Backpacking Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop clockwise from Crested Butte, Colorado
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2021
- Backpacking Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop clockwise from Crested Butte, Colorado
So Tina and I have a history attempting to backpack the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop trail in Colorado. Please keep in mind that we are residents of Arizona, so high altitude multi day backpacking trips are out of the ordinary for us.
On our first attempt, we overpacked and didn't even make the first pass.
On our second attempt, I ended up not being able to go due to an injury. Tina decided to try it solo. Long story short, she ended up getting altitude sickness and struggled to make it out, leaving at Aspen after only making three of the four passes. Here's the link to that video;
• My Wife's First Solo B...
If you like this video, I highly recommend you check out her attempt since they tie together and fill in some blanks when you watch them together. Not to mention it shows how tough she can really be since this video doesn't go into detail on how badly she was suffering.
But anyway, about our latest trip included in this video. We went in at Crested Butte and immediately noticed that something was wrong. Tina had extreme fatigue and was struggling from the start. Concerned about altitude sickness because of her last attempt at Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop, she had started taking Daimox the day before we left. Diamox is a medication that helps with altitude sickness. For some people, Diamox also has side effects, ironically, very similar to the affects of altitude sickness.
Tina ended up deciding to abandon this attempt before the first pass. What's not shown in the video is that she went back to the hotel and ended up pretty ill for that night and all of the next day. We still aren't sure if it was altitude sickness, side effects of Diamox, or something else. Whatever it was, it laid her out for a while.
I was extremely bummed out that she couldn't go with me, but I decided to go on and (hopefully) finish the trail. We reorganized gear and she headed back to the car, while I headed up to Frigid Air Pass. I ended up in Fravert Basin at the base of where the trail starts climbing up to the dreaded Trail Rider Pass.
On day 2, I was more determined than ever to finish the trail and headed up Trail Rider Pass. It was brutal, and beautiful. Which describes the entire trail, now that I think about it. I took my time and enjoyed the hike and before I knew it, I was at Snowmass Lake. And it was only around 1PM. So I decided to go for a second pass. The next pass is Buckskin Pass, and it's just as brutal as the rest of them. I actually had read that the trail from Crater Lake (the Aspen side) up to Buckskin Pass was a thigh burner, which is actually why I decided to go clockwise in the first place. And it was. Buckskin Pass to Crater Lake is miles and miles of unrelenting downward (or upward, depending on what direction you are going) trail. It's also one of the most beautiful sections of the trail, in my opinion, with stunning views of Maroon Peak.
Around 8PM, I was at Crater Lake, only to discover all of the campsites were full. So I had to hike another 2 or so miles to finally find a spot.
Day 3 it was up to West Maroon Pass. The trail from Crater Lake to West Maroon Pass was my least favorite section in regard to views....but it's all so beautiful that's not an insult. The trail is also another unrelenting upward slope, although I thought West Maroon Pass was the easiest of the four.
And that was it. Tina surprised me on the trail with cold drinks and snacks about a mile from the parking lot. She's awesome.
And that's it. Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop is finally in the books as complete. For me anyway. Would I do it again? Absolutely. But I may have to wait a bit to forget how hard it was before I try.
Music by Epidemic Sound
Say that You Won't Go - Loving Caliber
I will Remember - Gavin Luke
Through the Hourglass - nothanks
Ten Billion Years - Torii Wolf
Brittle Bones - Sunfish Grove
Run Boy - Smartface
In & Out of Love - Martin Hall
Cain - Lo Mimieux
About You - Pearce Roswell
Into Pieces - Amus Noah
Mountain Air - Cody Francis
Love is No Game - Staffan Carlen
Bring My Friends - Tigerblood Jewel
Sicko - Jake & Jake
If you click on the links below - and especially if you buy from these links - I'll get compensation. So that would be cool. No, I'm not sponsored by them, but I love the products.
Filmed on:
GoPro Hero 9 Black:
amzn.to/2JDd7YZ
Canon EOS R:
amzn.to/2JsCGLB
Weebil S gimbal for your DSLR:
amzn.to/2Vdpxc3
Altitude sickness is no joke. I grew up in Colorado and went hiking very often with my family. I should be used to it but I'm not, and I don't think anyone really can be. I would leave Colorado for two weeks to see family, come back, and really feel the hit again. Tina did something important and it was recognizing how far her endurance can go, then making the right decision to turn back. I know a lot of people that forced themselves to go further, and completely crash. Passing out. Harming themselves in the process.
Video was amazing and I hate that I'm watching it so late :D thank you!
