The itinerary described in this report tackles the Four Pass Loop over four days. 9,580' - 12,465' (@ West Maroon Pass) Elevation Change: +2,885' net elevation gain (+3,340' total roundtrip elevation gain) Skill Level: Moderate-Strenuous: Dogs Allowed: Yes: Bikes Allowed: No: Horses Allowed: Yes: Related Trails: 4 Pass Loop; East Maroon Pass; Triangle Pass ; West Maroon Pass - 12.9 Miles Round-Trip West Maroon Pass (12,465') is located 6.45 miles from Maroon Lake in the Maroon … The Four Pass Loop accessed from the Maroon Lake trailhead is 26 miles with ~11,000 ft. (3,350 meters) of vertical gain. Apparently a popular dayhike in the area is from Maroon Lake over West Maroon Pass to the East Fork Trailhead, or vice versa, with hikers taking a road shuttle back. East Maroon Pass is displayed on the Maroon Bells USGS quad topo map. 4. Length 20.4 mi Elevation gain 5396 ft Route type Out & back. On day three of the first backpacking adventure of my life, I woke up early. The views across Maroon Lake with Maroon Peak in the backdrop are incredible, and the panorama from the pass at the top is simply spectacular. Facebook; Twitter; Email; directions Driving … So, if you want to break your legs in half go ahead and run it, but for normal humans I recommend backpacking. If you plan to hike the loop in more or fewer days, you can use this guide from the Forest Service to decide where to camp. Trail splits near the lake, leading to West Maroon Pass and Buckskin Pass, both much more strenuous hikes Usage: High Season: Late spring, summer and fall Trailhead: End of road FR 125 Rating (1-5): ★★★★ ★ The 1.8 mile path (TR 1975) to Crater Lake and other places beyond leaves the Maroon Lake scenic loop at the far end of the lake and … From Crater Lake to West Maroon Pass, an additional 2,424 feet in elevation is gained over the course of the next 4.7 miles. Given a round trip hike would entail 22 miles and over 5000 feet of elevation gain, an entire industry of shuttle vans has cropped up to ferry hikers back to their original point of departure. The hikes on any given day are between 6 and 9 miles long. 3. link Copy Link. Over West Maroon Pass onto West Maroon Creek Trail (1970) Left onto Maroon Snowmass Trail (1975) back to trail head; Best Campsites: Capitol Creek and before Capitol Lake (miles 6-10). The West Maroon Trail is also a great way to have an extended backpacking trip in this wilderness on the Four Pass Loop. Elevation change: 550 feet Difficulty: Easy Type: One way. 6. Every summer, a small group of my girlfriends and I plan a weekend get-away centered around whatever epic hike we have been eye-balling for the year. I was the last hiker of the day heading to West Maroon Pass. West Maroon Trail is a 20.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Aspen, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Seasonal Popularity. May 5, 2020 / Comments Off on Hike Colorado: Crested Butte to Aspen via West Maroon Pass. Nearby Hiking Trails. West Maroon Pass At 11 miles long, this is the shortest and most popular route. In the early season, expect muddy trails, big creek crossings, and snow on the passes. Elevation Profile. Rustlers Gulch Trail 569. West Maroon Pass Hike: This classic route is one of the best hikes in Aspen, and one of our favorites in the Maroon Bells Wilderness. DIFFICULT 4.8 mi. Day 1 Maroon-Snowmass TH at Maroon Lake – Hike to … From where we slept the first night to the top of the pass was about 2.5 miles and took exactly 2 hours. It must have been in the 20s while we slept because I had on about four layers on my upper body and still felt cold in the sleeping bag. DIFFICULT 10.4 mi. Elevation: 9,000 ft. - 12,000 ft. West Maroon Pass (MODERATE - LONG) Miles one way: 6.2. Round-Trip Length: 26 miles Elevation gain & loss: 7,400′ Starting elevation: 9,655’ Trailhead Location: Maroon Lake Trailhead – 6.5 miles west of Aspen, Colorado on Maroon Creek Road. We recommend doing this hike clockwise. Definitely worth it! Notice the lack of other hikers in these photos taken near the pass. We recommend going left at the fork in the trail (before reaching Crater Lake) and head up towards West Maroon Pass. Definitely worth it! Hikers can … Once you … Remember to bring the correct gear like a solid rain jacket, water purifier, map, and warm clothing. Miles one way: 8.5. Start off with the route description from the West Maroon Pass hike.. While this trail starts at 9,580′ and tops out at 12,465′ at West Maroon Pass the overall elevation gain is 8,115′. Schofield Pass … DIFFICULT 8.7 mi. Buses from Aspen Highlands arrive at Maroon Lake every … Emeral Lake Loop via 401 Trail and FS-317. The trailhead