ML - Aspen Peak

2014 - Issue 1 - Summer

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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T he magic of this Aspen-Crested Butte mountain meander depends on the 1.9-million-acre White River National Forest, which spills over the Elk Mountain range; 173,000 acres of this forest make up the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area on its northeast slope. It became a federally designated wilder- ness area in 1980 and boasts some of Colorado's most recognizable vistas. The famous 14,000-foot South and North Maroon Peaks are said to be the most photographed views in America, thanks to their easy access on the north edge and the perfectly mirrored image one can frame in a camera at 9,500 feet in calm Maroon Lake. Outside of the wilderness area, yet within the National Forest, are other trails to Crested Butte, which are open to mountain bikes and motorized vehi- cles. There are scores of dirt bikers (motorcycles) that ride Star Pass to the Butte for lunch and come back by dinnertime. Like all the passes between Aspen and CB, on a clear day they are spectacular. But during stormy weather, despite their proximity to civilization, they can be as dangerously wild and remote as any region of the Rocky Mountains. Having tromped between Aspen and Crested Butte—atop the 14teneers on skis, below them on bikes, or in wildflower meadows by foot, the Elk Mountains and Maroon-Snowmass Wilderness are some of the most remark- able jewels in the state. No matter how I travel through, for me the trail is always the destination. However, by foot remains my favorite mode. Perhaps it's because I can soak it in more—more flowers, more marmots, more big-horn sheep. Or perhaps it's because East and West Maroon Trails welcome anyone with a moderate level of fitness and curiosity for the hills—kids, grandparents, even a feisty, breast-cancer-survivor mother with a fake hip who outhikes you. As my mother and I finish our dried-fruit breakfast, she stuffs her pack tight and springs back to her feet. Huck does the same. I sit for a moment enjoying the green amphitheater before us. "Come on," my mother says excitedly. "We need to keep going. You can nap atop the pass. I got to get my butt to the Butte." AP Aspenites have tackled the 11-mile trek over the West Maroon Bells Pass to Crested Butte for years. Yet upon arrival to our beautiful southern neighbor, after refueling at The Secret Stash Pizzeria and The Dogwood Cocktail Cabin, some forgo an overnight stay due to a lack of high-end downtown Butte digs. Enter the Scarp Ridge Lodge. The flagship property by Eleven Experience (whose name embraces This is Spinal Tap's one "louder than 10" reference), this seven- bedroom lodge, originally built in 1885 as a saloon and dance hall for Croatian miners, delivers haute adventure with service that's consistently, and intuitively, one step ahead. Fresh hydrangeas and music fill the lobby, as does a friendly local staff, who escort you to a personalized gear locker. Rooms are finished with heated tile and wood floors, Jack Black amenities, and stealthily pumped oxygen to combat altitude. Yet as much as the lodge itself gives reason to lounge, the Eleven Experience is best defined by the outdoors: private cat-skiing tours to top Colorado terrain, and, come summer, access to private mountain biking, fly-fishing, rafting, and rock climbing. New this summer—though buyouts are still prevalent—single rooms are available. Also brand-new is Eleven's Taylor River Lodge in Crested Butte, slated to open in September. Adventure hunting just got a bit more posh! Scarp Ridge Lodge (from $800 per night, double occupancy, including breakfast); Taylor River Lodge ($850 per person, per night, including accommodations, airport transfer, food and beverages, guided activities, gear, and a photographer); elevenexperience.com ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? THE ELEVEN EXPERIENCE'S SCARP RIDGE LODGE LANDS A FREEWHEELING MOUNTAIN TOWN ON THE GLOBAL LUXE LIST. The Aspen-Crested Butte trek winds through the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area, considered the most photographed views in North America. A reward of the hike: a view of Mount Crested Butte from the rooftop deck of Scarp Ridge Lodge. 56 ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM LIVING THE LIFE 050-056_AP_FOB_LivingTheLife_SUM_FALL_14.indd 56 5/6/14 2:41 PM

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