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 the Tincup Trail to Four Corners to the Van Horn Park Trail....
Sound like fun? It all depends on your perspective, literally. From it's top, it's a fast, steep descent towards Snowmass, and on nordic skis it can almost be scary. When tackling this stretch of the Owl Creek Trail from the opposite direction(pictured), the only thing 'flying' is your heartrate, into the red that is. Participants in next Saturday's 22nd Annual Owl Creek Chase , the 21 km skate race from Snowmass to Aspen, will...
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...
One of the best things about having some big goals on the horizon is getting prepared. Friday evening we went up to Turkey Rock for an easy two pitches of rock climbing. The next morning, we headed over the pass towards Twin Lakes to Monitor Rock where we had a climb of the 'Trooper Traverse' planned. At 5 pitches in length and with a crux difficulty rating of 5.8 it was...
We met in Aspen in 2000 and have been happily stuck in the rockies ever since, getting out in the mountains every day we can, in every season and by all means possible. Read More
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