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
American Southwest (#08): Maroon Bells Wilderness, Colorado
Aspen ... Prospectors who had missed out on Leadville's bonanza climbed Independence Pass and went down into a valley along the Roaring Fork in 1879. They found silver float almost immediately and set up a tent camp they called Ute City. In the spring of 1880, promoter, town surveyor, and future mayor Clark Wheeler came to camp. He renamed the place Aspen before returning to Leadville, where his tales of the new camp began a rush to purchase town plots he had ready to sell.
But the glowing review of the camp was no promoter's exaggeration. Lode silver was found in numerous places on Aspen, Red, and Smuggler Mountains. Some mines produced staggering amounts; in 1883, a bedroom-sized chamber in the Enima Mine produced $500,000 alone. That year the country's largest ore body - 140 feet across - was discovered in the Compromise Mine. The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Aspen from Glenwood Springs in 1887, followed a year later by the Colorado Midland, which came from Leadville through the Hagerman Tunnel. Railroads made silver mining much more profitable, because they significantly reduced transportation costs. In 1884, before the railroads, $3.5 million worth of silver was produced. In 1888, that figure rose to $7 million. A year later it approached $10 million.
Aspen basked in the prosperity. It installed the state's first electric streetlights. Its eight thousand citizens could eat in posh restaurants, entertain guests in the opulent Hotel Jerome, enjoy the refinement of a lavish opera house, and take a Bathing Train to the warm waters at Glenwood Springs. Then came 1893, the repeal of the Sherman Act, and the precipitous drop in silver's value.
Although Aspen was seriously wounded by the Silver Crash, it did not completely collapse as many silver towns did. Miners took wage cuts and Aspen, however tentatively, held on. In fact, one-sixth of all the silver in the United States produced between 1894 and 1918 came from Aspen. In 1894, the Smuggler Mine produced a nugget of 93 percent pure silver and weighing 2,060 pounds. After 1918, however, Aspen came very close to becoming a ghost town. Its primary appeal was to summer visitors who enjoyed its fishing streams and hiking trails.
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.
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.
Wildness in Peril - High Use Issues in the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness
This video examines high use issues that wilderness rangers on the Aspen / Sopris Ranger District of the White River National Forest consistently run into. Frequent issues include crowding and a loss of solitude, trash and human waste, and camping impacts. Please do your part to keep your wilderness wild.
Music:
Bigfoot
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Live Art
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
Instagram:
Twitter:
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
Maroon Bells - Wilderness Portal Colorado
North and South Maroon Peaks are two adjacent, 14,000 foot summits at the center of the Elk Mountains in the western Rockies, a few miles from the affluent ski resort town of Aspen, and they form the main attraction of Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness - nearly 300 square miles of rugged mountains, glacial valleys, meadows, forest, lakes, creeks and waterfalls.
Besides their bell shape and deep red color, the peaks and many of the surrounding hills are unusual for being composed of sedimentary rock rather than the predominant limestone and granite that make up most of Colorado's mountains, and the numerous thin, angled layers around the summits are evident even when viewed from a distance, including from the vantage point near the head of the narrow valley of Maroon Creek.
The image of the red, angular mountains reflected in the greenish waters of Maroon Lake and framed by symmetric tree-covered slopes at either side is supposedly the most photographed vista in the state of Colorado.
Rod Stryker was married from 1998-2001 to Cheryl Tiegs who is frequently described as the first American supermodel.
#MaroonBells #Colorado #RodStryker
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.
You can easily help support this channel for free! Simply click through this link anytime you shop on Amazon:
The song used in this video is Fast Lane by the artist LAKEY INSPIRED. You can check it out here:
Maroon Bells Aspen Colorado
Maroon Bells located between Pitkin County and Gunnison County in the state of Colorado, United States.The highest point of Maroon Peak has an elevation of 14163 feet.Tourists can access to Maroon Bells through the Maroon/Castle shuttle bus from Rubey park to Aspen Highlands
Maroon Bells befindet sich zwischen Pitkin County und Gunnison County, Colorado, USA. Der höchste Punkt des Maroon Peak liegt auf einer Höhe von 1.416 m. Touristen können die Maroon Bells mit dem Maroon / Castle-Shuttlebus vom Rubey Park zum Aspen Highlands erreichen
Maroon Bells位于美国科罗拉多州皮特金县和甘尼森县之间.Maroon Peak的最高点海拔14163英尺。游客可以通过从Rubey公园到阿斯彭高地的Maroon / Castle班车前往Maroon Bells
Maroon Bells, Colorado Rocky Mountains
The Maroon Bells, located in Colorado's stunning Rocky Mountain scenery.