information describes the loop going counterclockwise: starting with Buckskin Pass, Trail Rider Pass, Frigid Air Pass, and West Maroon Pass. Anyone who is interested in visiting East Maroon Pass can print the free topographic map and street map using the link above. Elevation: 10,000 ft. - 12,500 ft. From the top of the pass, the trail descends to the Frigid Air Pass, and Schofield Park out of Crested Butte. Four Pass Loop via Maroon Snowmass. … The trail from CB to the West Maroon Pass is only 4.5 miles and is a gradual climb with few rocks on the trail. Crowds fall off beginning in September, when the days are still long and warm and weather tends … Going over the pass is exhausting. The incredible sights of the day were not over … There was one creek crossing early on where we refilled all our water bottles and that lasted us until the creek by Fravert Basin at about noon that day. Also, beautiful Elk Range peaks stretch as far as the eye can see. 5 reviews | | DIFFICULT #7 hike out of 80 in White River National Forest | DIFFICULT. Light gray clouds blanketed the valley just high enough to reveal the guiding handrails of the Pyramid Peak massif on our left and the Maroon Massif on our right. West Maroon Pass via West Maroon Creek Trail. Note that there is a lot of elevation gain, so only very … Copper Lake via Copper Creek Trail 468 and Copper Creek Trail. Depending on a parties’ ability, trail and weather conditions, this loop can take between 3 and 5 days to complete. The high elevation had slowed me down: A simply beautiful and majestic view looking back down at the valley below: Precarious Peak is in the center background, sticking out above the tundra and rock fields: A zoomed in view of Precarious Peak, yet another dangerous peak climb in … Also, the views from West Maroon Pass are gorgeous. The trail from CB to the West Maroon Pass is only 4.5 miles and is a gradual climb with few rocks on the trail. This is where the wildflowers completely take … Four Pass Loop crosses four mountain passes—West Maroon Pass, Frigid Air Pass, Trail Rider Pass, and Buckskin Pass, each granting a new view. The weather was great, the wild flowers were in full bloom on both sides near the top and the views were spectacular with not a whole lot of people. As you probably guessed, the trail takes you over four passes: West Maroon Pass, Frigid Air Pass, Trail Rider Pass, and Buckskin Pass. West Maroon vs. East Maroon Pass. Lake Geneva (mile 23) – rarely visited ; West Maroon Creek (miles 34-37) – popular; Snowmass Lake (mile 43) – popular; Summits: If you are looking to extend the 51 mile route and summit some 14ers, here are … The 11 mile one way trail connects the towns of Crested Butte and Aspen via a steep, winding trail that crests at 12,500 ft at West Maroon Pass. West Maroon Pass via West Maroon Creek Trail . Cumulative Elevation Gain / Loss: ~7,400 feet Day 1: Maroon Lake to Upper West Maroon Basin From Maroon Lake, we hiked south along West Maroon Creek to Crater Lake at the very foot of the Bells. If you are planning to leave a car in Aspen, the best place to park is the parking deck called the Rio Grande Parking Plaza at 427 … The hike to Crested Butte is about 12 miles. The Four Pass Loop just outside of Aspen. Wildflowers West Maroon Pass Trail Crested Butte Colorado July 2009, Photo Credit: Tom Pratt (Flickr). As I mentioned in my preview report on this trip, my son and I did this backpacking trip with his Boy Scout trip several years ago in mid July in the Maroon Bells/Snowmass … West Maroon Pass is displayed on the Maroon Bells USGS quad topo map. Hike Colorado: Crested Butte to Aspen via West Maroon Pass. To see the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. On the bright side, you'll see far fewer people. Karla wanted to … Elevation: 14014 ft / 4271 m: Sign the Climber's Log! Once you reach Maroon Lake, there are some Aspen Highland buses that will take you directly into downtown Aspen. The trail from CB to the West Maroon Pass is only 4.5 miles and is a gradual climb with few rocks on the trail. I had most of my appetite back too. This trail goes by Maroon Lake, Beaver Dam, bridge and rapids, Crater Lake, and West Maroon Pass. 5. The West Maroon route is … share Share . For a wider overview of the weather, consult the Weather Map of Colorado. West Maroon Valley: Green and … Cross a wildflower-filled meadow below the pass and hike over Frigid Air Pass, below which more camping can be found. That is the trail both climbs and descends 8,115′. Doing this hike counter clockwise is arguably more scenic, but hiking up and over Buckskin Pass with a full pack will be a tough task. For this