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So after 8 months of preparation and research, the time was finally here. My hiking companion, Kyle, and I were about to embark on our very first backpacking hike. And we were certainly not starting small. We had decided that the Four Pass Loop hike through the Maroon-Bells of Colorado was a great challenge for us. The 26 mile loop was certainly an attainable goal over a four day/three night hike, though it would undoubtedly be challenging at times. Regardless, we were more than ready to answer the call of the wild and get out into the wilderness as soon as possible.
We woke up early in Snowmass Village to head down to the West Maroon trail head just outside of Aspen. We thought that getting there by 7 AM, we would have no problem getting a parking spot. However, we were wrong. By 7, the lots were already packed and we had to backtrack and park in a lot in Aspen Heights, and wait to take the shuttle in. It was a bit of a setback that slowed us down a bit, but we were so eager to get going that the setback was soon forgotten.
Day 1 – Crater Lake and West Maroon Valley
After arriving at West Maroon Lake where the trail begins, we made out last minute pack and trekking pole adjustments, we were off! The start of the trail was very rocky, and I was not expecting this right from the start for some reason. I wanted to note this now as a point of foreshadowing for the return trip. While this section is much easier for fresh legs and eager day hikers, the return hike back on this rocky section feels much different. After taking multiple breaks as we ascended this path, I admit I had my doubts. I started to question whether we had made the right choice in choosing the Four Pass Loop. After all, if I was feeling the pain now before we even reached the trail head, what would the rest of the hike have in store? Did we bite off more than we could chew? Would we even be able to do this? With all of these questions swirling around in my head, I decided to stay positive and keep pushing one step at a time. Little did I know that this mentality would eventually become my mantra for the entire trip.
After grabbing our permit at the trail head and reaching the first fork in the trail, we turned left as we had decided that hiking the loop clockwise would be the wisest choice for us flat-landers, as the elevation gain is much more gradual than the counter-clockwise alternative. It wasn’t long before we were rewarded with our first beautiful site, Crater Lake. Crater Lake seemed to be one of the busiest destinations, due to many hikers day-hiking to the lake and back. Here we had our morning snack to fuel up for a long day of walking. As this was not our destination like many others, we finished snacking and snapping some pics and then we were off again. We continued on towards West Maroon Valley, enjoying the beautiful scenery on the way. Once we reached our first water crossing, we stopped to take a lunch break and fill up with some fresh water. At this point, fatigue had definitely begin to set in. Our confidence waned quite a bit as we continued on with the 5 miles of hiking before our first campsite. By the time we were about a half a mile away from campsites, Kyle was about done and ready to set up camp at the earliest point possible. We eventually made it to a camp site section. Unfortunately, many faster hikers had beat us there and not my spots remained. However, we met a friendly fellow camper who mentioned there was a spot close to their site that wasn’t the best but was available. At this point, we were so exhausted we would have slept anywhere. After discovering the camp, we were able to set up our tents on the slightly uneven ground. We instantly felt better once camp was finally established and we were able to cook up some dinner. We sat there on a makeshift tree bench, and reflected on the day. While we agreed it was a long day and sure to get even tougher the next, we couldn’t help but marvel at the spectacular mountain views engulfing our campsite. Just as the night was winding down and we were about to settle in for the night, we had an unexpected visitor show up. A beautiful female deer strutted right below our camp, giving us our first encounter with the wildlife that inhabit the Maroon Bells. While I was appreciative of the opportunity to observe the deer, its retuning visit directly behind my tent in the middle of the night when I got up for a bathroom break was a little jolting but I feel like I startled her as much as she did me. At the very least, we got a big laugh out of it the following morning.
Day 2 – West Maroon Pass and Frigid Air Pass
The start of day 2 on the Four Pass Loop brought a brand new sunrise, and with it, a fresh new energy pulsing through us. We realized from our first day that we would be a little slower than most hikers given our heavier packs and elevation struggles. We decided to get an early start to the day so we were up early, eating breakfast and on the trail around 6:30 AM. We thanked the kind hiker, who I would later nickname “Florida” in my head, for the helpful campsite suggestions and we were on our way. Hiking through the West Valley was incredible. The lush valley, blooming with beautiful wildflowers, was more than enough to take your mind off of the long path ahead. After strolling through the high brush and reaching our first stream, we decided to fill up while we could with some fresh water. As we were filling up, Kyle pointed out movement in the brush behind us that he initially thought could be a hawk. Upon closer inspection, we soon realized that the movement could not be further from a hawk. The brown shape initially spotted turned out to be just the very tip of a set of big antlers. As they moved slightly through the brush, we caught a better glimpse of what was unmistakably a large Bull Moose! We were completely in awe, as we were only about 100 feet away from this majestic creature. We had not expected to see a moose in the wild, let alone seeing one up close. While it was an amazing experience, we quickly hustled up to continue on. After all, a Moose is not an animal you want to encounter up close and personal, especially with only brush around.
