[Christy here]With four ski mountains in the area, locals have an unique opportunity to ski them all in one day. The “four mountain challenge” as it has been called, isn’t something that’s done or talked about very much and there seems to be several different ways it can be executed. Most of the time it’s an Aspen old timer that has gone out for the challenge. Tom Hines and Dick...
Locate this sign and you’ll feel a bit less lost out there With six weeks to go before the Grand Traverse, team Lucky No. 9, a.k.a Christy and I, went out to log some miles, skiing a classic interconnect between the two founding huts of the 10th Mountain Hut System, Margy’s and McNamara. Starting at the Lenado trailhead (8640 ft.), we made our way to McNamara Hut (10,360 ft.), via a linkup of...
“I’d like to see the guy who can ride up that!” said the rude guy from California as he arrived to the top of Murphy’s Hogback, walking his bike. When it was revealed that not only did most of our group ride the steep hill but Jared managed to do it with his daughter, Maia, in tow, he started in about how his gear ratios weren’t the same (otherwise he most certainly...
This connection of trails that circumnavigates the Maroon Bells crests four passes greater than 12,000 feet and resides entirely within the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness. It’s one of those reminders as to why we live here. Completed in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, its reported distance and elevation gain varies a bit depending on who you ask and where you start but definitely qualifies as a must-do. Outings can commence from...
More specifically, Conundrum Creek trail up to Triangle Pass, down to Copper Lake, up to East Maroon Pass and down East Maroon Creek. The route can actually be completed in either direction, in our case Todd Clark, Christy and I began the day at the Conundrum Creek Trailhead (8800 ft.) and ran most of the popular trail up 8 miles or so to the famous hot springs (11,200 ft.) that bear the trails name. FYI, the lowest...