East of Aspen and Independence Pass
Independence Pass is a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway that is maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Part of State Highway 82, it is the highest paved state highway over the Continental Divide in Colorado. Though it is a paved road, it can be narrow and winding and therefore difficult to traverse in poor weather. It also has steep drop-offs in places along the route. Several areas of the roadway can only accommodate a single car width, so drivers must use caution and pay close attention when confronted with oncoming traffic.
Just to the East of Aspen you drive through the eastern Aspen Valley before you start your climb up the pass
Once you start the climb the road gets very narrow, and even becomes one lane at times.
Rock formations, such as this, crowd the road.