If you go back further, there's a video where she got altitude sickness doing it solo. Made 3 of 4 passes and bailed, which was the right thing to do. It's so strange because it seems to hit her randomly. We've hiked up there plenty of times with no issues....But when it happens, it's time to get downhill fast.
The hike, the production, the tale; Splendid.
Julio and Frankie from tucson!! Nicely done brother! 👍🏽
Good meeting you guys! Assuming you wrapped it up as well. Amazing hike, huh?
It was a nice one. I can’t believe you did trail rider pass plus buckskin pass 👀👀👀 crazy 😜 😵💫😥
These are awesome. I love this content! The music oh man I freaking love LOVE the music.
Thank you! There should be names of the songs and artists in the description. I do that now. Not sure if I did back when I made this video though.
What gorgeous scenery! You keep making videos, and I keep adding places to visit to my bucket list, Jerry. I hate Tina wasn't feeling so hot.
Hopefully one of these days she can get the entire loop. It is beautiful beyond words.
Great video..beautifully filmed and edited. Sorry Tina couldn't finish it. Congratulations on making it this time - beautiful but grueling. Thanks for taking us all along.
It's watching vids like this that make me grateful I live in the UK (one of the few things!),so I'm not tempted, massive chuck up to the pair of you, now one of my fav channels.
Your and Tina's Maroon Bells saga is really rather moving, totally aside from all the natural wonder and backpacker adventuring. This video and the other one with her alone are really epic.
Thanks! It was three years in the making and kinda became an obsession. She still wants to go back and do it, but since she got altitude sickness twice, she's hesitant. We'll see. I really want her to have the satisfaction of completing it.
Absolutely beautiful hike. Tina is a solid trooper. Heading back to San Diego Tue per I just want to relax and hear the ocean again! Timmy C Arizona
You’re videos are fantastic, great shots, great commentary, great post production
Beautiful area and fantastic video. I was there 4 years ago, so watching your video brought back some fantastic memories. Thank you!!!
Looks gorgeous man! Keep it up! You guys amaze me.
Enjoy your videos immensely. You and Tina are fun to watch. Thank you.
Loved this video SO MUCH! Tina! You got balls! I have always wanted to do something like that but was afraid to go by myself! You did an awesome job and I really appreciated when you knew when you'd had enough! I love all the vids with you in them, u crack me up! Thanks for the giggles!
I love Colorado!! I haven’t got a chance to do that part yet. Absolutely incredible out there. Colorado has some of the best scenery I’ve ever seen. Great video 👍🏻👍🏻
Beautifully done. A lovely video, especially your meet up at the end.
Great job. Loving the content
This has turned into my favorite channel on TH-cam love the videos
Love the photography and amazing, beautiful scenery! Thank you for sharing the maps and pointing directly at where the passes are (West Maroon Pass). Some of us will never be able to even try to hike these passes so your sharing is greatly appreciated!
Great edit Jerry! Man you captured the emotion of the whole experience. And congrats on kicking that trail's a**! Im glad to see Tina in good spirits as you guys met back up. btw, great job on the masking shots for your titles...thats stuff is tedious but looks amazing. You are putting some great work in and it shows!
Man, I think I spent 2 hours masking those four shots.....Glad someone noticed besides me.
Your best video yet. All the feelings I've felt on my backpacking trips... tons of agony mixed with tons of beauty...
Thanks! That was exactly what I was going for. Beautiful scenery, amazing experience....and absolutely brutal a lot of the time.
Great vlog of your trek, thanks
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
You seem like a "real" dude. Your emotions and struggles are authentic. Its so hard some times but being driven makes life worth living!
Thanks. I try to keep it as real as possible. It's hard to balance the complaining during The Suck with the good parts and not come off like I'm whining. Been accused of complaining too much way too often, but the truth is sometimes it's hard out there. But you do it anyway because that's somehow still part of the fun.
Gotta say this one and Tina's solo...your best vids dude!! Real life storytelling here for sure!!
Thanks! She's still bummed that she hasn't made the loop. Beatiful but tough, for sure.
Totally Awesome episode...Dude...
Beautiful video sharing the true experiences of high altitude hiking. Altitude sickness is a very real thing. Experienced it at Yosemite once. Feeling Tina's pain for having to turn back but also respecting her for making that very important decision. Glad to see you made it happen Jerry!!
It's so strange how it can be absolutely debilitating to one person and the other one can feel nothing. Then, next trip, it can be a complete reversal.
Talked with you at snowmass lake near the water....very glad you finish the loop👍😊 this video is very inspiring...