We continued on down the trail until we caught a glimpse of the first mountain pass, West Maroon Pass. The assent winded up to a steep straight-away climb to the top. The path was much more narrow here, and steeper than anything we had encountered so far. After taking a few necessary breaks to catch our breath, we finally made it to the top of the pass, and we were not disappointed. After accolades from fellow hikers who had already reached the top, we were met with stunning views on both sides of the pass. On one side, the gorgeous West Maroon Valley we had just traveled through, and on the other side was our first look at the decent down the pass towards Crested Butte and Frigid Air Pass. We were soon met by “Florida”, the nice woman we met night one, and her son. We shared our experience as we ate lunch among the beautiful views. We parted ways with our new friends, and continued on down out first pass decent. We shortly realized how careful you have to be with your footing, as there are several tricky spots and rocks galore that could twist an ankle with ease. Once we reached the bottom we continued on, and just as we passed a fork in the path, a couple taking a break pointed out our gear and asked if we were heading to Frigid Air Pass. And I could not be more thankful that they did! At the fork, the sign was down (where one had clearly been before), so we did not realize we had to make a turn at the fork towards Frigid Air Pass or else we would have continued on to Crested Butte, and would have been forced to backtrack for who knows how long, back to the fork. The near miss was a wake-up call that we should maybe check the map a bit more often to ensure we were on the correct path.
Once we confirmed we were indeed on the correct path, we continued on towards Frigid Air Pass. It was at this section of the hike when we found the most solitude. Hikers were seen far less, and while we had become accustomed to making way for faster hikers, this was the first time when we felt alone. Only passing by one hiker on the way, we reached the trail-head sign for Frigid Air Pass. It was here that we had to make our first tough choice of the hike, clouds seemed to be rolling in and a bit of hail started to rain down on us. We decided we had already made it this far and we would have to power through as fast as we could to avoid being caught in a storm at the top of the pass, without any cover. We slapped on our pack’s ’rain covers and suited up in rain jackets before starting our assent. It was clear from the beginning that this pass would be nothing like the first pass we encountered earlier in the day. The accent to Frigid Air Pass was very steep, full of switchbacks and very loose gravel. To add to the intensity, the path was pretty narrow and the look down off the edge was intimidating to say the least. Kyle took the lead and was powering through each switchback as I struggled to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Desperate to conquer the pass before the weather set in, we powered through and made it to the top of our second mountain pass of the day. The view was amazing, though rushed. Ideally, we would have sat up there alone and enjoyed a meal as conquering heroes. The reality of the situation however was that weather was moving fast and the Frigid Air Pass was true to its name, and it was certainly a tad chilly up there. After taking some photos, we decided not to overstay our welcome and continued down the other side of Frigid Air Pass.
It is at this moment in the story were the heroes face their most difficult adversity of the journey. As we descended the steep switchbacks of Frigid Air Pass, Kyle winced as he grabbed at his knee. He said he felt is knee pop forward and then back, and he was in burning pain. All of the confidence and momentum from the day was dashed in an instant. How would we continue? Could we even continue on? Would we have to call for help and be rescued by helicopter? I didn’t have long to stress about our options, as Kyle proclaimed he would definitely be caring on. Maybe its stubborn nature or adrenaline, but I knew I would have made the same choice. We were determined from the start of the trip that we would finish this, one way or another. After resting for a moment to find our bearings, we dusted ourselves off and continued down the switchbacks onwards toward Fravert Basin. Kyle was undoubtedly in pain but gritted his teeth and toughed through it, even if we did have to move at a slower pace. Our only solace in the situation was that Kyle seemed to fare much better when walking on flat stretches, and even uphill. The downhill part would be the problem for the remainder or our hike. We had approximately another 3 miles to hike before we would reach a suitable campsite. It was hard for me to give location updates, as I knew Kyle was in pain and desperately wanted to stop moving for the day.
