2016-07-01 - Maroon Bells - Denver to Aspen
The Maroon Bells is a dominating pair of peaks in the Elk Mountains deep in Colorado a mere 12 miles southwest of Aspen. Encircling the Bells, the Four Pass Loop is known to be one of the most beautiful trails in the country. Within 30 miles, you ascend over 10000 feet and conquer four mountain passes each individually over 12000 feet, the whole time enchanted by lakes, wildflowers, trees, and rocks. Seduced by the sweet call of the Bells, my friend Brian and I decided to do the loop in 3 days during Independence weekend as our first backpacking trip ever. Despite park ranger warnings that the trail was impassable, forecasts of thunderstorms, and the threat of altitude sickness at an elevation I've never reached in my life, we were both determined to give it our best.
So on the first of July, I flew into Denver weighed down by a full backpack on my back but lifted by hope on my mind. During my few hours in Denver, I procured last minute supplies, including a bottle of Everclear grain alcohol for cooking. I also toured the first floor of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The best exhibit I visited concerned space exploration, with the highlight being a short talk about the current Juno satellite mission to Jupiter. Scientists hope to peer through the thick gaseous veils shrouding this king of gods, to try to understand what lies hidden in Jupiter's core.
So on the first of July, I flew into Denver weighed down by a full backpack on my back but lifted by hope on my mind. During my few hours in Denver, I procured last minute supplies, including a bottle of Everclear grain alcohol for cooking. I also toured the first floor of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The best exhibit I visited concerned space exploration, with the highlight being a short talk about the current Juno satellite mission to Jupiter. Scientists hope to peer through the thick gaseous veils shrouding this king of gods, to try to understand what lies hidden in Jupiter's core.
The other main exhibit on the floor was dedicated to the composition of Earth's crust and core, namely gems and minerals. Colorado is a huge mining state, making the exhibit something of a lesson in modern history as well. An amazing array of dazzling displays of stunning stones and magnificent minerals gleamed before my eyes.
Escaping the city shortly after, I jumped into a four-hour drive through one of the most beautiful landscapes I'd ever traversed by car. One traffic jam (due to a car accident) and many tunnels and mountain passes later, I stopped by a nice trail head for a break. Here, at the edge of civilization, I saw countless pikas and a few marmots scurrying about as rain drizzled from above. The mountains it seemed were welcoming me back home.
Eventually I reached the twisting turns of the highway that snakes up and over the Continental Divide. Independence Pass at 12,095 feet high was perhaps the highest I'd ever been at that point, and I was suitably impressed. We would hike through four passes even higher than this during our backpacking trip. As a girl cried due to pain from high altitude sickness, I felt myself running low on breath. I hoped that my body would adapt by the time we started the hike Saturday morning. Little did I know what misery was to come.
Aspen was not too far away, but the speed limit was low due to the sharp drops and narrow roads. Some bridges I crossed were barely wide enough for two cars. Eventually, I reached the 7900 feet elevation tourist town that is Aspen. After returning my rental car to the airport, I met Brian and his border collie, Tessa. We had not seen each other since the cross country bike ride in summer 2015, one year prior, and were really happy to see each other again. We made a few last minute preparations while I stuffed myself with more food before driving up to the trail head of the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop. Having decided to start early the next morning, we slept at about 9000 feet elevation.