Backpacking the Four Pass Loop | Maroon Bells / Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado
Footage from our groups annual backpacking trip (8/14/19 - 8/16/19) which this year took place in the beautiful state of Colorado. The four pass loop climbs four 12,000 ft passes and travels through some of the most gorgeous scenery in the state. We went clockwise and passed though the West Maroon, Frigid Air, Trail Rider and Buckskin passes in a two night, three day trip that we definitely won't forget.
Soundtrack Credits:
Mumford and Sons - Broken Crown
Pixeies - Where is My Mind
Caesars - Jerk it Out
Switchfoot - Meant to Live
Sugar We're Going Down - Fall out Boy
Four Pass Loop Backpacking - Maroon Bells (Colorado) - July 2015
I hiked the iconic Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells / Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, Colorado in mid-July 2015. A co-worker of mine, Bob, and I did the loop in four days as a much-needed quick weekend getaway from work.
Prior to tackling the Loop I did quite a bit of internet research, and from all the reviews and reports I read my expectations for alpine adventure and awesome scenery were high. The Four Pass Loop lived up to all the hype - as you'll see, it is an incredibly beautiful trail.
This is also a very popular trail, and we did it during what was likely the busiest possible time of the year - a weekend in mid-July. As a result there were a lot of people! If you're looking for some of the most amazing scenery our planet has to offer, this is the right trail - if you're looking for seclusion and isolation, this isn't the place. Having now hiked Glacier National Park and the Four Pass Loop, I think the Four Pass Loop feels like what Glacier would be without the strict backcountry permit process - a bit 'overwhelmed' by its own popularity.
The Four Pass Loop has been something I have wanted to do for many years, really a 'bucket list' adventure for me, and it didn't disappoint.
Like my other backpacking videos, this is fairly long (one hour) with a photo compilation at the end. If you just want a quick overview of the trip skip to the photos at the end. For best quality select the '1080p' setting by clicking on the 'Settings' icon once the video starts playing.
Crater Lake and Maroon Bells Near Aspen Colorado
Crater Lake and Maroon Bells Colorado. This video was shot during a visit to the Aspen area in June 2019.
The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains, Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak, separated by about half a kilometer. The mountains are on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen.
Crater Lake is a mountain lake in the Elk Mountains, Pitkin County of the US State of Colorado. It lies just northeast of the Maroon Bells and just northwest of Pyramid Peak.
Backpacking the Four Pass Loop
Earlier this month, I spent 2 days backpacking Aspen, Colorado's famous Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. I captured it with my Sony a7III and threw this film together to share the experience.
On August 7th, I drove down to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Trailhead near Aspen and parked in the first overnight parking lot. At 6:30am the next morning I hit the trail with all my camping gear on my back and began the 28+ mile loop in the clockwise direction. The groves of green Aspen trees made me wish it was September or October so that I could see the spectacle of the changing of the leaves. After 12 hours of walking, I set up camp at the iconic Snowmass Lake and passed out before dark. I had walked 20.5 miles and completed three out of four 12,000ft passes. Powerful thunderstorms kept me awake in the early hours of the morning, but once they passed I managed to sleep until 8am. I woke up to a silent campground and packed up my tent. I hit the trail at 8:30 without eating breakfast and began the approach to Buckskin Pass. The final 8 miles flew by as I began to picture the Gatorade in my car waiting for me. I was back in the parking lot by 1pm. I had completed the 28 mile loop in just over 30 hours.
Day 1 Strava:
For more detailed information on the loop:
Music by Son Lux
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Smuggler Mine tour - Aspen
Rich and I get an opportunity to chip away at a mineral vein. VERY interesting tour to do, if you're in the Aspen area.
UnderWater, GoPro, Crater Lake, Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado
UnderWater, GoPro, Crater Lake, Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado. Filmed by Richard Hicks richardhicksphotography.com
Difficult Creek
Slideshow of the Difficult Creek trail in the White River Naitonal Forest east of Aspen, Colorado. The trail begins at the Difficult Campground where after a short distance it enters the Collegiate Peak Wilderness Area. The trail becomes unmaintained after 3 miles of hiking and almost 1,300 feet of elevation gain.
Expanded 4 Pass Loop Colorado 2019, Maroon Bell-Snowmass Wilderness
This trip combined the famous 4 Pass Loop in the Maroon Bell-Snowmass Wilderness with the Capitol Loop creating a 55 mile, 4- night, 5-day adventure.
