Jen & JD Marshall

The county has announced that the high passes are closed for the season.

County has announced that all high passes are closed for the season.

The county has announced the high country passes are closed for the season.

Please be careful out there. There was a report and pictures of another rollover on Argentine. From images, it appears they tried to go around the rock on the ascent from the mine to Argentine. The bypass has been created by users over time but is not officially trail and can be dangerous if the tire placement is bad.

Middle St Vrain, Coney Flats roads to close temporarily for bridge replacement project BOULDER, Colo. (Aug. 22, 2019) – Due to a critical bridge replacement project several campgrounds and roads on the Roosevelt National Forest’s Boulder Ranger District will close for the season on Sept. 3, 2019. The closures include: Peaceful Valley and Camp Dick campgrounds; Middle St. Vrain Road (Forest Service Road 114.1) at Colo. Higway 72; Coney Flats Road (Forest Service Road 507.1) at Beaver Creek Reservoir Trailhead; Bunce School Road (Forest Service Road 105) at junction with Park Creek Road (202.1) The closure applies to all motor vehicle traffic.

Please Be Aware! Forest Service announced on 8/22/2019 that the trail will close early this season, September 3rd. Middle St Vrain, Coney Flats roads to close temporarily for bridge replacement project BOULDER, Colo. (Aug. 22, 2019) – Due to a critical bridge replacement project several campgrounds and roads on the Roosevelt National Forest’s Boulder Ranger District will close for the season on Sept. 3, 2019. The closures include: Peaceful Valley and Camp Dick campgrounds; Middle St. Vrain Road (Forest Service Road 114.1) at Colo. Higway 72; Coney Flats Road (Forest Service Road 507.1) at Beaver Creek Reservoir Trailhead; Bunce School Road (Forest Service Road 105) at junction with Park Creek Road (202.1) The closure applies to all motor vehicle traffic.

This camping spur near Devil's Head is only a 1 in terms of trail difficulty but the camping here is some of the best in the area. If we decide to camp close to home, this is a new option for us.

Jen and I went out to do a major overhaul on this trail guide and Jen LOVED it. She's a big fan of canyons and landscape features along the trail and this didn't disappoint. We stopped and had lunch at the Dunneville rest stop and waited for a large storm to move past us in the afternoon. The scenery is fun to see on this trail, but the cool stuff to look at is right in front of you here around the trail itself.

Went out to map the area and explored this off shoot while we were there. This spur doesn't offer much in distance but the camping looks pretty nice for the Rampart Range area.

Not at all a technical trail, it's very pretty and we went all the way out to the gate and back. The avalanche damage is impressive and a little scary. Most of these trees didn't break, they were just uprooted. Well worth the trip and it will be interesting to see what the downed trees do to the area as they settle in.

CR-2 is now completely open and the Alpine Loop has no closures.

The county announced that County Road 2 is now open all the way. There is still snow and ice on the road and the snow on the side of the road is very tall.

Trail is open and there are no major changes to report on it. The start of the trail is now noted as being tougher than in previous years.

Repairs on the pass have been completed and the Alpine Loop is fully open again. Enjoy!

All the closures have already been noted. The mines are cool to look at and take pictures of even if you can't get to them. There some trees on the trail from what appears to be avalanche or storm damage. It's not blocking the trail though.

The trail is open and the avalanche damage has been cut and moved to the side of the trail. Some of the damage can be seen right at the start of the trail.

Ran the middle section of the trail between Upper Jackson Creek and Schubarth while doing some map updates. It appears the Forest Service has completed logging operations on what looks like the same area that they have been having people cut down Christmas Trees the last few years. Once the slash piles are burned, the trail guide will get updated with some new images and a video since this area looks a little different these days.

The primary purpose of this trail is camping and connecting to Rampart Range Road, the experience is in line with that as well. There isn't anything spectacular in terms of scenery or anything, it's very utilitarian.

I'm not a hiker but we mapped this trail just off Rampart Range Road because it is a popular trail in the area. The small out and back was enjoyable though and the start of the hiking trail looks like it was once a grand entrance that has become broken and full of overgrowth.

