Ideal hiking months: mid-June to mid-October . Accessed from West Maroon Creek Trail at miles 35-36. Day 1: Starting at picturesque, glacier-sculpted Maroon Lake, weâll ascend West Maroon Creek Valley on a rocky, uneven trail through thick aspen forest.Starting at 9,580 feet elevation, our group will be breathless yet exhilarated by the beauty and stark relief of the 14,000+ foot Maroon Bellâs north and south peaks ahead and the surrounding rugged mountainside. Hiking counterclockwise allows for a more gradual climb out of the gate. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. When you reach the first traffic circle take the third exit to Castle Creek Rd. Frigid Air Pass - hiking trail near Crested Butte, CO - Hikers ascending the beautiful East Fork Valley to Frigid Air pass are rewarded with stunning views of the Maroon Bells, Snowmass Mountain and the nearby peaks of the Elk Mountains. During the trek you hike over four high elevation mountain passes, reach a peak altitude of ~12,500 feet, and climb nearly 9,000 feet of elevation. Trail Map | Photo Gallery. Why you should go: Itâs part of the famous West Maroon Pass trail that takes you from Crested Butte to Aspen Distance: 5.2 miles Elevation Gain: 1,560 feet Difficulty: Moderate; The West Maroon trailhead is off Gothic Rd., about an hour outside of Crested Butte. 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. Follow Highway 82 west to the roundabout. Hiked about 5 miles on 10/3 to below West Maroon pass. Take the second exit onto Maroon Creek Road. West Maroon Pass Trail Hiking Detail. The trail ends at Schodfield Park, 14 miles from Crested Butte. 3) East Maroon-West Maroon Loop Beautiful campsite next to the river. However, this hike is easier overall and much less crowded. The last quarter mile is particularly strenuous, but the effort is well worth the reward. Buckskin Pass - 9.2 Miles Round-Trip Buckskin Pass (12,462') is located 4.6 miles from Maroon Lake in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Posts about West Maroon Pass written by linhartb. The route gains over 5,400 feet of elevation over its course. The popular West Maroon Pass also follows the first part of this trail. First Backcountry Campsites (Mile 4) to West Maroon Pass: 2.5 miles, 2000 feet elevation gain. Starting elevation: 9,580 feet . From the East Maroon Trailhead to the parking lot near Gothic is 19 + miles, with 12 water crossings (2 needing water shoes and time for feeling to return to your feet due to cold water), at least 3 wide scree fields and 11,800 top elevation. The West Maroon Pass Trail is a world class wildflower hike which climbs out of Aspen, passes by the spectacular Maroon Bells, and reaches a pass at 12,500 feet with sweeping views of the West Maroon Creek valley and the Crystal River East Fork basin on the Crested Butte side. Day 2 was west maroon pass and frigid air. 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. In season the East Fork is ⦠The trail starts winding through forest next to Crystal River .A decaying cabin is near the end of the forest. Dogs are ⦠While West Maroon is the more common popular of the two, it is a bit steeper compared to the East Maroon ⦠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. West Maroon Pass Summit: 12,500 feet . East Maroon Trail to Copper Basin is a 20.9 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Aspen, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Here youâll find 11 first-come-first-serve campsites that make a great base camp for those looking to tackle North Maroon Peak. 4-Pass Loop - Aspen Snowmass Wilderness area July, 15th 2017 Day 1- 12 miles and 3800' of elevation gain Maroon Lake TH > West Maroon Pass > Frigid Air Pass > Fravert Basin So the 4-Pass loop has been on Anastasiya's bucket list ever since she heard about it. Capitol Peak â out and back class 4 route that will add about 2,500 ft of elevation and 4 miles. From the pass, the trail descends the East Snowmass Trail to the trailhead. Maroon Bells Weather (Days 0-3): The weather forecast for Maroon Bells is: Mostly dryTemperatures will be well below freezing (max -8°C on Fri morning, min -24°C on Wed night)Winds decreasing (near gales from the N on Wed night, calm by Fri morning). Notice the lack of other hikers in these photos taken near the pass. While not quite as busy as the Four Pass Loop, this loop stills see a fair amount of people. Trail Map | Photo Gallery. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed . Elevation gain/loss: 2,920-ft. Few trails can surpass the stunning views from the start of the Four Pass Loop at the foot of Maroon Lake. West Maroon vs. East Maroon Pass 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. This project is rated as a challenging project. In fact, we didnât make it over the first pass, West Maroon. Round-Trip Length: 26 miles Elevation gain & loss: 7,400â² Starting elevation: 9,655â Trailhead Location: Maroon Lake Trailhead â 6.5 miles west of Aspen, Colorado on Maroon Creek Road. Aspen snow-safety pioneer killed in avalanche west of Crested Butte Sheriffâs report: developer violates protection order, faces DV charge New ⦠Elevation gain: 2,920 feet . West Maroon Pass is displayed on the Maroon Bells USGS quad topo map. Great experience! This long but moderate trail follows East Maroon Creek to its origin just below the pass, and continues down the west side into Copper Basin and on to Gothic near Crested Butte.. At the next signed junction for Frigid Air Pass [3] , 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) . East Maroon Pass - 19.4 Miles Round-Trip East Maroon Pass is located 9.7 miles from East Maroon Portal in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. 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. 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