September finally came! It has been a LONG few months since my last trip to Colorado with my dog Pike. I had initially set out to complete the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop back in July with my furbaby, but it wasn't meant to be. I patiently waited for September to come and there it was! As my cousin and I waited for the plane to take off, we anxiously anticipated what the next 10 days would have in store for us. We embarked on the 2.5 hour flight from Louisville to Denver. I had never flown into Denver before. I was shocked that when we landed, the mountains were SO far away. In fact, we barely could see the mountains in the distance because it was so hazy. We picked up our rental car and drove four hours to Aspen!
This time, I went the I70 route. I was able to see the other side of the Colorado Rockies that I had never seen before. It started raining, but the vibrant orange, yellow, and red Aspen trees caught our attention and we barely noticed the chill in the air. September is my favorite time to travel to Colorado. We went through the backcountry of Colorado and eventually I was in a familiar place, Twin Lakes! My cousin was in awe just like I was, even though I had been here before. We took the scenic road from Twin Lakes to Aspen and stopped at the iconic Independence Pass! We started looking for a dispersed campground to stay at. We decided to have a late lunch in Aspen before finding a home for the night. All of the established campgrounds were booked, so we knew it was time to hustle and find a spot before dark. There was a pull off just outside of Aspen where we decided to stop. There were several established sites that followed the creek. It was so peaceful.
The next morning we packed up and headed back into Aspen. We wanted to give ourselves two days to acclimate to the altitude, so we were tourists! We went to Snowmass Village and did some shopping before getting lunch at a local sandwich shop. Our bellies were full so we decided to get on the Maroon Creek Road and head to the Maroon Bells Wilderness. Our plan was to stay at Crater Lake the second night and start the official trail on day three and that's exactly what we did. It was an ominous day! Every few minutes a crack of thunder would strike sending a loud boom in the air. The rain was off and on while we packed in the overnight parking lot, but our spirits were not dampened, even though our packs were! I couldn't stop smiling! This would be my FIRST multi-day backpacking trip. I did several overnight trips in Kentucky, but nothing of this magnitude. Little did I know that my life was about to change for the better! I filled out the permit at the kiosk located at the trailhead - Four days, three nights, and counter-clockwise.
As we were taking pictures of the beautiful Maroon Bells, the weight of my pack tipped me over! The ranger walked up toward us and we all started laughing. I showed my permit and the ranger checked for our bear cans (THEY ARE REQUIRED) before we started the climb up to Crater Lake. The first part of the trail we were walking through thick Aspens. This year, the Aspens were late to change, but it was still beautiful. The trail transitioned to rocky boulders and eventually we were at Crater Lake. My cousin and I stopped at the beach and refilled our water, washed our hair, and talked to a group of people who had just climbed Pyramid Peak. We talked to that group for a while and when the sun went behind the mountains, we decided to find a place to camp. The camp we picked was on the other side of the lake. It was so beautiful!
That night was rough. Like I mentioned earlier, I was new to backpacking. I had a LOT to learn. The biggest lesson I learned that night was signs to look for when setting up a tent. I didn't realize at the time, but we placed our tent in a water drainage path! Needless to say, it was a wet and cold night. Note to self, check surroundings! The next morning was BEAUTIFUL. Though it was in the 40s, the climb up from Crater Lake toward West Maroon Pass kept our blood pumping. We didn't make very good time because we kept stopping to take pictures! As we approached the base of West Maroon, the weather started to deteriorate. Be advised, thunderstorms are no joking matter when climbing up a pass in Colorado. About half way up our climb, it started to hail and rain. The sky was ugly, but we hadn't heard any thunder yet, so we pressed onward. As we summited the pass, the temperature dropped drastically. The crowed of people we had followed up seemingly disappeared. We were the only ones on the pass! The group from the day before that summited Pyramid Peak was down in the distance, so we didn't feel completely along. Suddenly, we saw lightening in the distance! It was time to scoot down the side of the mountain and find shelter. Unfortunately, there wasn't too many places to hide on the other side of the pass. Around 6PM we decided our legs could go no further and made camp. It was nothing special. There wasn't water, shelter, or any comforts, but we were so tired, we didn't care. It thunder stormed all night! It was so loud, I thought we were going to get struck. Thankfully, morning broke and we were alive, so we packed up and headed to the second pass.