I went out to map this alternate way into Rampart. This is my wife's preferred way into the system. Dakan is rough and Mt. Herman road has some shelf areas that she's not a fan of, this trail has neither. I like the smoother way into Rampart Range when my destination is further out though.

There have been some mudslides and Cinnamon is currently closed while they do repairs. See the pictures to get an idea of the damage they are working to repair. Expect the trail will be closed for some time.

The trail is confirmed open to the summits.

This turned out to be one of my favorite trails in the area, my wife did NOT like this one. She didn't like the rocky nature but the hill climb really threw her. If you have someone that doesn't like heights, they're probably not going to like this trail. For those of us who do love a little altitude, scenery, and a little difficulty, this is a winner and almost no traffic other than one group of ATV's.

Was out mapping trails in the area and hit this little spur. Honestly nothing too great from a pure off-road perspective, but a nice place to camp if I'm on doing trails off Rampart Range. The last spot there really has a great view.

Jen wasn't with me for the first time through this trail and she came with today. She does NOT like the climbing area because of the height.

From the FS today: ALERT: Visitors to the Halfmoon Road (FSR 110) on the #LeadvilleRD are advised that Road Maintenance will begin tomorrow, July 23, and is expected to continue for most of the week. The road will not be closed at this time, but visitors to the area may experience delays. Please travel carefully and be aware that large machinery may be sharing the road. Further reports on the Halfmoon road are that a large avalanche has crossed the road past the North Halfmoon Lakes Trailhead blocking vehicle access further west on the road. Creek crossings are preventing heavy machinery access to this area at this time. Visitors are welcome to travel the road on foot, but are encouraged to be cautious around avalanche debris and stream crossings. Please enjoy your time on the National Forest, and recreate safely!

Trail writeup has been updated with new 2019 information. Waypoint 12 had the biggest change with the closure of 248.2B.

Update from a High Country Status update: 071219 Completely open with lots of snow slide debris and some muddy spots

None of the summits are open, I got stopped at about 12,000 feet after waypoint 10. Turn around there, you should be able to see the snow on the trial above. Trail updates with the closures and more to come in the next few days.

Trail is finally fully open for the season, enjoy and be safe!

None of the summits are open, I got stopped at about 12,000 before hitting impassable snow. There's another visible snowbank up the trial a bit as well Trail updates with the closures and more to come in the next few days.

We received this report on Geneva: "Called South Platte Ranger District and they said the road is open until the 4.0-mile mark, where the gate is still closed. There is still dispersed camping available, but you can't proceed any further up the road."

Report from the High Country page: Our group ran MSV and Coney Flats on July 12th. water crossing are not too deep and trail is in good shape. I am currently running a stock JLUR and was able to run the trail with no problem.

Report from the High Country page: Our group ran MSV and Coney Flats on July 12th. water crossing are not too deep and trail is in good shape. I am currently running a stock JLUR and was able to run the trail with no problem.

Trailsoffroad spoke to Trout Unlimited to get additional details on the remediation work going on at Waldorf and was able to get additional details on the changes on the trail.

First and foremost, these trails will largely stay open. The FS is required by law to keep these trails open for a variety of reasons. The network of trails is vast in the area though and they appear to be moving things around to manage the area better.

There will be no major remediation work at the mine this year. Crews will be working to do some vegetation and prep and stabilization work for the Waldorf mine area for 2020. Access to Waldorf mine is TRESPASSING and you will receive a ticket if caught.

Late last year, the Forest Service decommissioned the spur known as the "Hill Climb" at Waldorf. We have not spoken with the FS yet, but it's believed that this wasn't part of the original network of trails and the FS may have closed it to discourage further inappropriate use of the Waldorf site.

We will provide additional updates and details as we get them.

Trailsoffroad spoke to Trout Unlimited to get additional details on the remediation work going on at Waldorf and was able to get additional details on the changes on the trail.

First and foremost, these trails will largely stay open. The FS is required by law to keep these trails open for a variety of reasons. The network of trails is vast in the area though and they appear to be moving things around to manage the area better.

There will be no major remediation work at the mine this year. Crews will be working to do some vegetation and prep and stabilization work for the Waldorf mine area for 2020. Access to Waldorf mine is TRESPASSING and you will receive a ticket if caught.

