You can always venture up higher than the Weibe or Bear Creek too: Sneffles Highline/Mill/Deep Creek and Wasatch link up respectively with both trails. Well worth making the extra effort, if even for a short while. I'd recommend getting a REAL trail map (not the tourist advertisement one), but a topo version ... they're like $10 & will lay out everything in region for you.
How's the snow level this year looking, Mars? For many years I made Sneffles highline a tradition, but in all the years of trying, I only made the whole loop twice....all the other years i got tired of post-holing, and never brought my snowshoes with me (what was i thinking?). We're bringing a newbie this year who has mountaineering experience, so he plans on bagging Sneffles this yeat
About 10 days ago, I read we were at something like 85% of average for snowpack (vs. northern CO which is like at 285% <-- not sure exactly). We recently received about two feet up high ... so maybe we've back on track.
If there is snow on the Sneffles Highline trail, you could try to bypass via Deep Creek trail instead. I like to start out on Aspen/Weibe and wrap back around and head west on the "waterline trail" which parallels the highway just below the cliff bands you can see while driving into town -> then wraps right heading north into Mill Creek drainage -> take deep creek to Eider Creek Trail for a shorter loop or stay on deep creek for a much longer loop. It's a bit lower and I believe has more sun exposure overall vs. some areas on the highline trail (especially the north side of the "saddle" up high) which is prone to holding snow for a long time.
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