Just a little ways from the center of Colorado–you remember Colorado? (That’s right folks, I’m back in North America)–wedged between the Eagle River and the glitz of Aspen, and the arid high desert of the Colorado Plateau, the granite ridges of the Elk Mountains rise up for one more run at 14,000 feet before tumbling out into the Utah desert. That’s where the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness encompasses some of the most scenic (and popular) backcountry in the Rocky Mountiains.

Over the extended Fourth of July weekend, I joined my friend Neal with a group who rambled through the backcountry between the towns of Carbondale and Marble, Colorado. We expected some serious climbs, some exquisite scenery, some wild weather, and some holiday crowds. We got everything but the people. For a two-day stretch of our trip the only company we had were the voracious mosquitoes. Just goes to show that even in one of the most sought after regions in Colorado on the most popular week to backpack in the entire summer, if you pick your route, you can still walk for days without seeing another human being. Four dudes, four days, four mountain passes over 12,000 feet: What better way to celeberate our independence?

See more photos on theSnowmass Wilderness Photo Gallery (12 photos)