Late last year, the Forest Service decommissioned the spur known as the "Hill Climb" at Waldorf. We have not spoken with the FS yet, but it's believed that this wasn't part of the original network of trails and the FS may have closed it to discourage further inappropriate use of the Waldorf site.

We will provide additional updates and details as we get them.

Remediation work continues this summer on the mines in the area of Argentine Pass. I have been notified of the closure of Waldorf Mine to traffic, the hill climb at Waldorf and a side trail that leads to an old cabin. These trails are either illegal additions, or they have closed it due to major toxin issues with runoff into the Colorado water supply. Trailsoffroad is in touch with the FS and the company doing the work for them. Any updates to this project will be posted here as the information is made available. Trailsoffroad crew will be up there in the next 14 days to get some new pictures and in-person information.

Remediation work continues this summer on the mines in the area of Argentine Pass. I have been notified of the closure of Waldorf Mine to traffic, the hill climb at Waldorf and a side trail that leads to an old cabin. These trails are either illegal additions, or they have closed it due to major toxin issues with runoff into the Colorado water supply. Trailsoffroad is in touch with the FS and the company doing the work for them. Any updates to this project will be posted here as the information is made available. Trailsoffroad crew will be up there in the next 14 days to get some new pictures and in-person information.

The trail is open to Waypoint 18. The county has closed off the road past there due to snow. Here is the update from the county: County Road 30 (Cinnamon Pass) is open to American Basin. Thanks to David Nelson for this look at the basin taken yesterday. Still lots of snow. Use caution when traveling in the backcountry and around waterways. Remember the road is closed to all vehicle traffic beyond the basin turnoff. DO NOT go around the barricades.

Gates are open for the season. Tread lightly.

Gates are open.

We ran this trail to map it but have been on it before. This is a really great drive through the forest that ends at the lake which is gorgeous. This trail provides a little more shade compared to the burn area down south of it.

Ran this trail to map the spurs in the area and this was by far the most scenic. After the trail jogs west, the trees fall away and it's just a green vista out to the west. This was a really pretty trail with an amazing scenic overlook.

From the county: Update on County Road 2 in San Juan County over in the Eureka area CR2 is now unable to be made passable in any reasonable amount of time. County road crews are working on clearing avalanche snow, rock, and tree debris from an alternate route. Hope to have safe passage in and out of the Eureka area sometime later today for passenger vehicles. Stay away from the waters, and DO NOT CROSS ROAD CLOSURES!

County Road 2 starts on this writeup at Animas From San Juan County: Update on County Road 2 in San Juan County over in the Eureka area CR2 is now unable to be made passable in any reasonable amount of time. County road crews are working on clearing avalanche snow, rock, and tree debris from an alternate route. Hope to have safe passage in and out of the Eureka area sometime later today for passenger vehicles. Stay away from the waters, and DO NOT CROSS ROAD CLOSURES!

It was reported that someone lost their life while attempting to cross the water. Use caution on the trail and do not go alone or attempt if the water is too high or fast.

Trail will open tomorrow, June 27th.

"Mosquito Pass/Lake County Road 3 is open for 1 mile past the Diamond Mine. Snow drifting on the shelf parts of this road."

Noble Road is an easy offshoot of Figure 9 Road. Nothing spectacular, but worth taking as a run through the forest.

Figure 9 is one of the more interesting trails in the area. It weaves in and out of the forest here and us just a fun drive. I had the trail all to myself all day long and it doesn't look like the area is traveled all that much. This is a great way into the Badger Mountain Trail Network and you can make a day of the area while exploring all the little spurs.

We traveled this shorty off Figure 9 Road while getting some video of the area. The rock formation at the end of the trail is rather cool to see.

Checked out this trail for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. There are some amazing views to be had after you turn around and head back to the trailhead.

This was a super-pretty addition to our day on Figure 9 Road shooting video and I'm kind of glad we did it last. This one is well worth the time.

This is a little trail that's part of this network. It's worth the short drive but doesn't offer much in the way of a challenge or big payoff.

