What did he do at night? Was/is it wise at all to move around at night even on a well formed and marked trail? Did he have water purifcation? Any items for defense against wildlife?
I just returned from a backpacking trip in that same area and it was awesome! In defense of my statement I have never been in the area before and it was a great success.
I hiked much more than 25 miles but I planned accordingly. Sounds like the hiker's biggest mistake was the lack of research and judgment of the area being explored. With proper research, the "biting off more than he can chew" distance in a day would have become a planned overnight or two.
As for night hiking, it can be done but I don't like it. I feel that it is quite unsafe, especially if you try to hurry. Even with a nice headlamp, each step must be taken with caution and care as the rocks and nearby terrain become two-dimensional. Many species of wildlife are nocturnal and can appear out of nowhere at night. If you come to a river..uhh..better find a good place to sleep because crossing in the dark can be deadly.
Mike, Sounds like you're the real deal. 25 miles plus in Colorado is always a significant undertaking. I moved out from the Midwest, and to see beautiful country, you had to put together a long trip. My buddies and i would shoot for 25 to 40. Since moving here, I've really cut back on the miles because there is so much to enjoy.
So, where did you go in that area outside Aspen?
Regarding night hiking, I personally love it - well, when there is a full moon
A buddy and I had to do a 10 mile night hike out of Pine Creek Valley back in the Collegiates to let Search & Rescue know that our party had found a lost hiker and that her family might still be lost. I just remember being glad we had a GPS on us to check every once in a while. Even with a great trail, it's so simple to hit a little side trail and get lost.
A little off topic, but my wife and I enjoyed our first moonlight snowshoe hike to Silver Dollar Lake a little over a year ago. Near full moon, decent amount of snow, very beautiful. Didn't need headlamps much, but a couple graceful trips in the two-dimensional light may have been avoided with more careful snowshoe placement.
Hi Aaron,
I hiked the "Four Pass Loop" in Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness. I actually made five passes because I added Willow Pass and hiked to Willow Lake. I started at Maroon Lake and loop the passes clockwise to Crater Lake. The pass names are West Maroon, Fridged Air, Buckskin, Trail Rider, and Willow. I even made a special trip to Little Gem Lake. After that loop I hiked to Conundrum hot springs below "Castlelabra Peak" and Triangle Pass. This backpack trip was most wonderful and inspiring to me.
To add on night hiking, I do enjoy full moon night hikes. It's when I have had a long day and hiking after dark quite difficult. Sometimes I'll make a 25 to 30 mile push and set tent at night. For me this makes an exciting challenge and the hike more memorable. The GPS is fun but I find it to be less accurate at night, especially in the woods.
New here, with Park County SAR. It seems that the person probably did not turn on the GPS , let it have time to acquire the satellites and then mark a waypoint before starting on the hike. If he had he could have returned to his start point much easier once realizing he was off route. We try to teach people to turn there GPS on and place on the dash of their car while in route to the trail head so it has plenty of time to acquire the satellites, then mark a waypoint as soon as you arrive. I usually do this then turn the GPS off to save the batteries and use a map and compass to navigate.
I do have to admit that other than SAR missions I rarely leave an itinerary of the trip, most of the time I do not even know my destination till I get there (I like to wander and therefor see more)
