A couple weeks ago, my friends and I set out to hike from Crested Butte to Aspen and back in a day. The total distance of the hike is about 20.4 miles and 5,600 ft gain. I backpacked this trail a few years ago starting in Aspen and camping on the Crested Butte side before hiking back to Aspen the next day. After that trip, I have always wanted to try the trail as a day hike and if you’re in for a longer day, it’s worth it!
Preparing for the Hike
To prep for this hike, I made sure I had all of my favorite trail snacks. Having good snacks is one of my favorite parts of long day hikes. Food truly tastes better on the trail. It probably has to do with the beautiful views and working your butt off all day. I packed overnight oatmeal (I make a mean overnight oats & add lots of protein), a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (my favorite sandwich on the trail, always toast the bread!), chips (specifically Cheetos), 3 water bottles (1 liter each), 1 hydration packet, Heavenly Hunks oatmeal bites, applesauce packets, beef jerky, dried fruit strips, pistachios, a cold brew coffee and a granola bar. There was plenty of water along the trail this year so I could have done without so much water as I also had my water filter. I brought everything I typically carry in my pack for day hikes and carried some extra mole skin in case I got any blisters. Lastly, I brought my hiking poles. The last time I used hiking poles was when I backpacked this route so I decided to bring them along again and they helped. I have been hiking and running long distances all summer so some training and level of conditioning should be done before heading out on a journey of this distance.
Staying in Crested Butte
After prepping my snacks/meals, I drove to Crested Butte on Friday and stayed at my favorite accommodations, the Old Town Inn. If you are looking to book a stay there, I recommend calling them direct for the best rates. I had dinner at Thai Chili on main street and then got my backpack ready so I could wake up and head out early in the morning. I checked the weather to make sure there were not going to be afternoon storms and luckily the weatherman said it was going to be a beautiful and sunny day! It was supposed to be a chilly morning and warm in the afternoon so I packed two layers and my rain jacket/windbreaker. We left for the trailhead at 4:45am and it was about an hour drive. The drive to the trailhead from Crested Butte is a bit rocky but doable in vehicles with slightly higher clearances. We started the hike around 6am before the sun came up so we were able to watch sunrise as we were heading up the trail.
Hitting the Trail
The trail starts in the forest but you soon leave tree coverage as you head up to West Maroon Pass. From the parking lot up to the top of the pass is about 4 miles and 2,300 ft gain. You then hike the next 6 miles down to Aspen and will descend about 3,200 ft. There was a lingering thought in the back of my mind reminding me I had to climb back up the distance I was descending.
We kept a steady pace and stopped to eat breakfast just before the first ascent over the pass when heading to the Aspen side. I was feeling great and we got to the top of the pass (the first time) while it was still early. We enjoyed the views of Aspen on one side and Crested Butte on the other before starting our descent into Aspen. The Aspen side of the trail is quite rocky and has more shrubs along the trail making it a bit difficult to use hiking poles. The entirety of this trail is beautiful and there are breathtaking views the whole way. When we arrived at Crater Lake on the Aspen side, we stopped for lunch and enjoyed the views of Maroon Bells. We decided not to continue the last mile or so to Maroon Lake (which is technically the end of the trail) as the crowds of people on that stretch make the trail slow and go. We could also enjoy Maroon Bells from Crater Lake which is what we came for!
After we rested, took pictures and ate lunch, we started making our way back to Crested Butte. I stopped and took a dip in the river as it was a warm day and we steadily made the climb back over West Maroon Pass. The last half mile of the ascent is the hardest and steepest and after hiking all day your legs may be fatigued. I was very happy to get to the top of West Maroon Pass for the second time that day and was excited to know I only had about four more miles to go. Those last four miles were the toughest as my right achilles was bothering me. We kept a steady pace and made it back to the car with huge smiles on our faces, excited to have accomplished this beast of a day hike. In total we hiked a little over 18 miles with 5,000 ft elevation gain (and decline) and the journey took us 8 hours and 41 minutes.
Dinner in Crested Butte
The drive back to Crested Butte from the trail head was stunning! We did not get to enjoy the views when we drove there in the dark that morning. We showered and walked to Main Street for a delicious pizza dinner at The Secret Stash (yum!). We then walked over to The Eldo Brewpub to sit on the deck, have a beer and reminisce on the most beautiful day.
Heading Home
The next day we went to the Crested Butte Farmers Market after grabbing coffee from Camp 4 Coffee. After buying yummy veggies for the week I headed back to Arvada. The drive over Cottonwood Pass is one of my favorite drives and it was another beautiful day. Weekends like this fill my heart with so much joy and I am constantly in awe of the incredibly beautiful earth we have the privilege of living on. Whether you’re backpacking this route or day hiking it, it is a trip you will always remember!
Until the next tale… Happy trails.
-Hannah
Tales of My Trails 