A short little spur off Figure 9 Road. No great views or anything to be had but it is a less-traveled road and worth running real quick.

Engineer is now partially open. "ROAD OPENINGS! - County Road 20 (Engineer Pass) is now open to Thoreau's Cabin. - County Road 30 (Cinnamon Pass) is open to Burrows Park. - Stay off avalanches, snow bridges and debris piles. They can easily collapse. - Watch for log jams and pooling in the waterways. Water is still running high and fast, avoid roads and trails that cross streams. - Be aware of changing weather conditions and rain events. - Snow may still be present on high elevation trails and peaks." Hinsdale County

This trail is still closed as well as Engineer Pass from Thoreau's cabin. Crews are still working to clear this area of snow and debris.

Cinnamon Pass is now partially open. "ROAD OPENINGS! - County Road 20 (Engineer Pass) is now open to Thoreau's Cabin. - County Road 30 (Cinnamon Pass) is open to Burrows Park. - Stay off avalanches, snow bridges and debris piles. They can easily collapse. - Watch for log jams and pooling in the waterways. Water is still running high and fast, avoid roads and trails that cross streams. - Be aware of changing weather conditions and rain events. - Snow may still be present on high elevation trails and peaks." - Hinsdale County

Officials announced today that the pass is closed until further notice on account of avalanche debris. Check back here for updates. "Park County Road 12 (Mosquito Pass) is closed due to avalanche debris along with snow still at the higher elevations. This is a very popular 4-wheel drive road from Fairplay to Leadville. The public is asked to seek an alternate route."

Drove by this trail on the highway and turned around to follow the signs for La Veta Pass. Typically, passes offer some great views along their way and I could tell that it reconnected with the other side of the US 160. I decided to take a two-hour detour and map this trail. I'm a fan of altitude and shelfy roads, but my wife is not. I think that even she could handle this one because it's so wide across. The scenic overlook at the top is great and I took lots of pictures there. I hit this while traveling from New Mexico to Colorado. Next time, I'll run Pass Creek Pass that's just across the street.

Drove from the southern trailhead to Deckers. Great day on the trail and I managed to avoid rain too.

This was a nice trail that would have been nicer if the rain hadn't moved in unexpectedly. The rain kept the dust down though and it turns out this trail has a LOT of great camping on it.

Gates were opened this morning and the trail is open for the season.

Gates are still closed. There is an electronic sign on Guanella Pass near Grant indicating its closed as well.

The company that owns the mine announced today that the road is cleared and now open. Expect some icy/snowy spots for the next few days/weeks.

The valley where Animas Forks is it currently buried in up to 120 feet of snow. They have started plowing the area, but it may not open soon since the first priorities are to assess avalanche damage. There is no time estimate for when this could open this year.

A report from one of the plow operators in Ouray reported that plowing was delayed here due to avalanches that have buried the road up to a 120 feet deep in some places. This will be one of the last things to open in the county IF it opens at all this year. The county is worried about damage to the town at Animes Forks and the area could be largely closed this season.

Be aware that there was a small forest fire in the area on 5/28/19 and crews may still be active in the area. This fire was caused by an unattended campfire and serves as a reminder to be careful with campfires. Rampart Range and the surrounding area is a fire danger without human help. https://www.krdo.com/news/top-stories/teller-county-wildfire-now-25-percent-contained/1081661068

Guanella Pass is open and we stopped by to see how far we could get. We got a little over a mile in before the snow got too deep for me and I was spinning tires, with my lockers on.

We stopped by the trailhead now that Guanella is open for the season. There is snow just inside the gate and based on how much snow was on the top of Guanella Pass, it will be some time before this trail is passable much more than a mile in.

Guanella Pass is open and we stopped by to see how far we could get. We got a little over a mile in before the snow got too deep for me and I was spinning tires, with my lockers on.

Fun little trail that got a lot of thick mud suck to the Jeep. There's not a ton to see on this one but the wet conditions made it interesting.

The spring rains have made this trail rather muddy. It's also very rutted in some places but relatively easy to get through.

Opening day for the trail is 5/17 this year. The district will try to have the gates open in the morning.

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

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

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

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

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

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