We only passed one more hiker on the way, but eventually reached a section of site ideal for camping. It was slightly aggravating that many were closed to camper for revitalization of the area. However, we eventually came to a location that was perfect. Plenty of camp space, and no signs to indicate we couldn’t camp there. Upon closer inspection, the campsite’s biggest selling point was that it was located just off the river and complete with multiple flowing waterfalls to add to the majestic serenity of our landscape. We set up our tents and settled into camp. As Kyle took a much needed nap, I jumped at the opportunity to bath in the beautiful river and wash the stink off of my clothes. Kyle eventually followed my lead and washed some clothes. And just as we finished up hanging clothes on a line to dry out before bedtime, we were hit with some rain. On top of an already somber end to an otherwise great day, we had now realized we may have made a mistake and that we may be forced to hike in wet pants the following morning. We did our best to rig up clothes out of the rain to give it the best shot of drying out, but the damage was done and we would have to deal with it in the morning. The rain eventually stopped, giving us a chance to eat dinner before turning in for the night. I slept like a baby due to the calming sounds of the waterfalls, and we even slept in a bit in the morning, as Kyle did not sleep nearly as well as I did for obvious reasons.
Day 3 – Trail Rider Pass
When we did eventually get moving on day three, it was with a refreshed mindset. It was already 9 AM and our pants were still a little damp. It was a rough start but we were determined to power through the 7 mile day, even if we had to take it easy due to Kyle’s knee. We made our descend from the Fravert Basin following the descent of the North Fork of the Crystal River. After making another river crossing, we continued on down the N. Fork cutoff toward the next pass, Trail Rider Pass. The assent in elevation gradually kept getting steeper. We hiked for what seemed like hours, meeting fellow hikers along the way to share in our struggle.
The trail will connect with Geneva Lake Trail (#1973) but we had no interest in adding time to our already daunting hike. In the distance, grey clouds were creeping closer but as we climbed and climbed, we began to get discouraged at the apparent lack of progress we were making. We eventually reached the top of our constant switchbacks, convinced we were finally close only to find out that our true assent had yet to truly begin. We had reached a large open area, with little forest to speak of and a pond. The rain had finally reached us. We geared up with raingear and filled every bottle we could with fresh water. Just beforehand we had started to get nervous at the lack of water sources and our remaining water store depleting quickly. We had to gain our composure back and give ourselves a pep talk of sorts to continue onward. As we continued, we passed by several hikers that had hunkered down in tents and tarps to wait out the rain. We on the other hand had other ideas. We were already moving slow and off to a slower start that our previous days. The rain was already here and the sky at least looked promising, so we continued up the start of the switchbacks to the top of Trail Rider Pass. This was in my opinion, the hardest and most challenging mountain pass assent of the entire hike. It took everything we had to inch closer and closer to the top, until we finally made it. We joined the others who were already enjoying a much deserved rest at the top of Trail Rider Pass. And although it was the toughest hike so far, the views from the top were some of the most breathtaking I had experienced so far. To look at where you started from and truly realize how far you’ve come is a rewarding experience that is hard to even put in words. We had earned this view that few people will ever get to experience. The view from the top also gave us our first look at things to come at Snowmass Peak, and our first look at Snowmass Lake, where we would eventually camp for our final night.
As much as we would have loved to end our day right there, our work was not done yet. After eating lunch and resting up, we were ready to head out to Snowmass Lake. The dissent was definitely challenging, though not quite as bad as climbing up from the other side. I felt guilty complaining about how sore my shoulders were just knowing how much Kyle’s knee had to be killing him. It wasn’t until about halfway down the switchbacks that we encountered Kyle’s savior. We approached a hiking couple and chatted with them about our struggles of the day, as well as Kyle’s injury. She offered up a stretchy exercise band that she mentioned she sometimes uses for sore spots. The gratitude expressed cannot be understated here. Once Kyle tied it around his knee and exclaimed he felt at least 50% less pain, it gave us a second wind. While the knee injury experience had taught us a valuable lesson in items we would definitely bring in hindsight (ACE bandage, knee brace, ankle brace, etc.), it also was a meaningful moment in the generosity of people, especially within the hiking/backpacking community. Everyone we had encountered was very friendly and courteous, but this was the shining moment of the trip and I am so thankful to this stranger for helping out when we needed it. We hiked closer and closer to Snowmass Lake, being treated to various lake views along the way. We eventually reached a stretch of the path, or maybe a better description, lack of path that gave us pause. It was a cliff side covered in large boulder sized rocks, with no path to be found. After checking the GPS and having a passerby hiker confirm