Four Pass Loop, Colorado
Date: 07/11/ – 07/14
Trail: Begin at Maroon-Snowmass trailhead and proceeded clockwise
A group of 4 started Four Pass Loop on a Saturday afternoon in mid-July. We were able to hit the trail by 12:30 after flying into Aspen that morning from Dallas due to a combination of A) shipping things we were not allowed to carry on and B) having REI ship things that were questionable to mail (fuel canisters, alcohol fuel, etc…). This enabled us to walk off the plane with our packed bags, grab a shuttle to the hotel where we were staying after our hike and quickly grab our boxes to finish packing up. This worked perfectly and is a trick we will definitely employ in the future. Catching the buses around Aspen and ultimately up to the Maroon Bells was super easy and very cheap (mostly free). At Aspen Highlands Village (where you catch the shuttle to head up to Maroon Bells) two different rangers asked if we had bear canisters so if you are going make sure you’re properly prepared. Bear cans are now required and they are making sure you have them (although I guess technically nobody opened our backpacks and we DID see people hanging food later in the trip).
After getting off the bus we were immediately presented with a couple of hurdles. Number 1: The number of day hikers was just a little more than anticipated. The hike from the trailhead basically all the way to Crater Lake is quite crowded (although at that time of day it was at least mostly in our direction of travel). Number 2: Kodak (trail-name) was essentially on his knees, exhausted within 20 minutes. I don’t know if it was the altitude, the rush of getting off the plane and getting on the trail, or something else altogether but we thought he wasn’t going to make it – and by make it I mean the first mile and a half to Crater Lake much less the entire loop! But Kodak is a trooper. He might have crawled to Crater Lake, but once we got there and he was able to take a breath (maybe the beauty of the Bells inspired him to keep going?) he caught his second wind and basically led us up the mountain the rest of the day.
After about 4 hours of climbing, two very manageable water crossings and a couple of cold rain and sleet showers, we made camp on a fantastic plateau on the left side of the trail just short of West Maroon Pass (my watch had us at 11,660 feet). I thought it was only a matter of time before we had to share it with other campers as we saw several tents pitched on the side of the trail on the way up and passed many other backpackers during the day, but luckily nobody else showed up. We had it all to ourselves (or so we thought). We set up camp, started a nice fire and set back to relax when we were joined by a couple of unexpected visitors – two porcupines. Initially this was a nice surprise. A close encounter with a completely unexpected species (porcupines in the high country of Colorado? I had NO idea…); what’s not to like right? Turns out there’s a lot not to like. It’s only a mild (mild I tell you) exaggeration to say we were outright terrorized the entire night. In fact when I got out of bed in the morning, a porcupine scurried OUT FROM UNDER Kodak’s fully-zipped vestibule. He said it had been sleeping there for the last few hours. One of our group member’s hiking pole handles were eaten, small parts of his boots were eaten and, most importantly, several of his backpack straps were completely eaten away. Yes, all of this gear was stored away in his vestibule and he had no idea he was under attack. Don’t take Ambien in the backcountry people… The one bright spot of this assault is that he was finally given his trail name: Porky. Luckily we were able to “repair” (more like temporarily rig together) his gear and he was able to continue on.
After breaking down camp and having a quick breakfast we were up and going right at 8 am the second day. Within an hour or so we were over West Maroon Pass with little to no troubles. Before we left we were very worried about snow on the passes, but luckily we encountered very little that was actually tough to deal with (I think even a week earlier and that was a different story). One small, slick section at a steep angle heading up West Maroon was the only dangerous patch we hit, and for the rest of the trip everything else we encountered was on fairly flat ground and easy to manage.
After descending West Maroon it’s an easy hour or so hike over before you have to start ascending Frigid Air Pass. For the first time since the walk up to Crater Lake this section of the trail felt a little crowded again, but thinking back on it we probably only met 4 or 5 hiking parties between the two passes. On our previous trips though we have basically been alone and this was definitely a change. We ultimately made camp early in the afternoon just past a waterfall in Fravert Basin and we could not have had a better campsite – a multilevel site right off the river with easy access to filter and fishing with the roar of a waterfall to help you sleep. Perfection. After getting camp set up, I took a nap in my hammock while a couple of the other guys went fishing in the river. Between the perfect weather, the great views atop the passes, the excellent campsite and an afternoon nap this was one of the best days I’ve had in the backcountry. And luckily no visits from “mini-bears” in the middle of the night to ruin another night’s sleep…
Day 3 started early again; we wanted to get to Snowmass Lake early enough in the afternoon to get some more fishing in. We again had perfect weather for hiking and the view from Trail Rider Pass down to Snowmass Lake is absolutely unbeatable. For those going though, by prepared. Trail Rider Pass is very hard. There is a false-pass around 11,800 feet which we were mentally prepared for, but this was still by far the hardest climb of the trip. We targeted one of the dedicated sites at Snowmass Lake for easy fishing access (although you have to give up having a fire if you use one of these sites). The only downside to camping at Snowmass, outside of having to camp near people which we were prepared for, were the mosquitos. BRUTAL. I’ve carried around a bug head net in my pack for a year but never had the occasion to use it until now. Were it not for the net I think I would have probably retired to my tent around 3 in the afternoon. We had our first serious storm of the trip this night and it really came down, but I apparently did a reasonable job of seam sealing my Tensegrity because I had no leaks (my personal biggest worry before we took off. I had never seam sealed anything before).
Day 4 was a relatively easy day back over Buckskin Pass and into Aspen. Buckskin was the easiest pass of the trip and we were back at the bus way earlier than we anticipated. The buses were running on time and we were showered and eating hamburgers by the pool at our hotel by 2:00.
Four Pass Loop is a phenomenal trip and definitely the best backpacking destination I have been to. Highly, highly recommended! Just watch out for the porcupines…
Favorite piece of gear for this trip: My new Zpacks Arc Haul in cuben. The Arc Haul carries beautifully (I had 31 pounds in total at the trailhead) and is extraordinarily “livable” for lack of a better word. Numerous pockets, a mesh back and is basically waterproof (I put this to the test on the first day). Be on the lookout for some other lightly used backpacks on gear swap soon!
Least favorite piece of gear for this trip: My wife will be ecstatic to hear: Not applicable! For the first time I haven’t come home and immediately started trying to replace some piece of kit. I feel like I’m finally getting dialed in on what I like carry.
Happy Trails,
Data
