Never mind the fire (8% contained) ----Aspen is jam packed. Restaurants are full, town is full, roads are busy and trails are overflowing with .................idiots.
Yesterday I took the dogs up the Ute trail (all the way up to the top of Aspen mountain). The Ute trail is easily accessed from downtown Aspen and is listed as a strenuous trail. Many folks refer to going 'up the Ute' as going to the rock outcropping (that is the Aspen version of a quick run on the lake or around central park in NYC for you city folk). The rock outcropping is about 1k vertical feet gain over a bit less than a mile. The full trail ist over 3k feet of vertical gain over about 3 miles and the top is about 11.2k feet.
What did I see along my way? Lots of people--lots and lots of people. Some of the first people I saw were a family of 5 with kids ranging in age from 3-6 in Crocs, mom in Vans and dad in running shoes. They were coming down having given up after 10 minutes. Crocs are not the right shoes for the Ute---actually IMHO Crocs are never the right shoes on a trail. Next up were the folks tossing rocks off the trail---the trail has a lot of switchbacks so basically they were tossing rocks at people below them. Moving further up the trail I provided support to a guy who had a nasty blister (yes I walk with a pack with some basics for being in the woods----duh). And near the top I gave food, water and encouragement to a guy in flip flops and blue jean shorts who looked like he was having a very bad day. Heading down in the gondola I noticed many families heading to the top with kids in shorts and tee shirts (or sundresses) and nothing else--boy were they going to be surprised when they got outside and discovered it was windy and cool.
Before my quick jaunt up the Ute I read in the paper that Mountain Rescue Aspen was searching for a lost hiker on 4 pass loop (stick to the path on the loop--honestly its a little tuff because much of it is rocky which can make navigation hard). MRA had also shut the Ute the day before to aid a tourist who had broken their ankle (was she wearing Crocs? --the article didn't say). In addition they had to rescue a hiker from North Maroon who had cliffed out. The cliffed out hiker had a partner who left him on the decent because he wasn't moving fast enough. When he didn't get back to base camp by 8pm he called MRA who rescued him the next day. Do you think they are still friends?
Earlier in the week my wife and I hiked electric pass. We got a kinda late start (8:30am). The trail was busy but not jammed. On our return the trail was jammed. Guess why electric pass is called electric pass. The pass is at about 13.5k which means it is a lightening target. This is a hike best done early. On our way down the trail was jammed with uphill hikers going way too late with little water, no additional clothes to layer and often the wrong shoes. Unlike the Ute which heads up a ski mountain, electric pass is in the wilderness, which should command some respect, but didn't seem to. My favorite moment might have been the group who asked me 'how much further?" When they asked me they had hiked maybe 10% of the way up. Thats kinda like my kids asking me how much further to St. Louis when we are leaving Chicago before we get past Cicero ave, and shoes a totally cluelessness as to the trip ahead. Thats maybe understandable in a 4 year old, but not from an adult hiking in the wilderness.
Its great that so many people come to Aspen to recreate. Tourists are the life blood of our town, and its great for city folk to get out in nature. And its great that if you need support mountain rescue will be there for you at no cost to you (maybe the only bargain left in Aspen). But please don't be an idiot---wear the right shoes, bring a layer or two with you, food, water and a bandaid. Don't leave your partner, don't toss rocks and above all respect mother nature. This isn't Disneyland. You can't get off the ride if you don't like it. And leave your ego at home, it just might kill you.
Oh yea--and Aspen is full of two way stop signs at 4 way intersections.
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