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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Partially Open
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Offroaded on:
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11/04/2020
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Per Ouray County, snow and icy conditions may exist. Travel on the 4x4 roads this time of year is not recommended. Expect winter weather at high elevations.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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10/26/2020
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Rating:
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Snow is beginning to fall making for hazardous conditions for the high country passes in the San Juans. Yankee Boy Basin is listed as "OPEN" but it is doubtful that travel will be safe past this point.
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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10/10/2020
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Rating:
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Took this from Imogene to get to ouray. The town is amazing, I prefer it’s views over telluride. There looks to be some good hikes in the area, but we had a busy day knocking out a lot of trails.
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Author:
| |
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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10/10/2020
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Rating:
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2018 Subaru Crosstrek
1.5" Lift
235/75R15 Toyo AT2
ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I would love to say that we successfully made it to the end of the trail . . . but sadly we had to throw in the towel right before the Twin Falls waypoint. There is nothing really too technical on the trail, it was the long steep climbs that got the best of the Crosstrek. Elevation is a real deal and our Subaru limited on power to begin with and loaded to the teeth with camp gear was struggling. We got to a point were we had to call it and I didn't want to risk break anything while we were 500 miles away from home.
Beautiful trail though and I do believe if we were unloaded it would have been a different story. We came down the mountain to Waypoint 9 (Governor Basin) and parked so we could hike around and check out some of the old mines. All in all it was still a good day. We will be back soon to tackle the challenge.
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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10/06/2020
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Rating:
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Very nice trail. Did catch some autumn colors half of the way can be accessible with 2WD. The higher elevations you get more difficulties. But nice views for sure.
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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09/08/2020
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Rating:
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Entire trail has amazing views and a nice water fall in the middle. Easy trail that progressively gets harder. The switch backs near end of trail definitely felt like a high 4 or even low 5 however I am still a beginner.
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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08/29/2020
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Rating:
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It was pouring rain in the morning when I set out for Yankee Boy and the views were pretty much nonexistent. So, I didn’t go all the way up and instead started on Imogene to head to Telluride. Either way, Yankee Boy was an easy road to begin with and got tougher as I progressed but never turned into anything that I was nervous about. Loved the rock overhang on the road!
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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08/26/2020
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Rating:
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Easy off road trail until last few hundred yards from the Blue Lakes Pass trail head. At that point, 4wd low and clearance required. Beautiful waterfall, cool mining structures, rock face mountain views, and amazing tundra basin. Camped at Thistledown which is a nice campground.
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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07/30/2020
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Rating:
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Did Yankee Boy and Imogene Pass on 7/30. Yankee Boy was rougher than I expected - a lot of big rocks and a couple of somewhat scary off-camber rock face climbs. The skid plate on my 2019 4Runner TRD Pro took a couple of serious whacks (no damage) and the steps welded on to my slider bars took a beating. The payoff is huge though. The end of the trail in Yankee Boy Basin is incredible!
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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07/19/2020
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Spend most of our time on high mountain passes while camping near Ouray, but this is one of my favorite out-and-back trails for scenery alone. If you can time the wildflowers, it's that much better.
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Author:
| |
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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07/07/2020
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Rating:
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This trail was my favorite around the area. The basin is beautiful and surrounded by huge mountains, including 14ner Sneffels. Drove to the top of the trail in a stock FJ on 285s. The snow bank was nearly gone and not stressful. There are definitely a few fun obstacles. I only got out to check my line once, right after the snow bank towards the end of the trail...it’s definitely a busier trail until you hit the 4x4 bit. Once you start climbing it gets even more epic!
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Author:
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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07/01/2020
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Rating:
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This trail has some great views. Not a hard trail, although about 1/4 mile from the very top/end of the trail, there's a snow bank that we had to cross. As long as you have lockers, you should be okay to cross - keep your momentum through the snow bank (37.992568, -107.780342)!
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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05/28/2020
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Rating:
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Officially listed as OPEN per Ouray County Road and Bridge. Please adhere to any local orders and lets value our chance to get back out into the glory of the San Juans!
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Partially Open
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Offroaded on:
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05/18/2020
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Rating:
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Ouray County Road and Bridge has been hard at work on Yankee Boy. Pictures on the Bridge dept Facebook page show Yankee Boy to be open to the bathrooms just past Waypoint 9. Please syl keep in mind local regulations regarding Covid-19 may limit travel and lodging in the area.
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Impassable
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Offroaded on:
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05/13/2020
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Rating:
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High Country Roads Opening Priority
May 12, 2020 Update
Crews will begin work May 18, 2020 with the goal to have all High Country Roads open by the July 4th weekend.
Please note: some services may be unavailable or slow to respond due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please be respectful of local Public Health Orders and restrictions. Visit https://ouraycountyco.gov/396/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Updates-and-Resourc to check current orders and for more information.
(Note – Crew 1 and Crew 2 work concurrently)
Crew 1: Yankee Boy (Depending on snowfall, anticipated time to reach the Outhouses is 4 days.)
Crew 2: Red Mountain Town – Open the Main Loop
Crew 1: Corkscrew
Crew 2: Engineer
Crew 1: Imogene
Crew 2: Crews will move to help open Imogene after the completion of Engineer
Updates will be posted periodically on the Ouray County Website (www.ouraycountyco.gov) and on the Road and Bridge Facebook page.
