Maroon Bells, Colorado

The Maroon Bells claim the title of the most photographed location in all of Colorado, and this distinction is well-earned. During the spring and summer, the vibrant wildflowers that blanket the landscape form a breathtaking tapestry beneath the towering snow-capped peaks. To immerse ourselves in this photographer's paradise, we embarked on the Four Pass Loop hike, allowing us to intimately experience the splendor of this remarkable area. 

The Four Pass Loop, as the name suggests, involves a strenuous 26-mile journey across four distinct mountain passes. Interestingly, we didn't immediately grasp the significance of the name. Our expedition spanned three nights and four days, although completing the hike reasonably can take as little as two nights and three days. Pushing any faster than that would definitely place you in the realm of the Ultra Hiker category.

To reach the Maroon Bells, we parked our car in town, it cost around $60 for the entire duration of our hike. From there, we boarded a city bus to Aspen Snowmass, where we hopped onto a shuttle bound directly for the trailhead. This shuttle service costs $16 per person, covering both the journey to and from the trailhead. While it's advisable to pre-book the shuttle for a guaranteed spot, we decided to take a chance and simply showed up. We added our names to a list and were fortunate enough to secure a ride within just 30 minutes.

An unexpected aspect of hiking and camping the Four Pass Loop is that you don't need a permit!

We began our journey counter clockwise. There was a lot of debate on which way to start the hike. Some people argue that you should go clockwise. Then you will do the hardest parts of the hike later when your pack should be theoretically lighter from food consumption. I find that hiking food is so light now days that the weight difference really doesn’t matter. We did counter clockwise to get the hardest parts of the hike done on fresh legs. You can’t go wrong no matter what you choose. The hike is too magnificent.

We had an extra day than most people when they hike the Four Pass Loop, so we went off the beaten trail a little, up and over Willow Pass, and camped our first night at Willow Lake. Most people would go straight to Snowmass Lake and camp there.

Don’t let the smile above fool you. I absolutely cried a little my first night from sheer exhaustion. Camping at Willow Lake our first night meant we essentially added two mountain passes to our journey. We had to go up and over Willow pass twice, once to get to the lake and another to get back on the trail the next day. However, Willow Lake was beautifully secluded. We felt like the mountains existed for only us that morning.

From Willow Lake we hiked up and over Buckskin Pass. It was TALL it was HARD but it was so so worth it. The lake glittered brightly beneath a jutting foreboding mountain and was surrounded by mature pine trees. Camping at Snowmass Lake was more populated with more substantial campsites.

The next morning we woke up early, hiked up Trail Rider Pass, then hiked down down down. This part of the hiked seemed to be never ending and that was okay because the views were the best yet. I felt more like I was hiking in the Alps than anywhere in North America. The work we put in over the last couple days was worth it. If I could have clothes pinned my eyes open to sear the memory of the views into my mind better, I would have.

The first sign that the trail was leveling out between Trail Rider Pass and Frigid Air Pass we set up camp and promptly passed out.

The next day we did both Frigid Air Pass and West Maroon Pass. They were MUCH easier mountain passes and my legs were grateful that we saved them till the end.

We set up camp for the final time only half an hour from the end of the hike at the last lake. It took us all day to get to this point and the buses were no longer running. Not that I minded. I wanted one more night to camp. This night we had a bear rub itself against our tent and that was a fun midnight adrenaline boost. Throughout the hike there are plenty of wild animals to spy.

Overall, I loved this hike. It wasn’t too crowded, wasn’t too much of a hassle to get to, and was one of the most beautiful treks I have ever done.