It’s one of those things that you really have to do in order to be considered a local, in order to be able to say, “yeah, I’ve hiked Aspen before.”
But unless you’re purely out for the fitness, once is enough I think.
After a little over 3,000 vertical feet ad right at an hour and 45 minutes, Nali and I reach the top! We’re pictured here at Sundeck, where undoubtedly less tired people relaxed all around us with glasses of wine or cups of water. At the top of Aspen Mountain, which you can ride the gondola up to for free if you had a season ski pass or about $24 if you didn’t, you can play frisbee golf, hula hoop, kids do kids rope courses, somewhere there’s some sort of giant swing … it’s a veritable playground at the top of the mountain.
But let’s begin at the beginning, that is, at the bottom, where Nali and I walked straight up from the gondola, straight up Ajax, aka Aspen Mountain. Staying to the right of the gondola, you pretty much walk straight up a really, really steep road for about an hour. I naturally walked on my toes up the steep stuff, but tried to go heel-toe to alleviate some of the achilles pressure.
Wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes, with their minimal soles, was an interesting choice–I’m glad I wore them, but the trail was much rockier than I remembered. All was good until I accidentally walked in some mud, making the Vibrams wet, causing a blister to rub on the bottom of my foot.
Aspen Mountain from the Gondola
At Ajax Express lift, the trail sort of dissipates and you’re left to your own devices on getting to the top. I alternated between going up under Ajax Express and the main gondola, indecisively deciding that each path was better when I was on the other–the grass is, literally, always greener. When we were almost to the top, I realized I had lost Nali’s leash somewhere along the way.
Being resourceful, I attached the end of the ski pole I had found to her collar and walked her on a ski pole. I wish I had a picture. No one even blinked, like it’s normal to be walking a dog by a ski pole. Nali, being skittish, naturally freaked out. The guys up at Sundeck found me a rope and tied her a leash, and we rode the gondola down.
Nali stares out over the terrain we just climbed
She’s not afraid of the gondola as much anymore! YAY!
There are people who hike this once a week, and I think they must be doing it for fitness, to get in shape. There are so many amazing hiking trails with stunning vistas and lakes and ponds that Aspen doesn’t seem like the best hike … then again, reaching the top IS a pretty freakin’ awesome feeling of accomplishment, and there’s plenty to do there …
Anyway, we came home and laid by the pool the rest of the afternoon. All in all, a wonderful Aspen Saturday.
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