***Subject to change due to weather and emergencies***
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Impassable
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Offroaded on:
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10/28/2019
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Rating:
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Currently, San Juan County has issued CLOSURES on all their backcountry passes. San Miguel, Hinsdale, and Ouray County issued a travel at your own risk advisory.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300
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Author:
| |
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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10/03/2019
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Rating:
| |
This trail was easy up to twin falls then gets more technical with lots of switchbacks, we didn't make it up to blue lakes trailhead, turned around and did Imogene pass
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Open
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Offroaded on:
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09/13/2019
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Rating:
| |
Driving with a Land Cruiser group all week from back east, we'd done half a dozen roads/trails across Colorado with the aim of ending the expedition in Ouray/Silverton. We arrived to Ouray on Friday and drove straight through town to Yankee Boy! The road is in decent shape, with some erosion and ruts, but overall Yankee Boy posed no problem for our group.
Mountain views were awesome, though we did observe some haze due to smoke from a nearby controlled/prescribed burn. Overall, a fantastic 4x4 road!
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
|
Open
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Offroaded on:
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08/19/2019
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Rating:
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The trail is 100% open from beginning to end including the spur around wrights lake. I would say the trail rating here is very deceiving... up to the split with Governors, yes, the trail is a 1, but beyond that no way. The remains of the avalanche just before twin falls have totally melted out around the road, but a massive amount of snow remains in the valley. Above the falls the trail might be a bit more rutted out in places, but is pretty much how I remember it from a few years ago. The trail is extremely busy, even during the week. Expect traffic the entire way. That is why I gave it only 3 stars. Dealing with all the traffic becomes tiresome.
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
|
Partially Open
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Offroaded on:
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07/17/2019
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Rating:
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The trail shows pretty obvious signs of avalanche damage and repair. There was a pretty big one that hit right near the Imogene turn off. Lots of snapped fir and bent Aspen trees. I counted at least 4 avalanches between the start of Camp Bird road and the second mine activity.
Just past the fork to Governor basin, the trail becomes difficult as drainage has routed itself down the road. This particular spot generated a bevy of traffic jams as vehicles had difficulty negotiating this new obstacle.
Just at Twin Falls, there is a 36" washout you have to cross. We did a pickup truck recovery here as this full-size Silverado tried an alternate line over the dirt bank to the left and got high centered. Strapping down the hill (With gravity) did the trick. . Always try first to get unstuck the way they got stuck.
A little past the bathrooms is the end of the line at a snowbank.
It was still a beautiful trail ride with abundant wildflowers
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
|
Partially Open
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Offroaded on:
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06/23/2019
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Although the trail is open, it is not 100% passable. The road is only cleared to the parking lot and bathrooms just beyond Twin Falls and waypoint 10. Beyond there it is not plowed so I assume they will let that melt out naturally.
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
|
Open
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Offroaded on:
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06/15/2019
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Rating:
| |
Per Ouray Country: YANKEE BOY BASIN is now OPEN!! Thank you to our outstanding road and bridge crew! It was a challenge this year. Please enjoy with caution as road conditions are very wet and there may be standing water as well as ice or mud.
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Author:
| Official Crew |
|
Status:
|
Partially Open
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Offroaded on:
|
06/06/2019
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Rating:
| |
Per Ouray County Road and Bridge Dept: Yankee Boy Basin is nearly done being bulldozed and is projected to be open within the coming weeks.
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
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Impassable
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Offroaded on:
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06/02/2019
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Rating:
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Heavy snow pack and late season snow falls have greatly affected the opening date to many of the trails in the San Juan Mountains. I will try to quickly update these trail guides to reflect when the hard working plow and dozer operators are able to dig these wonderful trails out for all of us to enjoy. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300
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Author:
| Official Crew |
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Status:
|
Impassable
|
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Offroaded on:
|
05/06/2019
|
Ouray County has announced that plowing operations have begun for these trails. From the county:
High Country Roads Opening Priority
May 6, 2019 Update
Crews will begin work May 6, 2019 with the goal to have all High Country Roads open by the July 4th weekend.
***Please be aware: Southwestern Colorado received an exceptional amount of snow during the 2018-2019 winter. Roads may be cleared later than usual, and dangers like avalanches may still exist into the summer months. Please use caution when venturing into these areas.***
(Note – Crew 1 and Crew 2 work concurrently)
Crew 1: Yankee Boy (Depending on snowfall, anticipated time to reach the Outhouses is 4 days.)
Crew 2: Red Mountain Town – Open the Main Loop
Crew 1: Corkscrew
Crew 2: Engineer
Crew 1: Imogene
Crew 2: Crews will move to help open Imogene after the completion of Engineer
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Author:
| Official Crew |
|
Status:
|
Open
|
|
Offroaded on:
|
04/18/2018
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The county announced today that Yankee Boy Basin is open all the way through. Plow crews have been working there all week and cleared it today.
This is weather pending and can change if there is a storm.
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Author:
| Official Crew |
|
Status:
|
Partially Open
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Offroaded on:
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11/03/2017
|
Snow has fallen making this trail impassable until next season, closed at the top by snow according to the U.S Forest Service.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300
