Alex and his crew at Aspen Paragliding are outstanding. They know what they are doing, always put…read moresafety first, and treat their customers exceptionally well. This adventure is a "don't miss" Aspen activity. I am a fixed-wing private pilot, ​and Alex allowed me to geek-out about all of the aviation aspects of flying paragliders. My non-pilot wife--who was nervous going into the day--also had a great time. You will enjoy this adventure. Go for it!

I highly recommend Aspen Paragliding. From initial contact with the business owner, Alex, I got a…read moregreat feeling. I was always on board but my cousin was a little nervous. Alex was exceptionally kind and spoke with my cousin several times to review safety protocols and ease his stress. That alone shows how much Alex and the company value the client's experience. What I also respected about Alex was that I inquired about price differences between a different company out of town and Alex spoke very highly of that company; he let me know they were old employees and ensured they also ran a high quality program. I decided to go with Aspen Paragliding for 2 main reasons. First, the launch was at a higher altitude and allowed for longer flight duration. Second, and more important, he was super jovial and stoked on flight! His patience with my cousin's reservations was admirable and he helps foster his employees/pilots to meet the customer where they are at and tailor the flight to each individuals desires/wishes (e.g., a more mellow flight or a flight with some fun turns, etc.) Side note, my cousin decided to join and had a phenomenal experience. If you're wanting a life changing experience with the best Birds Eye view of the valley, take the leap and sign up!

Amazing experience!!…read more We booked the white water rafting tour. Our tour guide was highly experienced and led the group very well. We had so much fun and felt very safe with our tour guide. I wish I remembered her name, but she stated that she had worked for Blazing for decades. Her husband was the second drive on the tour and he was also great. Both very knowledgeable and made the experience unforgettable. If you are in Aspen, book a tour with Blazing Adventures!

I had such a great experience with Blazing Adventures from the moment I called them to book our…read morerafting trip. Jessica was so nice, helpful, and accomodating. She followed up with us on a few questions we had and was in communication throughout about water levels and our safety. I also spoke with Adam, who was also very nice and helpful. For our rafting trip, Mitch, our guide, and John, our driver, were beyond amazing from the very beginning. Our safety (and COVID-19 protocols) were the number one priority for the duration of our trip. Mitch was so fun and knowledgeable about the local geography, geology, lore, and wildlife. He was wonderful with our curious and adventurous six-year-old son! John was super! He wanted to make sure we were all comfortable and taken care of the whole trip. I would recommend this trip company for anyone looking for adventure in the area!

Where does a person even start when we are speaking of the Maroon Bells! Wow! If you love beauty,…read morewilderness, mountains, nature, hiking, photography we have found your spot. We have been here a few times and there is just nothing like it. If you're planning on going you need to shuttle or look into the limited parking. Whatever it takes the journey is worth getting to the adventure exploring this beautiful country!

We hiked the Four Pass Loop, which was a very challenging trail with rewarding views. We did a…read morethree-night backpacking trip and camped at sites along the trail. There was a hefty amount of elevation gain. There were plenty of streams to filter water from with several river crossings as well as sketchy snow crossings where we lost the trail. Navigation was a challenge at times as there was limited signage. Even in July, which is the most recommended month to hike, the weather was dicey with some heavy afternoon thunderstorms. You do have to reserve your permits online far in advance and book bus tickets from Aspen as park parking is very limited. WAG bags were recommended, but not required when we went.

We had a fantastic day of rafting. Thank you for the wonderful time!!…read moreThe rafts are first rate, along with the booties, wetsuits and helmets. The 4 kids that took care of us were amazing. I say kids because we were the Medicare raft! Dex was our guide - he is nice, polite and very, very helpful. It was our first time rafting and we never felt intimidated or scared. He took great care of us. Schaffer was hysterical and had us all at ease immediately, laughing and joking along the way. The local beer and chips at the end hit the spot for us! We can't wait to come back next year and hopefully have the same guys. Thank you, thank you!

Be careful when you book Online! There is 6% FEE that is NON REFUNDABLE. (and on a $1000…read moreexpedition- its $60!) You can call and book over the phone and not pay the fee, I had to learn the hard way.