The climb up to Fidget Air Pass was steep and COLD. However, the views at the top were absolutely worth the climb. I remember thinking, "I could sit here all day!" - If it was warmer. The decent into the valley was a continuous sting of switchbacks. At the base of the valley was the first water source we'd seen since the day before. We refilled our water and went into the tree line.
We took a break on a fallen tree. Since the moment I got out of my sleeping bag, I had been chilled, so the warm sun felt amazing. I should add that due to the rain we had the day before, our matches had been soaked. We were eating cold rehydrated food and oatmeal. Yet another lesson learned - have backup fire starters! The hike continued around a bowl in the mountain. The thick trees offered a new perspective of the trail. We heard waterfalls, streams, and birds chirping in the distance. Suddenly, we came to an overlook of the valley beyond! It was breathtaking. I wished we could have camped there, but we had to over more miles. As we then descended into that valley, we came across a large waterfall. before once again entering the forest floor. After a few hours, we came up to a meadow, creek crossing, and stared up at the mountain we were to climb next! It was daunting, but we had no choice but to push onward.
A storm was rolling in as we hiked up along side of the mountain. The views closed in as the clouds formed above us spitting cold rain at our faces. People passed us from both directions, leaving us feeling a bit defeated. We came upon a fork in the trail after the sun set and decided to call it a night. If I had foresight, I would have pushed onward just a little further, but in that moment, both of our legs were tired and our bellies needed food. After camp was set up, my cousin and I were making dinner when in the short distance I saw a black bear! I felt my heart beating out of my chest! I had never seen a bear in the wild. This was a teenage, so I didn't know if I should be comforted in the fact his mom may or may not be around. Eventually, the bear was gone, but we did not forget! My cousin and I clung to our bear spray that night.
The next morning we woke up, packed our wet tent, and pushed up the last climb before Trail Rider Pass. As the view of Trail Rider Pass came into view, we both looked at each other. This would have been the best place to camp! There was a pond, tons of tree cover, and a moose in the distance! It's backpacker nirvana! Since we skipped breakfast, we decided to break at the pond before the climb up. Today was supposed to be the day of beautiful views, but to be honest, none of the views had disappointed me. The climb up Trail Rider was a steady incline. As we summited the pass, it was clear the views were spectacular. We had our first view of Snowmass Lake. At the top, we made friends with a couple from Oklahoma. They offered to share their lighter with us this evening if we wanted to camp near them on our last night. They say the trail provides, and it really does because of generous people. I will be forever thankful for their small act of kindness. The lot of us had lunch on the beach at Snowmass Lake. We dipped our feet in the icy water and I embraced my first hot meal on that trail!
That evening, we camped near the renowned Beaver Dam! It was the best campsite I had ever been to. There was ample water, shelter, and views. At dusk, we went down to the pond to look for wildlife. Though we didn't see anything other than trout, the sunset was breathtaking. We enjoyed each other's company as we ate warm food and I read a few chapters from The Lord of the Rings. It rained that night, but we were cozy and warm. I fell asleep to the pitter patter of the rain hitting tent. My cousin and I decided to sleep in a little on our last day. We hit the trail around 8AM and were faced immediately with switchbacks going straight up! It was slow going, but when we finished the switchbacks we entered an opening in the tree line. This was one of my favorite parts of the trail. I imagined living in a place like this off the grid. That waterfall over there would be my lunch hang out spot! I'd hang my hammock on those trees! My mind wondered as I climbed up to Buckskin Pass. I referred to this pass as the pass that never ends! It felt like it took forever to climb up, but I met some interesting people along the way and took many breaks. Eventually I summited that pass too. I say the others were all my favorite, but there's something overwhelming about Buckskin Pass. You could see Snowmass Lake in the distance and the deadly bells.
We reconnected with our friends from Oklahoma at the summit and took a plethora of photos! It was 6 miles to the car and ALL downhill. There were tons of day hikers at this point, and they all were curious about our adventure in the Maroon Bells Wilderness. The decent was steep and loose rock made it hard to find a rhythm. We were steady going, trying to not take too many breaks taking pictures of the massive beauty. Around 2PM we made it back to the car and just in time! As we packed the last bag in the trunk, it started to downpour! We celebrated our success in Aspen before driving to the Crested Butte, Durango, Telluride, and Silverton. I was humbled on this trip. I realized how much I still needed to learn, but regardless of my setbacks, I learned that I CAN do it if I put my heart in it. Though this trip was over, it was JUST the beginning of many more adventures to come.
Thank you,
Nat
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