Thanks for the directions/advice! I was absolutely dead when I got to Snowmass....beautiful hike, but also pretty brutal.
Just found your page and this video has me feeling some type of way. Great story telling, great music choice.
Thanks! Glad you're liking the videos.
Great job! As a Colorodoan thanks for the PSA about pulling over when someone is behind you, goes for paved mountain roads also.
I applaud you, Tina! I love to hike alone during the day; and, I love to hike with my husband, but spending the night alone in my tent scares me. I haven't done it yet. You did an amazing job on the trail!
The year before, she made 3 of the 4 passes solo. Tina is tough. But unfortunately we're learning she is susceptible to altitude sickness....
I've seen your other 2 Maroon videos, it was heartbreaking when Tina had to turn around, happy to see her at the end though. Snowmass Lake looks like a very cool day trip.
We were definitely bummed. But she did get to see the best three passes of the four. And Snowmass was absolutely gorgeous. The hike up Buckskin from Aspen would be brutal though. But worth it. That may be our itinerary in the future.
Great video and storytelling!
Congratulations!
Certain scenes gave me the chills! I’m from Phoenix as well and can’t wait to make my way to that area!
Colorado is amazing and this is an incredible trail. We're actually talking about trying it again someday. Just need Tina to tackle that altitude sickness....
It looks beautiful. I'm going to attempt Four Pass Loop next year with my wife. We're planning a couple days near trailhead to acclimate, then make it 4-5 days to hopefully not have too many issues with altitude (not sure how I'll perform with altitude as this will be my highest so far). Hopefully we can both do it.
Hopefully you won't have any issues. Tina seems more prone to altitude sickness than I am, but I have had it affect me before. It's an amazing trail. Some people run the entire thing in a day!
Just saw this one and the rest of the Maroon bells series tonight. I just wanted to say kudos to Tina for killing it and making it as far as she did on her solo effort. Not only is it less fun to go solo, but altitude sickness to boot… was proud of her. Also proud of Jerry for pushing through at the end of his solo hike. I’m spite of it all, now I want to go do this loop!
Tina did so great. Glad you got to see the whole progression, because it was definitely a white whale for us. I'm happy I completed it and that absolutely put it into perspective how tough she was to do what she did, especially with altitude sickness like you said. I can't really recommend the loop enough. As much as I complained while I was hiking it, I wouldn't change having done it for the world.
2nd time watching, thanks again for sharing
Your music choices always seem to perfectly match the mood.
Thanks! been working on that. It's come a long way from when I'd slap some dubstep on the video and call it good, for sure.
Love your style ! Sorry she had to step off but glad you endured. I did it in four days and marathon trainers passed by did the whole thing in few hours ! Wow some people are just inhuman. Thanks for vids will check the others.
Thanks! This was Tina's third attempt. My second. She tried it solo the year before, but each time altitude sickness did her in. Incredible hike. I met one guy who did the entire thing in a day. He made it, but he wasn't looking too lively right before Buckskin (his last pass of the day.) Still, way more than I could ever manage.
Oh! This is the one she did solo last year. Let's see if you fare better!
I love it
I paused at 11 minute mark and have some comments. I just spend six weeks in Silverton Colorado and altitude sickness is a very real thing that even after six weeks I couldn’t overcome fully. I live in Florida at sea level so prior to going to Colorado I spend six weeks in Moab which is roughly about 3000 feet in elevation. When I got to Colorado I spent a lot of time offroading. My cat passed away from altitude related sickness while I was there and I am myself having to visit multiple peaks every single day at 13,000 feet in elevation and staying in my camp at 9300 feet in elevation always felt out of breath constantly winded lightheaded at times and more. This is a very serious issue that people that live in the mountains don’t even have to think about. I never got to hike which in retrospect is a blessing because I just couldn’t. I can see somebody visit in Colorado for a quick hike unless they already live in the mountains of Colorado. You walk 20 feet up and elevation and lose your breath. Yes somebody who has hiked hundreds of miles over the last 15 years this was a total surprise to me because I spent a lot of time hiking in Appalachian mountains but elevation is low and you could hike there all you want, Colorado is serious business
Didn't realize it could kill animals. Sorry to hear about your cat. It's definitely a serious thing that I never really thought about for stuff that isn't Mt Everest. Last year Tina tried this solo and got really sick...come to find out it was altitude sickness. Neither of us realized at the time.
We did this hike in 8th grade as part of our outdoor education program. Aspen Community School.