Year of Avalanche Debris | Backpacking Four Pass Loop (Clockwise) | Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Hiking Four Pass Loop from August 22-August 24, 2019 in a clockwise direction. I start my adventure in Aspen and park at the overnight parking at Buttermilk ski area being that the overnight parking at the trailhead is full. I take three buses up to the trailhead. Day one I hike to the base of West Maroon pass where I run into various avalanche debris and get caught in a small rainstorm. Day two I summit West Maroon Pass and Frigid Air pass. I trek through Fravert Basin camping halfway up Trail Rider Pass. Next morning I summit Trail Rider pass fairly quick and break for lunch at Snowmass Lake. I then summit Buckskin pass and finish out my trip getting a ride back down to my car.
Social Media
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My Gear
-Camera: Sony RX 100
-Tripod/selfie stick: Joby GorillaPod 500
-GoPro Hero 7 Black
Music from Epidemic Sound (in order of appearance):
-Tei by Ooyy
-Meander by Jobii
-Collapsing from within by Experia
-Last Day Of Summer by Sarah the Instrumentalist
-Middle by Jones Meadow
-Yim Yim by Giants' Nest
-Auray by Homebody
-Flawless
-Moments
-Running into the Wild
-Non Stop Never Stop by Harvio
-Sthlm in My Heart by Henyao
Camp at Snowmass Lake
Our last camp on Four Pass Loop was at Snowmass Lake.
Maroon Bells Backpacking
Backpacking the Maroon Bells. We headed west from the Maroon Lake trail head past Maroon Lake, Crater Lake and headed toward Buckskin Pass. Crossed over Buckskin Pass toward Snowmass Lake.
We left June 27th, 2014. There was still plenty of snow up there and parts of the trail were covered with snowfields.
Creek at Maroon Lake Scenic Trail
Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado
Conundrum Hot Spring
Our 17 mile backpacking trip to Conundrum Hot Springs near Aspen, CO. Scenery and wildlife were in full swing. Unfortunatley the camera was packed away when encountering the fox, bear and family of moose. Details of the full adventure are at TheValiantLife.com
Maroon Pass, Maroon Bells Wilderness
A view from the top of Maroon Pass at 12,500ft, in Maroon Bells Wilderness, Colorado. This pass is either the first or the last pass in the popular Maroon Bells 4 Pass Loop, depending on the direction you hike.
We trekked south from Crater Lake and reached the pass about 24hrs after leaving Iowa, which was a total gain of about 11,500 ft., (3,500 of which was on the trail). We did not give ourselves enough time to acclimate to the altitude, so our bodies we're hurting. It took a lot of water, ibuprofen and snacks to get us to this point. We we're carrying 4 days of gear, or roughly 30lbs each including water. We camped a few miles beyond the pass.
Backpacking Colorado's Four Pass Loop
Footage from my fall trip through the epic Maroon Bells and Snowmass Wilderness. Colorado's Four Pass Loop is perhaps one of the most famous backpacking trips in Colorado. The views are astounding, the mountains uniquely colored and shaped, and the hiking strenuous. The trail passes over four high passes as it loops 27 miles through some of the most beautiful terrain Colorado has to offer.
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The song used in this video is Fast Lane by the artist LAKEY INSPIRED. You can check it out here:
Hike to the crater lake at the Maroon Bells.
via YouTube Capture
Colorado Ghost Towns Dyersville
Colorado Ghost Towns
Colorado Snowshoe Hike
Two night camp out.
Trouts at Maroon Lake Scenic Trail
Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado
Ghost Towns of Colorado, United States
Ghost Mining Towns of Colorado, United States 2005 - Vicksburg, Winfield, Clear creek canyon, Rockdale-Silverdale
Colorado has over 1,500 ghost towns. Currently only about 640 remain. Due to incomplete records and legends that are now accepted as fact, no list will ever be complete. Ghost towns are predominantly of few reasons: mining towns, abandoned when the mines closed; many due to the devaluation of silver in 1893, mill towns that were abandoned when the mining towns closed, farming towns on the eastern plains deserted due to rural depopulation, coal towns abandoned when the coal, or need for it ran out, stage stops abandoned when the railroad came through, and the rail stops that were deserted when then railroad changed routes or abandoned the spurs. Some were resort towns which never brought in enough tourists. One or two were caused by the creation of reservoirs, or covered in mining tailings.
Ghost Towns of Colorado