Lost Man is becoming an annual tradition 🙂 The lower trailhead is about 25 minutes from Aspen on the way to Independence Pass. It is not a closed loop and the two trailheads are about 3 miles apart so it does help to have a friend with an extra car for shuttle or be prepared to hitchhike back to your car. I prefer to drop a car at the lower trailhead then hike from the upper one back to that car. This is almost two months later than last year’s hike here and I am astonished at how much water there is!!!! There seem to be extra lakes where I didn’t see any before and the usual lakes and streams are soooooooo full. I love this high tundra country very close to the top of the Divide. Then the descent goes through an enchanted magical pine forest sprinkled with waterfalls and picturesque boulders. On the drive back to the upper car stop at Independence, now a ghost town for a glimpse into the miners lives.