this was part of the path, we climbed through the rocky Cliffside, with only a small distance left to cover. Alas, we had made it to our final campsite. Snowmass Lake was the most populated section of the trail yet, though not surprising as the lake is epic and a popular site for day hikers. It took us a little while to find a site that hadn’t been occupied yet but were eventually successful. We marveled at the beauty of the lake as the day drew to a close. It was also clear that more rain was on the way so we agreed to get to bed early and wake up extra early to power through the final stretch of the Four Pass Loop. It wasn’t long before the rain rolled in, and the winding whipping wind kissed our camp. We stayed dry and warm, and as I lied in my tent listening to the rain droplets cascade down my tent, I reflected on the journey so far and how far we had come. There were times where I wondered if we could finish the loop, let alone the pass for the day. There were times when the voice in our heads wanted us to quit now, and I can only imagine how loud that voice was in Kyle’s head that night. But there was also the realization of one simple fact. We were here. We did not quit. Despite all the adversity, pain and struggle, we had pushed through and we had made it. Each day we woke up a little bit stronger, both physically and mentally, than we were the day before. I knew that we would be victorious and we would complete this journey. No matter how slow we had to go, one foot in front of the other…
Day 4 – Buckskin Pass for the Finish
As 5 AM rolled around on the morning of day four, we were packing up and hitting the trail early. We left most of our fellow campers behind, convinced that would pass us by at some point in the day anyways. Today was the day when we had to be the most mentally strong we could be. I worried about Kyle as the day would be a lot of downhill walking once we finished the last pass, but we would cross that bridge when we came to it. The start of the day was very peaceful. We were alone as we winded through the forest, in a gradual assent to our final pass. We crossed a beautiful stream, marveled at the hard work of beavers as we passed a big dam and spotted Marmots as they chirped in the rock beds. Before long, it was clear that we were now making our way to Buckskin Pass. I don’t know if it was in contrast to Trail Rider pass the previous day, but we felt that the climb to Buckskin was much easier. We made it to the top and the views from Buckskin were straight out of a Bob Ross painting. The whole hike had felt like you were right in the middle of a painting because the scenery often felt too beautiful to even be real, and even felt like a new country entirely at times. But we had made it through four mountain passes in four days, something I wouldn’t even have considered a possibility even a year prior. The beautiful day we were presented with was a good omen for the remaining journey home. We felt great, or as great as we could under the circumstances. As it was time to set off down Buckskin Pass, I tried to mentally prepare Kyle for the hardship to come. We had around 5 miles left to the trailhead, and then another couple miles out to the shuttle. I’d love to say we powered through and had our best hike of the trip but unfortunately it was as challenging as expected. The remaining home stretch was almost all downhill in some way or another. While there were beautiful spots to stop and take breaks, I can tell Kyle was ready to be done. Every time Kyle asked how much further, it pained me to have to break the news that we still had more to hike. By the time we reached the trailhead, it was a moral victory to have completed the loop. However, remember that rocky stretch of path I mentioned at the start of the hike? It was now the only thing stopping us from finishing our journey. By this point, Kyle was on his last fumes. Swinging his mostly immobile leg around jagged rocks and doing everything in his power to gain ground. Thank god for trekking poles because we used them for every little bit of the final stretch. As we made it to West Maroon Lake, we were exhausted. Kyle was limping his way behind me as we creeped closer to the shuttle pick up. Just as we were arriving, a shuttle was about to depart. I rushed ahead to hold the shuttle as Kyle caught up, and by 1 PM, we were on our way back to Aspen.
We had finished the Four Pass Loop! We had sat there on the shuttle bus, exhausted and sweaty. We were covered in filth and our muscles were aching. As we sat there reeling in what we had accomplished, I looked up at Kyle sitting directly across from me expecting to see a look of utter defeat on his face from a long journey. Instead, I was met with a smirking grin. We didn’t have to say a word. The experience we had gone through together was unlike anything either of us had ever experienced in our lives. It was the hardest thing I had ever had to do in my life. I had pushed my limits both physically and mentally, and I was victorious. We headed into the woods for our first backpacking trip as inexperienced friends with a thirst for adventure. We had left the Maroon-Bells Snowmass wilderness feeling like warriors, and conquering heroes. The trip had left us with a new understanding of the great big world, and how small we truly are in comparison. We were now second guessing the daily activities we would deem as “hard”, because they now seemed so minuscule. I hope that I can carry this new perspective into my daily life, while I wait patiently for my next adventure. Every time I feel feel adversity enter into my life, I know now that it can be triumphed. Every challenge can be achieved, all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.