trip, you’ll keep hiking past these campsites, up towards West Maroon Pass. 9,580' - 12,465' (max elevation on West Maroon Pass) Elevation Change: +2,885' net elevation gain (+8,115' total elevation gain) Skill Level: Strenuous: Dogs Allowed: Yes: Bikes Allowed: No: Horses Allowed: Yes: Related Trails: Aspen to Crested Butte; Lost Man Loop; Willow Lake; 4 Pass Loop - 26.8 Miles Round-Trip The 4 Pass Loop runs 26.8 miles through the heart of the Elk Mountains and Maroon … Dogs on leash … 28 miles of pristine backcountry hiking over 12,000 foot passes: Buckskin Pass, Trail Rider Pass, Frigid Air Pass, and West Maroon Pass. The weather was great, the wild flowers were in full bloom on both sides near the top and the views were spectacular with not a whole lot of people. We got back to the trailhead at 3:40 and promptly celebrated with a cold Coke before heading back to Crested Butte. There are three routes hikers can take between Aspen to Crested Butte, but the two most common are West Maroon and East Maroon Pass, which are both equally scenic. I was feeling a lot better, albeit terribly cold. Posts about West Maroon Pass written by linhartb. Either way will leave you with the same views and the … Follow the directions up the valley and to the right at the small signed Hasley Basin junction .At the next signed junction for Frigid Air Pass , take a left continue on the mellow ascent back in the opposite direction (or hike up West Maroon Pass first for the 3 Pass Loop).The next sign post indicates where the turnoff is for Frigid Air … From Aspen to WMP it's 6.5 miles with the first 5 miles being up/down, up/down with plenty of rocks on the trail and sometimes all rocks. First Backcountry Campsites (Mile 4) to West Maroon Pass: 2.5 miles, 2000 feet elevation gain. Many enjoyable side hikes, detours or alternate access points can be added to make the Loop longer. 2016-07-04 - Maroon Bells - Frigid Air Pass and West Maroon Pass. 2. I had previously hiked this trail in 2007 via a shuttle. I was new to hiking in the Rockies when I hiked the West Maroon Trail in early summer 2005. Anyone who is interested in visiting West Maroon Pass can print the free topographic map and street map using the link above. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until September. United States › Colorado › White River National Forest › West Maroon Pass via West Maroon Creek Trail. The Four Pass Loop backpacking season stretches from July to October. While West Maroon is the more common popular of the two, it is a bit steeper compared to the East Maroon route. Many hikers stay the night before catching the trail back to Crested Butte the very next day. Starting June 14th 2008, Maroon Creek Road restrictions will start and visitors will be directed to RFTA bus service. However, it offers stunning views from the top of the pass. Number of nights – This Four Pass trail is typically done in four days. The weather was great, the wild flowers were in full bloom on both sides near the top and the views were spectacular with not a whole lot of people. After Crater Lake, the trail switches off between following next to streams, passing through sections of forest and willows, and making stream crossings. Example Itinerary. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. East Maroon Pass is in the Gaps category for Pitkin County in the state of Colorado. 1. The top of the pass is tricky and steep. From there, the hike heads through some of the most incredible wildflower meadows you’ll … … From Aspen to WMP it's 6.5 miles with the first 5 miles being up/down, up/down with plenty of rocks on the trail and sometimes all rocks. The latitude and longitude coordinates of West Maroon Pass are 39.0358232, -106.9975454 and the approximate elevation is 12,408 feet (3,782 meters) above sea level. If you’re only wanting to hike one way, there are few options to consider. … The wildflower fields will take your breath away. DIFFICULT 25.9 mi. The highlight, though, is passing through the areas of vast alpine meadows and tundra. If you have visited West Maroon … This trail has too much elevation and far too much beauty to rush it so I highly recommend a 5-day adventure, but … More; North Maroon Peak Overview ... (9,590-ft.) From Aspen, locate a round-about a half mile north on Hwy 82 and drive west on Maroon Lake Road for 9.4 miles to the parking area. Wildflower bloom peaks in mid-to-late July. You’ll have an uninterrupted view down onto the Purity Basin, set off by the looming Galena Mountain. Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Four Pass Loop hike, Day 1 elevation profile. 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