Brown's Pass

Thank you, Mile Hi Jeep Club (Patrol 2) for your stewardship on Brown's Pass and Breakneck Pass. It is evident that winter's deadfall and encroaching Aspen trees have been cut away/trimmed and removed (especially on the east side) to provide clear access to these roads. I drove Brown's Pass on Sunday morning, July 10th (west to east). The road is generally dry, and in good condition, though there are water puddles at the lower elevation on the east side.

This Trail is adopted by Mile Hi Jeep Clubs Patrol 2 Trail should officially open on time June 15th. MHJC Patrol 2 Went up this weekend to Browns and Breakneck to officially clear the roads to make them ready for opening day. Great trail heavily forested area not very hard but has some spectacular views.

Hit Brown's Pass and some of Breakneck once it gets into the valley over near Twelvemile creek. Nice road, good for stock 4x4 rigs or lightly built ones. Are some pretty steep slopes/chutes that can be a little exciting on ATVs, but slow and steady in a truck or SUV shouldn't cause much concern. Actually had a mechanical issues with a quad and took my stock long bed (8' box + ext cab) F-250 up via Breakneck to retrieve it with no damage done. Figure a stock F-250 is about the worst you can have on trails like this, so not a bad option for novice folks looking for more off roading experience with low risk. Was able to get a campsite at nearby Fourmile Campground as well, good option if you have a camper or need something w/ USFS approved fire pits during the Stage I ban. Lots of fun easy trails in the area, and super scenic as well.

Camped on the west side of Brown's Pass on Saturday evening (technically we were camping on FSR 175 Breakneck Pass). The road up and over is in good condition--props to Mile Hi Jeep Club (Patrol 2) for their volunteer efforts to maintain this road.

Drove Brown's Pass on Sunday, July 28, 2019. Found the road in very good condition; as mentioned, there has been some dozer work to create better drainages. I saw little traffic so this is a great place to get away!

Did Breakneck Pass and Brown's Pass this trip. Trail clear and open. I drive a stock Colorado Z71 and I ran the majority of the two (except for the two steep climbs) in 2WD. A beautiful area, and not too busy. Lots of pullout camping spots for the rooftop tent crowd. A few beautiful, wide meadows for ground tent camping. Plenty of trees for hammocks too, if you're into that. There are two points on the trail that were really fun. Both Breakneck and Brown's Pass have one steep, rocky climb to them. It's nothing a stock high-clearance 4-Lo vehicle can't handle, though. The rest of the trail is mostly undulating, occasionally rocky Forrest service roads. Great views! The ending 1/4 of Brown's Pass has recently (like 1-2 days before we got there) been graded by some large machinery. They may be doing some work on it or something, so keep your plans flexible. It's totally possible (and more fun) to turn around and go back through Brown's and Breakneck if you find a roadblock.

We did this trail in tandem with Breakneck Pass. Brown's Pass is very mild, mostly pretty smooth, and easy to navigate. Very dry and dusty right now. There are a few narrow spots where passing oncoming vehicles may require backing up to find a pull-off spot. There are a lot of trees and bushes close to the trail.

I ran Browns and Breakneck Pass while looking for a camping spot. Both trails are clear, and are completely dry and dusty. They could use a little rain to do away with some dust. After strong winds, there could possibly be trees down on either trail so plan accordingly.