Jerry, your production quality keeps going up. Great work. Videos without Tina flipping off the camera (literally and figuratively) are definitely missing something. You should take Tina to do Tour du Mont Blanc next summer. It's a lot like Maroon Bells but scenery dialed up another couple notches (if you can believe it) and French, Swiss, and Italian home cooking waiting for you at the rifugio at the end of each day. The Europeans don't have much concept of switchbacks so it's brutal on the legs but you're carrying less pack weight, so there's that.
Thanks, man! I'll have to add that one to the list. (Looks amazing!) Not sure high altitude, multi day hikes are ever going to be Tina's thing due to the altitude sickness, but personally, I love it.
@@JerryArizona She's in luck. TMB trail elevation tops out around 7500-8000. Not nearly as high as Snowmass Wilderness. No altitude sickness issues on TMB. The elevation gain and loss, however, will give you ample content for your videos. 😂
Tough hike, good job. Also, a cheap mosquito mask helped me alot in WY.
Had mine on me. But I also had short sleeves and shorts on, so it couldn't help there. They were relentless. On the plus side, they kept me going because I couldn't stop or I'd get eaten alive.
Wish I had what it took to do that hike. Congrats!
Acclimation is the key to success.
Any tips for acclimation periods for flat landers? Tina seems to have issues even with 48 hours+ of acclimation. I seem to be able to drive to the mountains and hike with no acclimation and no issues.
@@JerryArizona be fit already Jerry; good rest before hike and good nutrition, and do a 7,000 foot hike, and then a 9,000 ft. trail and then a 10,000; you get the picture.
Wow!
Not a better word to describe this trail....
Hey, I saw you in the credits for music....who knew
Even when I was younger going from 1000' in Wisconsin to 10,000' in a couple days was undoable. Mamy years later... If I stay a few days at 9200 then 11000 is no problem.
Altitude sickness is so strange. I've had it at a much lower elevation, but it hasn't bothered me up there. Tina has gotten it twice on this loop but had no problems at similar altitudes in the area. It just happens when it happens, I guess.
YAY!!! All four!! I've been watching y'all long enough to know if Tina quits, she's not feeling well at all. Quitting is always a tough call, but it's better to quit at the beginning of the trail then need a rescue on a pass! Now the real question, is there another attempt in the future so y'all can claim you did it together, or is enough, enough?
I think after this one, Tina's done with multi-day, high altitude hikes. Me? Maybe not so much. I like the views.
The trilogy is complete
Finally!
Amazing work as always! Just keeps getting better.
When did you go? We were there on Wednesday!
Thanks! I hiked it 6/11~13. Excellent conditions aside from the bugs.
👍👍
I love your videos. The 4 pass loop is beautiful.
Just a question, on your multi-day do you care out your trash and body waste?
Always carry out trash. #2 also if it's the rules (which is always fun.) Don't worry about #1.
Love this loop! Thx for sharing. Great video and shots. What lens do u find works best for these type trips? Thx.
This hike was incredible. Some of the most amazing views I've experienced. I shot this on GoPro (9, I think) and a Canon EOSR with a 35mm f1.8 for macro shots.
@@JerryArizona awesome thanks
Even though I live at 5,000 feet, and am in pretty good shape, I’ve never reached the top. Someday I will. The first 3 miles or so are a good test.
One step at a time. Or 20. I called it my 20-30-40-0 scale. When it was flat, I didn't count; I just walked. When it went slightly up, I'd take 40 steps and take a break. A little steeper, 30. Really steep, 20. And the next thing you know, you're at the top.
@@JerryArizona I am very competitive, and just pissed we didn’t make it to the top, starting where you did. We camped a mile from the trailhead last Sunday night, and the elevation really got us. Rough night.
I have washed my hair in a gusher coming out of a ice wall. Unexplainable cold water In Colorado mountains
Hey Jerry, just curious if you can tell me how the road is to the trailhead at West Maroon Trailhead? Can this be done with a 4WD SUV like an Explorer?
I think any 2WD sedan could make it as long as it's not wet or covered in snow. An Explorer would have no issues. I would recommend maybe joining the Four Pass Loop group on FB. They have current conditions. I saw there was a wash out a week or so after we went, but it didn't look bad.
Don't discount the smoke either... honestly, I have a hard time hiking, or even going to the grocery store when there is so much smoke due to the wildfires.
Sad part was that all that smoke was my home state of AZ on fire.....
Im curious. How heavy was your pack? And were the mosquitos bad every where? I was in that area for 5 days in june. Years ago and only accounted mosquitos once.
Great video!
Question, how many miles total was the loop hiking out from crested butte? And how's parking work when hiking out from there instead of taking the shuttle from aspen? Thanks in advance!
I show about 29-30 miles and 8,000+ feet elevation fan and loss. It’s just park and go with no permits…at least for now. They keep saying they’re going to implement permits but I don’t think they have yet. Decent sized lot with plenty of open spots when I went. And the road isn’t bad although I think there may have been a wash out recently. Probably already fixed. There’s a FB group for it that gives current conditions. Might join that for up to date info
Paradise Mt rainier
I see you're an Altra hiker..how do you like them? Compared to traditional Keen or Oboz?
Never tried Oboz (although Tina likes hers). I was a huge Keen fan until I tried the Altra's. I prefer the Altra's for comfort (plus no break in time or blisters) over every other shoe I've owned.....But after not even 100 miles, they're already falling apart. Not acceptable for a $170 shoe. Luckily, I can probably exchange them at REI, but at this pace, I'll go through 3~4 pairs a year whereas my Keen's lasted multiple years.
I'll need to check those out. The Altra's have a really thin sole and it can get painful with longer hikes imo.
What is this song about every storm passes on? And its title is?
when in July did your do this hike?
Can't remember exactly, but sometime in the week before this video was released. So sometime around 7/19ish.
Did you need a permit for the lot you parked in?
We did not for this trip, but I think they may have implemented a permit system since. Definitely do your homework before going to make sure.
Actually i would love to know this singer and his bands name cause hes awesome
That song is Into Pieces by Amus Noah. I get all my music off Epidemic Sound so I don't have any issues with licenses.
Did Tina get the Jabs? Maybe that's the problem? Hope she's Okay..
She's fine. Took a day to recover in the hotel to get back to normal. I'm really thinking it was the Diamox. But, alternatively, she seems prone to altitude sickness, so multi day, high altitude hikes may not be her thing.
did it rain on you at all.
It didn't, surprisingly.
What time of July did you go?
Beautiful landscape shots and camerawork, would've earned a thumbs up if you hadnt complained at every turn. Better yet, no talking at all.
You must be new here… that’s why we watch Jerry
Ya I always heard four pass loop was easy… guess don’t believe what ya hear
Easy is relative. Some guy passed me that was running the whole thing in a day. Of course, he wasn't that spry when I met him on the way up to Buckskin (his last pass), but still. For us, this was hard.
invest in a mosquito head net.
I had mine with me. Unfortunately, it doesn't help the arms and legs when you're out in the heat and have shorts/short sleeves.
Has Tina had her iron checked? Low iron=low hemoglobin, to carry oxygen to the muscles.
Didn't enjoy the complaining...or see enough of whats so difficult ?..hiking is always at your own pace...I hiked to bottom of the grand canyon and out in one day..left at 9am one hour rest at bottom and up steep side..to top by 7pm...totally unplanned april 1980
It's all relative to the hike, your conditioning and abilities, I suppose. Some people trail run the entire loop in a single day. This was hard for me. The altitude and backpack (packed with gear for two people) didn't help. But I thought there were enough times I talked about how awesome it was to balance out those times when it was rough. Maybe not. I try to show how it really was instead of glamorizing the high points.
Jerry, you never leave your partner. Those Passes can wait. Your desire to conquer the Passes is secondary to Tina’s welfare. 👎👎 Hope Tina was OK.
Tina was fine; she just needed to rest and let the Diamox wear off. Just recently in Phoenix, a couple separated and, tragically, one died from heat exhaustion. So you're absolutely right. The best course of action is to stick together.
Got to be honest - you do a lot of complaining. If you don’t enjoy hiking, don’t do it.
beautiful video but you complain too much other than that all is good just dont complain so much you make something fun seem miserable less complaining so i can keep watching your videos the complaining is a turn off im sorry
Yeah, I agree with you here. I'm working on complaining less. There was a while I thought that filming that showed the 'whole story', good and bad. Turns out, it just comes off as me whining.
I don’t think you complain too much, I think you show the reality of hiking. It’s amazing and a privilege but it can also be awful at the same time. Too many TH-camrs glamorising trails that are really tough, editing them to look like a breeze.
You’re pretty tough guy
I think I could’ve done it at your age
I’m old now so I’ll just enjoy watching
Thank you again
Colorado is “different” huh Jerry??!!! 😂😂😂
Love Colorado. It is definitely not the same as here in the desert, but we get there at least once a year. This loop in particular was absolutely stunning.