High above the bustling ski town of Vail and the drone of cars and trucks zooming along Interstate 70 rise the rugged mountains of the Gore Range, surrounded by civilization yet harboring some of the burliest peaks and wildest valleys in Colorado. In early August Claudia and I ventured into those mountains for a 3-day backpack loop. We entered and exited via two popular trails, but spent much of the time off trail, crossing over three obscure passes and navigating through some truly wild and pristine valleys along the way. Here are a few photo highlights from our adventure!