Filmed, edited, and music by Sheety33.
From Wikipedia:
The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains, Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak, separated by about a third of a mile. The mountain is on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen. Maroon Peak, at 14,156 feet, is the 27th highest peak in Colorado; North Maroon Peak, at 14,014 feet, is the 50th highest. The view of the Maroon Bells to the southwest from the Maroon Creek valley is one of the most famous scenes in Colorado, and is reputed to be the most-photographed spot in Colorado and one of Colorado's premier scenic overlooks. The peaks are located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest.
Maroon Bells Colorado 2015
Hiking and fly fishing the Maroon Bells in Colorado
Maroon Bells Campsite
One of the nice places to sleep on the Four Pass Loop.
Maroon Bells, Colorado: Winter Hiking
We HAD to see the Maroon Bells while in Aspen, Colorado. So we hiked the Crater Lake Trail, 3.6 miles up and back, to see the Deadly Bells (the most photographed peaks in North America). These mountains have been featured in commercials and movies, and you'll see why! We hiked at a fast pace, taking us about 60 minutes to do the entire trek. But we also almost died from shortness of breath with the altitude change!
Music: Run Away - Waking September
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESS:
You must pay an entrance fee since it is a National Park (Or have a park pass!)
The only road to see these mountains closes within the first couple weeks of November due to snow. And during the peak season in summer, you have to take a shuttle due to large amounts of traffic. The best time to go is late fall/early winter if you want to avoid crowds and skip the shuttle!
Maroon Bells Hike, Colorado Rocky Mountains
Normally, a hike is unnecessary to view the stunning landscape of the Maroon Bells and the lake that sits before the two peaks because there is a road which leads directly to the viewpoint. When visiting the Maroon Bell viewpoint on this particular day, the road was closed for the Winter about 6 miles shy of the viewpoint. Seeing that we had come a long way to see the majestic Maroon Bells, we decided to hike the 6 miles up hill to the lake viewing point which was well worth it. The majority of the hike was cloud covered, however, upon arrival to the lake the clouds parted and an unbelievable viewing experience unfolded.
Filmed with a Sony HX9V digital camera.
Information provided by Wikipedia:
The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains, Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak, separated by about a third of a mile. The mountain is on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen. Both peaks are counted as fourteeners. Maroon Peak, at 14,156 feet, is the 27th highest peak in Colorado; North Maroon Peak, at 14,014 feet, is the 50th highest. The view of the Maroon Bells to the southwest from the Maroon Creek valley is one of the most famous scenes in Colorado, and is reputed to be the most-photographed spot in Colorado and one of Colorado's premier scenic overlooks. The peaks are located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest.
Maroon Bells Aspen, CO - April 2018
Our hiking/camping trip at Maroon Bells in Aspen, CO.
The Forest Service Is Trying To Protect Maroon Bells
The trail is being roped off to keep hikers in a designated area.
Breathtaking Maroon Bells experience
A must visit place in Beautiful Aspen, Colorado.
Maroon Bells Colorado June 2018
For my oldest son's graduation last year I took him on a nine-day adventure to Colorado. I will post some of our videos for friends and family to see. This one in particular took place in Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen. It is the most photographed spot in the state of Colorado it is called Maroon Bells since the rocks have a reddish tint to them.
We Took Our Kids (3 & 2) Backcountry Camping in Colorado | 4K Short Film | Maroon Bells |
Camping with kids in the backcountry of Colorado. What could go wrong? Wrong question. Right question: what will go right?
It wasn't easy, and sometimes we wondered what we were doing out there, but in the end, it was everything that we hoped it would have been. And more.
Enjoy this cinematic account of the first backcountry trip for our 3 year-old Jackson, and 1 year-old Emmalyn. Camping at Crater Lake in the Maroon-Snowmass Wilderness, near Aspen, Colorado.