{"id":9690,"date":"2014-08-19T18:33:18","date_gmt":"2014-08-20T00:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/?p=9690"},"modified":"2014-08-22T19:25:05","modified_gmt":"2014-08-23T01:25:05","slug":"triple-bipass-loop-hasley-frigid-air-west-maroon-15-aug-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/triple-bipass-loop-hasley-frigid-air-west-maroon-15-aug-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Triple Bipass Loop: Hasley, Frigid Air, &#038; West Maroon (15 Aug 2014)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve done all parts of this loop before, but never the whole thing.  With my dad in town, I put this hike high on the radar.  With some of the most stunning mountain views and colorful wildflowers that the Crested Butte has to offer, I was eager to show the &#8220;Triple Bipass Loop&#8221; &#8211; Hasley, Frigid Air, and West Maroon &#8211; to my father.  <\/p>\n<p>We began at the West Maroon trailhead.  After only 1\/2 mile, the trail has an unobvious split.  We took the left fork toward Hasley Pass.  While the wildflowers were waning, especially in the valley, we still found spots where they were brilliant.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6448flowers.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6448flowers.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Triple Bipass Loop wildflowers\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve learned, recently, that these flowers are NOT asters.  They are fleabane.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6452fleabane.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"fleabane on Triple Bipass Loope\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>THESE are asters \ud83d\ude42<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6453asters.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"597\" alt=\"Asters on the Triple Bipass Loop\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--more READ MORE--><\/p>\n<p>Not sure of the name of this plant, but it reminds me of the Green Gentian or Monument plant, except red.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6464plant.jpg\" width=\"651\" height=\"800\" alt=\"wildflower on Triple Bipass Loop\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Many of the sunflowers were past their prime.  But, occasionally we came across one in its perfection.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9431sunflower.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Sunflower on Triple Bipass Loop\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A rainbow of colors.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9432rainbow.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"714\" alt=\"Wildflowers on the way to Hasley Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I love this hike.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6466sunflowersnorthpolebasin.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Sunflowers with North Pole Basin behind\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6468northpole.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Wildflowers on the Triple Bipass Loop\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A view of the trail, the valley, and my dad hiking as we round our way up to the upper basin below Hasley Pass.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6472trailview.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6472trailview.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"583\" alt=\"View of trail to Hasley pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9449Bench.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9449Bench.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"452\" alt=\"View from bench to Hasley Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Frigid Air held a fiery glow while the Maroon Bells loomed behind, towering in the shadows.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9453FrigidAir_Bells.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"439\" alt=\"Frigid Air and the Maroon Bells\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The views from the top of Hasley Pass are hard to beat, unless you drop down into Hasley Basin, which we did.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6487hasley.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"View from Hasley Basin\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I call this my fairyland.  It truly is a magical place.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6494snowmassflowers.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"View from Hasley Basin\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>King&#8217;s Crown, named for its nearly microscopic crowns housed in every flower.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9462kingscrown.jpg\" width=\"698\" height=\"800\" alt=\"King's Crown in Hasley Basin\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After descending for a short bit into Hasley Basin, we followed a faint trail that traversed right into another basin.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6495trail.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Hasley Basin Trail\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Views from the second basin, with paintbrush and elephant heads in the foreground.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6501paintbrushelephantheads.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Views of Belleview from near Hasley Basin\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Another look at Snowmass.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6510Snowmass.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"snowmass seen from hidden basin\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We found lots of sheep in this hidden basin.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6502sheepbelleview.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"sheep near Hasley Basin\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So many sheep, it was hard to capture them all in pictures.  Here&#8217;s one attempt.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6512SnowmassSheep.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Sheep with Snowmass behind\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some sheep cared that we were there.  Others didn&#8217;t.  Either way, we had to walk between an obvious split in the herd to make our way to the next saddle. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN6519sheep.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"579\" alt=\"sheep in hidden basin near Hasley Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We ascended the hidden basin to another pass where Frigid Air Pass lay across the way.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9475brit_minipass.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"View of Frigid Air Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The faint trail we followed from this pass was decorated with plentiful wildflowers, like these sneezeweed and larkspur.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9479larkspursneezeweed.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"sneezeweed and larkspur near Frigid Air Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Alas we made our way on top of Frigid Air Pass, where the backside of the Maroon Bells stood proud before us.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9483FrigidAir.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"Maroon Bells from Frigid Air\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking down the magnificent Fravert Basin from Frigid Air Pass.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9484fravertbasin.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"Fravert Basin from Frigid Air Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>My dad on top of Frigid Air.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9487Dad_FrigidAir.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"Terry Walker on Frigid Air Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Layers of mountains sprawled before us.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9488FrigidAir_Treasure.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"Treasure seen from Frigid Air\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The trail to West Maroon hosted some of the best wildflowers we saw on our day&#8217;s hike.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9489trailfromfrigidair.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"Trail from Frigid Air to West Maroon\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The intersection of the Frigid Air trail with the West Maroon Pass trail is always an interesting one.  Do I really go up for another 30 minutes before I go down?  Or should I just go down?  Until this day, down had always prevailed.  But, my dad and I headed up.   I&#8217;d forgotten how beautiful it was from the top of the West Maroon Pass, having been there two years prior on our way to Aspen.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9493wmaroonpass_brit.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"Brit on top of West Maroon Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After a quick spurt on West Maroon Pass, we headed downward toward the East Fork valley.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9497trail.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"trail down from West Maroon Pass\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Fields of fireweed smiled at us as we passed them by.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/triplebipass_15aug2014\/DSCN9499dadfireweed.jpg\" width=\"800\"  alt=\"Fireweed on trail from West Maroon.\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Thanks to my dad for letting me drag him along as a flatlander on this beautiful scenic hike.  Fireweed peaking is a true sign of the end of summer.   But, there is still much more playing in the mountains to do before the snow flies \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<h2>Want to do this hike yourself?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/crested-butte-hiking-guide\/#triplebipass\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/getdirections_button.png\" alt=\"getdirections_button\" width=\"122\" height=\"30\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9695\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps\/ms?msid=215297716422379617326.00050130962e0294be2ef&#038;msa=0&#038;ll=39.03907,-107.024039&#038;spn=0.036066,0.07081\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/ViewMap_Button.png\" alt=\"ViewMap_Button\" width=\"123\" height=\"30\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9694\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/br><\/p>\n<hr>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve done all parts of this loop before, but never the whole thing. With my dad in town, I put<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crested-butte","category-hiking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9690"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9743,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9690\/revisions\/9743"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}