Published On Aug 1, 2015
I hiked the iconic Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells / Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, Colorado in mid-July 2015. A co-worker of mine, Bob, and I did the loop in four days as a much-needed quick weekend getaway from work.
Prior to tackling the Loop I did quite a bit of internet research, and from all the reviews and reports I read my expectations for alpine adventure and awesome scenery were high. The Four Pass Loop lived up to all the hype - as you'll see, it is an incredibly beautiful trail.
This is also a very popular trail, and we did it during what was likely the busiest possible time of the year - a weekend in mid-July. As a result there were a lot of people! If you're looking for some of the most amazing scenery our planet has to offer, this is the right trail - if you're looking for seclusion and isolation, this isn't the place. Having now hiked Glacier National Park and the Four Pass Loop, I think the Four Pass Loop feels like what Glacier would be without the strict backcountry permit process - a bit 'overwhelmed' by its own popularity.
The Four Pass Loop has been something I have wanted to do for many years, really a 'bucket list' adventure for me, and it didn't disappoint.
Like my other backpacking videos, this is fairly long (one hour) with a photo compilation at the end. If you just want a quick overview of the trip skip to the photos at the end. For best quality select the '1080p' setting by clicking on the 'Settings' icon once the video starts playing.