Electric Pass - 9.3 Miles Round-Trip

Electric Pass (13,485') is located 4.65 miles from Cathedral Lake Trailhead in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. It's considered the highest named pass accessible by trail in Colorado.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

Though ominously named for its exposure to lightning, it's no more susceptible than any other point at this elevation. The route shares the first 2.3 miles with Cathedral Lake, then breaks off on a methodical climb to the rim of a massive cirque that leads precariously on to the pass.

The Electric Pass Trail is well conceived with long, sweeping switchbacks on relatively mild terrain. Views are among the best in the Aspen area, rivaled by wildflowers on vast alpine slopes between Cathedral Lake and the pass:

The trail rises quickly through tall aspen stands to the Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness (.72 miles : 10,425'), where the forest opens across rockslides above the Pine Creek gorge.

After gaining 820' in the first mile, travel eases on a long open arc with great views up valley (1.5 miles : 11,160'). It crosses a scree field (2.05 miles : 11,555') to a short section of steep switchbacks to the Electric Pass Trail split (2.3 miles : 11,780').

The trail breaks north into thick willow and clears treeline with Cathedral Lake in sight the rest of the way. Note social trails that branch off down toward the lake on this stretch; keep right at each, and consider them on the return hike for a shortcut to Cathedral Lake.

The trail runs up the side of a moraine into meadows at the base of the cirque, where elongated switchbacks begin their way up the NE wall (2.85 miles : 12,160').

Switchbacks shorten up to a saddle that can be mistaken for the pass (4.25 miles : 13,160'). The saddle is a great place to rest and take in views (south) of the route leading to this point, and north over the Devaney Creek drainage, which feeds American Lake. Leahy Peak (13,322') is located east along the saddle, an interesting and non-technical side trip.

The trail rises west above the saddle on a tightly wound path that devolves into a faint track across a steep slope with loose and highly unstable scree. Tread carefully on this final run to Electric Pass (4.65 miles : 13,465'), located on a small notch in the cirque wall.

Peer NW down Conundrum Creek Valley, and across to Maroon Bells, Pyramid Peak, Snowmass Mountain and a line of distinguished red and white peaks in the heart of the Elk Range.

Cathedral Peak (13,943') caps the cirque rim and is seemingly just a frisbee toss away, but technical and unreliable terrain separates the pass from it, as well potential routes that would lead down to surrounding drainages. A short scrambling route continues up to Electric Peak (13,635').