Hiking

A hiker in awe-struck contemplation at the top of the Ute Trail
In the 1879, the U.S. Army chased the native Ute Indians away from their ancient hunting grounds in the Roaring Fork and Crystal River Valleys to make way for settlement and mining. However, before exiting Colorado for the rugged deserts of Utah, the Ute are rumored to have placed a curse on the Western Slope, mystically bewitching the land while handing it over to the white man and decrying the region would never make him truly happy. This old tidbit of Wild West folklore is occasionally applied to ski bums who take a semester off from college or med school for a winter with the intentions of going back but end up staying in the Roaring Fork Valley for 50 years trying to slap together a career as a bartender, barista, or lift operator. I’ve even heard the term referenced to overzealous developers and real estate agents pimping magnificent multimillion-dollar estates on once-sacred land who abandon their principles in the covetous process of building, buying, land acquisition, and ego conquest.

The Roaring Fork Valley, by anyone’s estimation, is a scenic wonder, with towering peaks, verdant forests and bucolic meadows. But as anyone who has ever visited the Maroon Bells can tell you, the side valleys in this area can be even more spectacular.

Those of you who’ve hiked the Tabor Creek Trail and brought a map along may have noticed that there is supposedly a lake in the Tabor Creek valley. You also may have noticed that the trail goes nowhere near any lakes as it meanders up to the pass at the head of the valley. If this has left you scratching your head in bewilderment, you’re not alone.

One of the problems with many of the hikes in the Aspen area is that accessing the trailheads can be a bit of a chore. Anyone who has ever tried to reach the Capitol Lake or Grizzly Creek trailheads in a two-wheel-drive vehicle can tell you how difficult it can be.