Backpacking the Four Pass Loop in Aspen, Colorado

Permits, Itinerary, and FOMO-Inducing Photos

To start: an apology for being absent for the past month! These last few weeks have been full, I've barely been home, and writing has been very much on the back burner. As a peace offering, I've decided to tell you all about my most recent, very fun, very scenic adventure: the Four Pass Loop.

This trail has been on my to-do list since I moved to Colorado. People kept talking about how spectacular it was, and I was genuinely worried it was overhyped. Let me assure you: it's not. What it is, though, is challenging to get to. What with hard-to-obtain permits, overnight parking fees, and specific gear requirements, this hike can be difficult to plan for.

Trail Information at a Glance

Location: Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, Colorado

Distance: Sources say between 26 and 28 miles

Elevation Gain: Sources say between roughly 8,000 and roughly 11,000 ft of gain

Difficulty (according to AllTrails): Hard

Highest Elevation: 12,500 ft

Lowest Elevation: 9,500 ft

Recommended Time: July-September

Dog Friendly: Yes

Permit Information

Permits for the Four Pass Loop release three times a year on recreation.gov for a fee of $10.00 USD per person per night + a $6.00 USD reservation fee. While the reservation fee is nonrefundable, permits can be cancelled at any time -- which, incidentally, is how my friend and I were able to get the permits we got.

Permit Release Date	Permit Dates
February 15 at 8:00AM Mountain Time	April 1 - July 31
June 15 at 8:00AM Mountain Time	August 1 - November 30
October 15 at 8:00AM Mountain Time	December 1 - March 31

Most permits are for 1-4 people, but some are for 5-10. As with all kinds of trips, it is harder and more selective to bring larger groups. Given the popularity of this trail, permits are extremely competitive to come by. Check frequently for cancellations, or look into services that check for cancelled permits; for example, WildPermits is a free service that refreshes the rec.gov database every minute to scan for cancelled permits, which is pretty handy.

While you can determine before booking how many days you want to be out on the trail, your permit will dictate what campsites you stay in. Campsites are limited, and given the popularity of this trail, it is very important to camp in designated spots to reduce vegetation degradation.

Overnight parking permits are also required. Parking and shuttle information is available here. We opted to shuttle from the Aspen Highlands ski garage. For us to park for 2 full days and some change at the garage, it cost $100, and the shuttle was $16 per person.

Note: the permit holder MUST be present when asked for permits! Permits are non-transferrable, so if the permit holder is no longer able to participate, but other members of the party are, they must forfeit their permit and have another group member obtain it. If the permit holder is not present, the permit is automatically invalidated.

Our Itinerary

While this trail is doable in one day (the quantity of trail runners I saw was high), our permit was for 3 days and 2 nights. In my opinion, if you're going to be backpacking this number of days, this was the perfect itinerary.

Day 1:

Distance: ~8 miles

Passes: West Maroon Pass

Campsite: East Fork Zone

Day 2:

Distance: ~12 miles

Passes: Frigid Air Pass & Trail Rider Pass

Campsite: Snowmass Lake Zone

Day 3:

Distance: ~9 miles

Passes: Buckskin Pass

Campsite: n/a

Things to Consider

The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is unique to the Elk Range in that they have food storage requirements. For the last 10 years, hard-sided food canisters have been required in that wilderness area. While Ursacks and other IGBC-approved food storage vessels are now allowed, hard-sided canisters are the most effective way to prevent food conditioning among wildlife. In fact, after the White River National Forest implemented a hard-sided food storage regulation in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness area upon the euthanization of several food-conditioned bears in the area, conflicts between humans and bears decreased by 98% within the first 5 years. I used BearVault's new adjustable bear canister on this trip, and I loved being able to compress the canister further as I went through my food supply.

Our dates were July 13th - July 15th. The best part of this time frame: the wildflowers were POPPING. When enjoying wildflowers, please be mindful to not trample or pick them. Staying on trail can help keep vegetation beautiful for everyone to enjoy. On the note of wildflowers: one of my favorite apps is Colorado Wildflower Search (I'd imagine every state has a similar app), and I love using it to identify the beautiful wildflowers I come across on my hikes. In Colorado, my favorite flowers are blue columbines, Indian paintbrushes, silvery lupines, and kings crowns.

Even though this was a record low snow year, and most of the water sources on trail are dependent on snow melt, water was plentiful. Water filtration is of the utmost importance in the backcountry. A common misconception is that moving water or snow runoff does not need to be filtered, but the truth is, animal feces and decomposing matter can still contaminate these kinds of water sources. I always bring a water filter, but you could also bring purification tablets if that made you more comfortable.

Bathrooming in the backcountry can be a learning experience. Unless you plan to pack it out in a WAG BAG, learn how to dig a proper cat hole to bury your waste. I use this shovel, which also stores dehydrated wet wipes and mycelium tablets for easier decomposition. Dig a 6-8" hole at least 200 feet away from the trail and water, then bury and mix. I always stick whatever twig I used to do the mixing out of the dirt so it's evident that someone has already been there. Even if it says it's biodegradable, always pack out your toilet paper or wet wipes in a securely-locked bag.

No matter how in shape you are, altitude can negatively impact your experience. If you're not coming from altitude, be sure to take a couple days to acclimate. The only way to fix negative altitude symptoms is to reduce your elevation, and dealing with altitude sickness in this environment would be a real bummer, especially if that meant cutting your trip short.

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