Four friends and I went to Aspen in June, which is a wonderful time of year there. Snow still sits on some peaks, but the weather is generally sunny. One friend had been on the Braille trail before, so she acted as "spotter." We went to the start of the trail, then covered our eyes with bandannas so we couldn't see. The spotter watched out for us. There is a rope to guide you as you inch along. When you reach a station, there is a marker on the rope. There are about 20 learning stations, which describe in English and Braille, what you can hear, smell and touch. We didn't allow ourselves to look around, just to read the marker. One marker tells about the sound of the rushing river, while another says to feel the tree to your right and note how its bark feels, and so on. At the end of the quarter-mile loop, our senses were so open. We noticed things we wouldn't have if we had first walked through and looked it over. There is a bridge at the end and it's great to sit on dangling your feet over the edge above the river.
Quick Tips:
To reach the Braille Trail, travel on Highway 82 out of Aspen towards Independence Pass. It’s about 10-12 miles outside of Aspen. When I was there, the turnoff into the parking area wasn’t very well-marked, but it’s one of the few places you can turn off in that area, so go for it. If you do the trail blindfolded, allow a good 45 minutes. There's no need to rush. Best Way To Get Around:
You'll definitely need a car to get around, but bring good hiking boots and dress in layers. Aspen is over 10,000 feet in elevation, so those not used to high altitudes should give themselves a day or two to adjust before doing any strenuous hiking. Bring along some eye drops, some saline nasal mist, such as Ayr or Ocean, and a big bottle of water. It gets dry up there. There are some delis in Aspen where you can get a picnic lunch and make a day of it.
by Boomsie on May 19, 2001