Training strategy, gear packing list and takeaways from an epic hike in glorious Colorado, just outside a little place called Aspen, where the beer flows like wine.
Ever busy with work and school, and facing the despair of a finish line void, I penciled in an epic hike on my list of things to do in 2019.
It’s not a Ironman, but it many ways an epic hike packs its own unique version of a big-time endurance adrenaline rush punch: it requires planning, training, will power, fitness, health, humor, mental toughness, cat-like mobility, an dogged thirst for pushing yourself to the limits. And also a strong hunger for being uncomfortable, often awkwardly so.
What epic hiking lacks in the hype and glamour of a triathlon or big race, it more than makes up for in the subtle joys and inspiring landscapes of the great outdoors.
Thus, I searched for “epic hikes” and “awesome treks” and “most triumphant excellent experiences that are legal in the contiguous United States” I found many a list.
And near the top of many of those lists sat the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop in beautiful Colorado.