fly fishing rod and caught some trout, while I explored and found some cool waterfalls downstream of our campsite. Since we didn't have a stove, and fires are not allowed near Snowmass Lake, we ate cold Ramen noodle soup. In cold water, the noodles did not absorb much moisture, so they remained crunchy. The first bite was delicious, as it was salty and filled our stomachs, but it quickly became very unappetizing. I do NOT recommend ever eating cold Ramen noodles. We filtered our water and went to bed.

Day 4 - June 28, 2013
The Maroon-Snowmass Trail approach of the west side of Buckskin Pass is absolutely beautiful. We made it to the top of Buckskin Pass by 10:00am, and were rewarded with a beautiful view of Snowmass Mountain. We hiked back down towards Maroon Lake, and encountered a light thunderstorm when we were about 2 miles from the trailhead. The light rain was quite refreshing, and the lightning was striking much higher in the mountains. We were thankful that we were already down in the valley, however, as we had seen several people heading up to the pass just before the storm. High mountain passes are not the place to be during a thunderstorm. We hiked back to the trailhead and took the bus back to our car. We had lunch at Justice Snow's, a burger bar someone had recommended to us during our trip. We then drove to Glenwood Springs and stayed at Cedar Lodge. We had a great time and I highly recommend this backpacking trip. It is relatively remote, and it is difficult, especially if you live at low altitude and don't spend time acclimating.

Maroon-Snowmass Trail.

Buckskin Pass.

Snowmass Mountain in the distance.

Back at the Maroon Bells trailhead!

Hitching a bus ride back to Aspen.

Mountain Biking in Steamboat Springs - Emerald Mt. (6 mi) and Rabbit Ears to Storm Peak (24 mi)

Mountain biking at Emerald Mountain.

After our backpacking trip in the Maroon Bells, we drove up to Steamboat Springs to do some mountain biking. Alan had worked as a mountain bike guide at the Vista Verde Ranch nearby and was quite familiar with the area. He had a formidable full-suspension Giant mountain bike, but I was armed with my ten-year old (although well maintained) Specialized Hardrock, a chromoly hardtail with a 15" frame that is too small for me now. We both carried Camelbak backpacks with spare tubes, pumps, multi-tools, and a water reservoir. I shouldn't have to say this, but helmets are a must. We wore moisture-wicking shirts, mountain biking pants, and gloves. I wore tennis shoes with platform pedals and Alan used clipless.

We biked up Emerald Mountain on June 29, 2013. From the rodeo grounds trailhead, the trail we took was about 6 miles roundtrip and 1500 feet vertical elevation gain. We took about an hour and a half to go up, and bombed back down in about 20 minutes, taking a short break to let Alan's disc brakes cool. The downhill makes the climb worth it. As Alan told me on the way up, "Nothing worthwhile is ever easy." You can view a map of the trails on Emerald Mountain here. That evening, we went to Strawberry Park Hot Springs and had dinner at Mahogany Ridge Brewery and Grill. We also saw a moose while looking for a campsite. We ended up staying at a motel.

View of Steamboat Springs from the top of Storm Peak.

The next day, on June 30, 2013, Ahmed drove Alan and I out near Rabbit Ears and we biked the Divide Trail from Rabbit Ears to Storm Peak, finishing with an 8 mile downhill back to Steamboat Springs. Here is a link to a description of the trail. In our hurry at the drop-off, I had forgotten to grab food out of the car, and so was faced with the 24 mile ride without anything to eat. We encountered several snow-covered areas as well as muddy stream crossings, but it was a beautiful day. I resorted to eating avalanche lilies and half of Alan's Cliff bar to sustain myself, but the ride was pretty exhausting and I did have to walk a few of the climbs. We stopped to eat a bit and take a rest at Long Lake. There are some steep climbs and downhills with big rocks, and despite my small-framed bike, I didn't endo until we reached the downhill at Storm Peak. Technically, you need to pay for a lift ticket to ride the trails down Storm Peak, and about halfway down the mountain, we found a road that didn't have warnings about prosecution for riding their trails without permission, and took that to the bottom. I did have a flat tire about 1/4 mile from the end of the trail, but we had no other mishaps. We finished the ride in about 7 hours, although it can typically be done in about 5 1/2. That night we car camped in the outskirts of Steamboat Springs in the National Forest.

Mount Zirkel Wilderness - Gilpin Lake Trail, a 9 mile day hike near Steamboat Springs, CO

Gilpin Lake in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness.

The next day, July 1, 2013, we drove to the Mount Zirkel Wilderness trailhead to Gilpin Lake. To reach the trailhead, drive west out of Steamboat Springs on Hwy. 40 for about 2 miles and then turn right on Elk River Road (CR 129). Follow CR 129 about 19 miles and turn right onto Seedhouse Road. Continue for 11 miles to the end at the Slavonia trailhead parking area. The loop to Gilpin Lake is a 9 mile roundtrip hike in the Sawtooth Range. The hiking was easy compared to what we had encountered in the Maroon Bells area. We had to negotiate several stream crossings and some snowfields, but nothing to worry about. You can continue hiking on to Gold Creek Lake for an 11 mile roundtrip hike called Zirkel Circle. There a few beautiful lakes along the way, although Gilpin Lake affords the best views. It looked to me that about a third to half of the pine trees have died due to beetles. Once at Gilpin Lake, I did some fishing and caught a trout, and we all went cliff jumping into the freezing water. We spent about six hours out on this hike. On our drive back to Steamboat, we saw Peruvian sheep herders with a huge flock of sheep grazing on the mountainsides.

We had dinner at Carl's Tavern and spent the evening in Steamboat Springs, before driving to a hotel near Denver. We made it back to Texas the next day. This trip had turned out to be an epic adventure! Alan and I are already planning to return to climb Snowmass Mountain and Capitol Peak this summer. If you get the chance, I highly recommend visiting any of these areas. Thanks for reading my trip report and I hope you enjoyed it! Check out the video Alan made of our trip below: