We had hiked for about a mile and a half before the rain hit, and when it rains it pours. Unfortunately, we were above the tree line, feeling utterly exposed. We even saw a few strokes of lightening, but there was no turning back. We couldn’t possibly catch up to Riley with the head start … Continue reading Four Pass Loop Day 3 (Afternoon)

I awoke early the next morning. The sun was still hidden from my view by the peak to the east, but the shadow of the mountain was slowly slipping down the hillside to the west. When I climbed out of the tent, the other two were still asleep, so I quietly worked to get the … Continue reading Four Pass Loop Day 3 (Morning)

We arrived in the town of Aspen around 7:00 AM. At this point, we were like dogs who actually caught up to the postman, we didn’t know what to do now. So, we parked the car and started walking into shops to ask people where the trailhead was. After a few very vague descriptions, one … Continue reading Four Pass Loop Day 2

After a few weeks of persuading parents, saving up money from summer jobs , and finding the cheapest backpacking gear possible, the time came to hit the road. Ignorantly unprepared, the three of set out from Des Moines in my 2000 Subaru Outback. I might add that this behemoth boasts over 250,000 miles, but we believed in … Continue reading Four Pass Loop Day 1