Ryan Boudreau

Made it 2.5 miles in, just past the first switchback. Snow is deep and soft. Past a group of stockish toyotas that were struggling a lot and only made it half the distance we did, even in our tracks.

Trail is now closed for the season

Trail is now closed for the season

Ran this as the last part of our day after starting on Poison Spider. Most of the obstacles have several lines of varying difficulty making this a good trail for moderate to extreme builds. Thos most difficult obstacle by far is the waterfall. Theo ne thing I'll say about this trail, is that no matter how well built you are, it is a SLOW and BUMPY trail the entire way. Makes for a really long end if you are running the entire Trifecta.

Only ran the trail up to waypoint 18 as I took Golden Spike over to Where Eagles Dare. The local clubs had recently done a lot of work closing off illegal routes and fixing downed fencing. Great job by those guys! The trail is a fun one with sporadic obstacles and some fast moving sections in between. For any rig on 37s+, there are not as many challenging obstacles as there would be if you are on smaller tires. Still a fun trip, but if you are on 37s or 40s, don't expect this to be a trail full of challenges. Longer wheelbase vehicles will also find this trail easier than short wheelbase.

If you have a big tire, well equipped rig, the trail is still passable. If not, you won't make it very far. The snow is deep and soft but hasn't yet gotten too off camber to lean you off the trail. After coming in from another trail, we were able to run the entire trail start to finish. 42" tires on the buggy, 40s on the others. The views of the snow cover divide were awesome!

Great snow busting trail! Since there are not any real offcamber sections, and no steep inclines, this trail is great for snow wheeling if you have the right equipment. Our 3 rigs on 40s and 42s busted through the trail with a ton of effort, but anything on 35s or smaller is not going to be able get through. Right away you hit a large, deep, soft drift and you pretty much have to be on the throttle hard until you get to waypoint 4. At that point the area appears a little dry as the wind has blown most of the snow away. But once into the trees again, it's once again deep snow.

Coming from the south, the trail is open but snow packed and icy until waypoint 11. I turned off at that point, so I'm not sure what the conditions are like on the north side. A stock vehicle is probably going to have issues, and the next snow storm will likely make the trail impassable since it drifts in pretty good in the shady sections.

The trail is icy and snow packed for the duration of the drive, but a well equipped vehicle should be able to make it to the cabin no problem. Beyond that the snow gets very deep very quick. It becomes impassable by deep, hard, off camber snow about halfway between waypoints 11 and 12. Even with our rigs on 40 and 42s, we opted to turn around after sliding off the trail and having to winch several times.

Only ran the trail from waypoints 1 to 2 and turned off. It is passable for that far, but the snow is getting deep. Don't let all the "private property" signs scare you away. The road is perfectly legal and the local land owners are trying to keep people from traveling a public route.

The trail is very close to being impassable for any vehicle. The snow is deep and there is a lot of ice under the snow. We ran the trail in the opposite direction of this guide so some of the climbs were very steep and slick and required some winching. Still a fun trail as always.

Pretty uneventful. The trail is still currently passable with not a lot of snow yet. It's slick towards the top but there was quite a bit of traffic and no one was appearing to have much trouble.

Ran the trail in the LJ on 40s and a buggy on 39s. Finished in just under an hour. Great trail with some big boulders and fun obstacles. My favorite it the last one.

Ran the trail with only 2 very well built rigs on 39s and 40s. Took us 20 mins to run all the way through and even had to pull out the winch once for a quick recovery. I have now ran this trail several times, with both larger rigs and rigs that meet the minimum requirements, and it has never taken us much longer than an hour to run. If you are with a group of larger equipped rigs, dual lockers and winches, and don't have any mechanical breaks, this is a quick, less than an hour run. If everyone in your group is minimally equipped, I can see this taking a bit longer as there will be more recoveries.

This trail is currently part of the PSI Travel Management Plan, and there is an alternative, Alt C, that would connect this trail to Turkey Track. Please comment to the FS before Nov 4th, 2019 and support the connection of these two roads.

This trail is currently part of the PSI Travel Management Plan, and there is an alternative, Alt C, that would connect this trail to Turkey Track. Please comment to the FS before Nov 4th, 2019 and support the connection of these two roads.

Trail is still currently open 100%. Not sure what this weekend's weather will bring. It was extremely dry and dusty. The trail is extremely rough and rocky on the St. Elmo side, but not difficult for a modified rig. Just rough and slow. An aggressive stock rig with good tires could easily do this trail. The Pitkin side of the pass is a whole lot smoother with some rocks here and there and some mild washout areas and they the tight switchback at waypoint 5 which in my opinion would be incredibly difficult for a low clearance vehicle, but no issues at all for any kind of high clearance vehicle. I watched numerous Jeeps go through no issues, down and back up.

Trail is 100% open still. Dry and dusty with the occasional pothole. Aspen viewing as of this past weekend was still very good!

The leaves are changing and getting close to peak. The ground cover has definitely changed over and it's only a matter of days before this is a great spot to visit. There are tons of great camp spots located along this road, but be aware that right now it is busy with a bunch of hunters.

Not the most interesting road in the area, but definitely some great camping spots. This road makes a good dirt alternate from US-40 if you are traveling from Winter Park to Granby.

