Snowmass Wilderness
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)
July 9th, 2006 at 11:28 am
Thankfully you didn’t have to deal with the crazy hippies roaming around north Routt county too! Lots of ratty hair nests and broken-down cars. Glad it was a fun trek.
July 10th, 2006 at 9:50 am
Awesome pics - Jennifer and I hiked into that lake on Labor Day last year and climbed the peak the next day. What a beautiful place, eh?!
Hi Neal!
July 13th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
you do an impressive hyrkie…if that’s how one might spell it! I was never a cheerleader but clearly you are!!
August 1st, 2006 at 10:32 pm
Hey Bill,
I don’t know what possessed me to Google your name this afternoon, but I did and what a payoff! The exploits documented at Elementary Penguin are inspiring, just what I needed to remind me of what’s possible.
15 years ago at UC Davis you promised/threatened your XC Ski Team buddies that, one day when we all had office jobs, you would pull up outside in a converted school bus and extract us from our desks to go bag some peaks, search for hot springs, you know. So I got the office job, where’s the bus?!
Shoot me your email address when you have a minute.
Brad
bharding@ucmerced.edu
PS The website has photos of me and my family at my brother’s wedding a few weeks ago.