5 Great Hiking Trails in Aspen

If you have been to Aspen in the summer you have probably heard someone say, "I came for the winters, but I stayed for the summers" and as much as I hate to admit it, it's so true. There are literally hundreds of things to do in the summer, and if I was a billionaire (donations are certainly welcome) I would already have spent half my fortune on gear and toys to do them with. But since I'm not, I have become really good at finding free things to do, and have slowly been building up the gear for everything else.

The most straightforward free activity in Aspen is Hiking. Here are a few great places to do so.

5 Great Hikes in Aspen

• Hunter Creek (Moderate-Easy): I like the Hunter Creek Trail (info/directions here) as it is nice and shaded plus the hike is along a lovely river for most of the time. This hike is also great as it is right in town and will only take about and hour. Also, right now there are beautiful fields of wildflowers at the top! This trail easily loops into another locals favorite:

• Smuggler Mountain: (more info here) A steep but not too long hike right outside town as well which boasts a beautiful view of Aspen from the "Lookout" at the top. Often called the "Milf Mile", "Housewife Hill" or "Spandex Mile", this is also a great place to pick up a rich older lady... Also a great hike for full moons!

• The Grottos (Easy): (Info here) An easy hike right up Independence pass, this hike is a great little day trip and great for checking out interesting rock formations and the ice cave. If its too hot you can always jump into the "Devils Punch Bowl" on your way down (more on punch bowl later).
• Crater Lake: (info here) Clearly, you have to go up and see the Maroon Bells! While your at it, why not go on a hike up to crater lake a moderate hike that will take you to the scenic vista of Crater lake. There are a few other hikes up there, and they are all beautiful!
• Sunnyside to Hunter Creek: For a nice long fully day hike, without leaving town (I must sound so lazy, does anyone else have trouble going past the roundabout when they are in Aspen?) taking Sunnyside Trail (Right up cemetery lane) all the way across to Hunter creek is a great one! It took us about 6 hours so we brought a lot of water and some food, but the views along the way are lovely and the different types of forest you go through are really interesting. More info here.

There are seemingly endless trails to explore in Aspen, what are your favorites?

Hiking From Aspen to Crested Butte

After years of thinking about it and talking about it, I finally did the Aspen to Crested Butte hike. This hike is like a rite of passage, if you are an Aspen local you have to do this hike eventually. But even if you are not a local it is so worth it. I had been told it was fun, and I had been told it was beautiful, but I had no idea it would be as amazing as it was.

What you will need:

• A day-pack with enough food for 5-8 hours of hiking.
• Lots of water 3 liters a person to be safe.
• Good hiking shoes
• A Camera
• Warm Clothing (it gets a little chilly at the top) and a raincoat.
• Money
• Many people bring camping gear to be safe, you never know when you might get stuck and it its a long hike, we did not. We even ran into a man that had a satellite phone, i guess you can never be too safe in the back country...

Maroon Bells at the start of the hike.

We started on the Aspen side and parked over night at the Maroon Bells ($15 for overnight parking) and then headed to the West Maroon Pass. We did this hike August 11th and the wildflowers were spectacular, apparently the peak was the week before (August 4th). To be safe a few members of our group booked seats on a shuttle to get to Crested Butte on the other side of the pass and a few of us decided to wing it and try to hitchhike. The shuttle is $15 a person and takes about 45 mins, it must be booked in advance and fills up quickly.

We left early (7AM) which is generally thought to be a good plan to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. The hike took us about 6 hours (5 on the way back as it was easier) and was relatively strenuous at parts (it is a 12 mile hike). The views were absolutely breathtaking and the wildflowers were getting oo's and ahh's even from the most manly men on our trip! We got lucky and met someone on the trail that we could hitchhike with, so we hopped in with our new friend and were also able to check out the reservoir nearby to the trail head before heading to town. Our friends that took the shuttle arrived just about the same time as we did.

 Upon arrival (after gorging on food and beer) we found accommodations at the Forrest Queen Hotel which was decently priced for a bunch of smelly hikers at $100 a room. Plus it was right downtown, and despite being very tired from the hike, we managed to go to every single bar. But there is also a hostel and numerous other hotels so just do some research.

I highly suggest checking out this hike, it was life changing!

We took the shuttle back as it was the most reliable way to get there early for another $15. The hike back is much easier but just as lovely!

Pictures can not do the wildflowers justice!