The Forest Service doesn't have great information about this hike so I wanted to add some extra…read moreinformation here! This was our schedule for the hike: Drive 12:30pm to 2:30pm Hike up 2:30 to 4 Hike down 4 to 5 Drive down 5 to 6:40 Our house in Basalt is right by the Whole Foods, so plan on a 2 hour drive from there. Sept 23, 2014- high in basalt was low 70s, when we arrived at the site the temp was 52, when we left it was 57. Dress in layers and bring ear muffs if you get cold easily. It was coldest up by the lake. Dogs are allowed on leashes. The way up is definitely harder. It's almost all uphill and the elevation begins at 10,800 so if you aren't used to it, you will definitely feel it. Take it slow like we definitely did and you will be fine. We didn't have our hiking boots with us on this trip and we were mostly fine. The benefits of hiking boots would have been: (1) you cross the stream and it's pretty muddy so a waterproof shoe would have been nice. (2) on the climb down from the second lake, it would have been nice to have hiking boots to prevent the toe crunch. Other than that it's a hike that's totally doable in tennis shoes. The second lake is supposedly only 1/4 mile from the first but it's extremely steep and we didn't find the trail that was supposed to be there. That hike to the second lake took a while. The first lake is prettier so you can skip the second one if you aren't feeling up to it. Bring lots of food, water, TP and a disposal bag to pack it out, first aid kit, and a full tank of gas. You will not find any cell service or anyone to help you up there so make sure you are prepared. There's lots of brush that will graze your legs so pants might be better. We made it up in a bmw sedan but the last 10 miles were a really rough drive - the roughest we've ever been on and we've been on some scary drives. If you have an SUV, bring it. Go very slow and take your time. The last 10 miles will take you an hour in a sedan on the way up, 45 on the way down. Make sure your tires are filled properly, your spare tire is ready to go, and that someone in your car knows how to change a flat. You will barely see anyone on this road. The drive takes longer than the hike (4 hours of driving for a 2.5 hour hike). The drive is absolutely stunning though. The leaves were changing colors - and most of the drive is along a creek. Beautiful. On the hike, the only wildlife we saw were small birds, chipmunks, and weasels. The directions on the hiking sites say at the end of the 10 miles to drive another 100 ft and park by the bulletin board. That 100 ft of road is almost impossible to get up, especially in a sedan, so park by the gate and walk up.

Castle Peak is just outside of Aspen, CO in the elk mountains. It is commonly done with Conundrum…read morepeak, as it is just a short 30-40 min ridge walk away! There is a 2WD road and if you attempt the 4WD lot there are many camp spots and pull outs along the way. I'm notorious for getting my Crosstrek up horrible road, but driving up in the dark I decided to call it at a large split in the road and car camp around camp site 7. The majority of the hike will be up this long awful road unless you're one of the few who gets up to the top! Then it's maybe a mile or 2 or uphill trail and some light scrambling to the summit. The hike itself was nothing special, but the views from the top of the maroon bells and purple mountains were phenomenal. I'd highly recommend continuing on to summit conundrum.

"Experience this 4.4-mile out-and-back trail near Carbondale, Colorado. Generally considered a…read morechallenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 41 min to complete. This trail is great for backpacking and hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are July through October. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. This is a steep hike with spectacularly rewarding views of the Ragged Mountain Range. Start at Yule Creek trailhead. At about half mile at the Y, stay right until you reach a 4 way intersection (with Anthricite). Go straight and start climbing. Once you reach the ridge, follow the to the highest point; that is Marble Point. The ridge trail continues on to Raspberry Creek Loop at the second valley." 1. be sure to have the trail mapped before going. There is no service in marble. (there is no service from carbondale to paonia. So be sure to have all trails pulled up and also directions also pulled up or screen shotted. 2. There is not really a parking lot. Its more like road side parking and its not really obvious where the trailhead is. There are not any signs. Its only a handful of spots. 3. There are no bathrooms or dog poop bags or trash cans. Be sure to plan on packing out what you pack in (including trash, dog poop. human waste......) 4. The trail is remote. The weeds are tall in areas if you struggle with allergies you may want to wear long pants. 5. It is definitely steep! 6. There is a small sign on a tree where the trail forks. Watch for that or you will end up on the wrong trail. 7. The beginning of the trail is in rough shape. You might want some poles for it. Beautiful view at the top! Was a steep climb but worth it! Hung out at the top for a bit and just took it all in. this area is so lovely.

Love Love this reservoir!…read more Snuck away in-between a music fest in Aspen for the day and dropped our SUP's in Ruedi Reservoir. It was such a delight to see this beautiful reservoir on the western slope of the Continental Divide on the Fryingpan River...yep Fryingpan River...lol! This reservoir is da place for not only boating, sailing, biking, hiking, kayaking, SUPing and camping...it's also well known for it's Gold Medal fishery! If you're lucky you might catch some rainbow trout, brown trout or mackinaw trout. Heck, any trout will do! Campers listen up! They've got 4 campgrounds that accommodate 81 campsites and for all you boating enthusiasts, they've got two boat-launching ramps. We watched as boats lined up and it looked like a pretty smooth operation. All in all we can't complain...it was an absolutely beautiful day and we loved all the cool rock formations and little alcoves along the shoreline. This SUPaholic will be back for sure!

Getting here was a little tricky drive in the winter with tons of snow but worth the drive. If you…read morehave 45 minutes 1 direction to chill out on a drive thru the National Forest go for it!