Wondering if any locals/festiveterans can clue me into any safe running options in town? Stayed at Mary E. last year, and just ran the road off the camp grounds. Looking to be able to get in a little distance (5ish?) without having to make a dozen loops around town. Any suggestions much appreciated!! 
Side note: I live at altitude, so not an issue. :thumbsup
River Trail in either direction is by far the easiest/flattest … probably about 5 miles roundtrip including backtracking either way from TP.
Bear Creek is next flattest … lots of people run this.
Thank you, gentlemen! :flower
There’s tons of trails to hike (which some run). Jud Weibe is another great one in town which loops from north Oak back down to north Aspen (or you can go clockwise). If you hike this or pretty much any other trail, you’re going to get your heart rate up over 140 for good stretches at a time.
I’d say ditch the “I’ve got to run, can’t hike” position (if that’s what you’re indicating) … you’ll still get your runner’s high fix while hiking & guarantee you the payoff will be well worth it. Drives me crazy when my dad visits and asks “where can I find an eliptical?”.
I’m like :huh :huh :huh
No, it isn’t.
We love the Jud Weibe trail! Do it every year.
cool … you can get a great trail map for $10 around town (between the covers has them). While Bear Creek & Jud Weibe are probably the two most popular (and relatively shorter) one’s in town, you can access many other trails from these two (i.e. Wasatch, Sneffels Highline, Deep Creek / Mill Creek, Tomboy, etc.). Also driving up to the falls and hiking from there has another set of great trails (i.e. Blue Lake or Silver Lake).
If conditions in the parts of CO I frequent are any indication, this would be a good Sneffles Highline year maybe?? Mid-June is usually pretty sketchy in terms of snow levels, but what say ye, FOTM, is it a highline sort of year?
I haven’t been up high yet this year, but the snowpack is definitely relatively sparse … so my suspicion is that it’s probably in the ballpark this year (assuming we don’t get a huge dump - which is still possible). I suppose there will always be suspect spots (in the shade) which have a bit of snow to walk through, but if it’s doable … then others will be doing it too & there will most likely already be a boot pack through those patches of snow. Trails with a lot of North facing aspects still have a bit of snow.
I went up that trail EARLY one morning in my quest for some sunny bouldering before the day’s festivities. There were people sleeping everywhere. Hammocks strung from every tree. People n tarps curled up right on the trail. You may want to consider your “stealth” trail runners.
We usually go early in the week before the fest starts, so I’ve never seen any of that. :rolleyes
Great link TTom. I was reading here and planning on very early solo day hikes. People are sleeping on the trail? Hummm, that would be strange.
There’s also the “secret Weibe” … basically another more secluded loop, just to the east of JW proper
My post Lady has a Condo in Tride and she is going to give me a bunch of local trails to hike and run. I’ll make sure and share it when she does.