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Adoption Status: ADOPTED
924 acres (1.4 square miles)
How to get there
The North Independent B roadless area is located about 13 miles southeast of Aspen.
- From Aspen, go east up State Highway (SH) 82 toward Independence Pass. The roadless area is on the north side of the road from the historic townsite of Independence to the top of Independence Pass. The upper trailhead for the Lost Man Loop Trail (1996), also known as the Linkins Lake Trailhead, and Independence Pass are the two parking areas that access to this unit.
- There are no maintained trails within this roadless area.
- The USGS 7 1⁄2’ quads for the North Independent B RA are Mount Champion and Independence Pass.
Setting
The western half of the North Independent B roadless area consists of a narrow strip of steep south- and east-facing hillside between SH 82 and the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness boundary. These slopes are the southern extent of Geissler Mountain. The eastern half of the area occupies the 2,400 foot-high southwestern slopes of Twining Peak. These slopes are above treeline, and are covered in tundra and scree. Elevations range from 10,800 feet near the Independence townsite, to 13,711 on Twining Peak.
What’s special about it?
This roadless area is adjacent to the Hunter-Fryingpan and Mount Massive Wilderness Areas, and sits along a heavily-traveled but quite scenic highway. Because the steep terrain prohibits any developments, the area is de facto wilderness. Independence Pass is a well-known scenery-viewing destination, and the upper Lost Man Trailhead is heavily-used in summer. It is the most popular trailhead in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness. The Instant Karma cliff, with established rock climbs, is in the eastern portion of the unit, near Independence Pass.
Potential threats
The slopes immediately above the highway, as it climbs to the Pass, have had problems with erosion associated with the roadcut. Rock retention and soil stability devices are in place as a measure of limiting erosion. A limited amount of off-route snowmoile use occurs right around Independence Pass. There have been several instances in the recent past of motorized attempting to travel cross country from the top of Independence Pass out into this unit - misadventures that quickly went awry as the terrain quickly steepens and becomes impassable. The flat, inviting terrain alongside the highway at the top of the pass could lure future attempts of this type.
Other info
North Independent B is one of seven roadless areas that are contiguous with the Hunter-Fryingpan and Mount Massive Wilderness Areas. Together, these comprise a roadless complex of over 144,000 acres (225 square miles)!
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