Grottos Trail

Grottos Trail #2180 is off Highway 82 (about a mile from Weller Lake Campground and 9 miles from Aspen).  There was a nice size parking lot with restroom facilities.  This hike/parking was free.

Ice Cave

I started out crossing the bridge and following the sign for the ice caves.  The rocky trail was easy and brought me to the ice caves.  Since I was here in late September, there was no ice in the cave, but water...I can imagine how neat it would be to see this crevice filled with ice in the spring.  Since I was by myself, I did not climb down into the cave...but maybe sometime in the future if i am in this area again I would consider it.  After putzing around the ice caves for a while, I continued over the ice caves and followed the trail to the cascades.

cascades

While I didn't pass anyone on the trail, only saw a couple at the ice caves, there were quite a few people at the cascades, including photographers with tripods all set up for the perfect picture...which also made my picture a little tricky because I didn't want someone in it.  I stood there and appreciated nature and the quietness of it all for a few minutes then turned around and followed the same path I took up back down to the parking lot.

When I got to the bridge, I took the other path, there was a nice picnic area and continuing that a little more.  I wondered if I would be able to see the cascades from another angle, so I crossed over and climbed up this rock to realize it would bring me back to the ice caves but from another trail, so I turned around and went to the car.

The trail was short, I am thinking a mile or less round trip.