The upper gate has been opened by the BLM allowing people to access Lake Como, but the middle gate and lower gate still remain closed until crews can get in and clear avalanche debris and repair resources damage. The wall obstacle is still not accessible as it is below the middle gate. (See photo)

As of 9/3/19, Both Middle St Vrain and Coney Flats are both closed due to Forest Order ARP-BRD-2019-01 while bridge replacement work is done. You can find the order along with maps here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd657032.pdf

As of 9/3/19, Both Middle St Vrain and Coney Flats are both closed due to Forest Order ARP-BRD-2019-01 while bridge replacement work is done. You can find the order along with maps here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd657032.pdf

Trail is open on the Crested Butte side to the summit but blocked by snow dropping back down on the Aspen Sied

This is the only road to access the Gray Trailhead. It is rough and you will see all kinds of vehicles on it with many drivers in over there head. People don't appear to know any trail etiquette so be prepared for that. Even with all the traffic it sees, the drive was nice with very pretty views at the end.

This trail was a wonderful surprise. The rough 4wd road keeps the passenger cars on Stevens Gulch and allows you to really enjoy the area. My only complaint is I wish the trail went farther. It slowly gets more and more difficult the closer you get to Grizzly Peak and it appears this road sees a lot of avalanches from the amount of debris I saw that was obviously from multiple years. Great trail I am glad i found.

This road should appeal to those planning to fish or the hike in the area. This is a very easy road for anyone to traverse. Low clearance vehicles should expect a lot of potholes and some uneven road surfaces, but if you take it slow, it should not be an issue considering the vehicles seen at the parking lots. If you are looking for dispersed camping from your vehicle or looking for 4wd roads, this is NOT a place you will enjoy.

This is a true hidden gem in the area. The views are awesome and the road provides just enough difficulty that you won't see any sedans or family SUVs here.

This trail combined with several other short ones in the area makes for a great, scenic, full-day or mine history hunting. The views are great the the crowds are thin.

Totally awesome trail. Fantastic views along here! The road is very easy and smooth, probably due to the number of homes on the road, but the scenery is great.

Great trail to avoid the crowds and see some really cool mining history. The road itself is not very exciting as it is pretty well maintained. But the views and attractions make it worthwhile.

Started on the west side at the parking lot. Like another user said, that lot is a zoo! This was the first time I have ever driven Corkscrew from this direction and man is it steep and hard on the vehicle. If you have a big motor or any kind of heat issues, I would avoid doing the trail in this direction. The avalanche that they cleared still had plenty of snow and debris. It was quite a feat from the road crews. I remember the swithcbacks being way tighter back in the day, and they are not bad at all anymore so that is a bit disappointing, but I can see why they have widened everything considering how much traffic it sees now. Fun day.

Definitely a good trail if you are looking to escape the crowds a bit and see the same views you can see on popular nearby trails. Overall though, this road takes a while to give up the good views, and the road is pretty short. I think there are better trails in the area, but then the traffic becomes a problem. It's give or take I guess.

If you are looking for an offroad challenge, look elsewhere as this trail does not provide any kind of challenge. If you are looking for stunning views or something close to town to visit due to limited time, this is the right trail for you.

The road is very busy, especially with inexperienced drivers using rental vehicles. The Jeep drivers are slow and the side by sides fast. Keep your eyes open. Many avalanches along the road, but the Grouse Gulch slide really in impressive. That snow will be around for many years.

Great trail. Ran this as part of the 2019 Unlimited LJ Adventure. The views were not as good as usual due to smoke from a nearby prescribed burn. It was very thick at times. There are no longer bathrooms along any parts of the trail, so don't rely on that.

We ran Black Bear the morning after it opened for the season as part of the 2019 Unlimited LJ Adventure. Right before the steps there is a massive amount of snow still from what appears to be several avalanches. There was still some snow on the trail, but I'm sure it is melted now. As you come down the Telluride side, the county has done a lot of work to the road and blasted a bunch of rocks. It makes things a bit interesting as there is a ton of loose rock in areas now that were dirt before. It's still as dangerous as ever, so pay attention and do not attempt this trail if you are new to 4 wheeling.

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.

Ran this as part of the 2019 Unlimited LJ Adventure. Trail is 100% open from beginning to end. Looks like a dozer came in and cleared the remaining snow drifts so they could access the working mine up there. The views are great as always and we even met a historian at the end documenting some things in the area and filling us in with a lot of great history.

Per the Forest Service and BLM, Poughkeepsie is still closed due to avalanche debris.

The wife thought this trail was very "pretty". I thought it was just ok. It's a dirt road through the forest like stated. There are some cool views here and there and I don't doubt fall color viewing will be very good along this road.

This trail is short with not a lot of excitement, but it is rougher than the graded Fairplay side of Weston Pass. There are some good views and some good camp spots. Overall, it is a nice detour if you are not in a hurry to get off the pass.

Really cool to see the old mining stuff here at the end of this trail.

This is a really cool trail that I had no idea existed. It is very scenic and very easy to drive. The nearby hiking trails are less used than other popular hikes, so this is definitely a nice escape from the city.

I really enjoyed this trail. It is very wide making passing oncoming traffic easy. It has very good open views. It may be easy which deters some people, but I enjoyed it. Not to mention the plethora of good camp spots.

Open all the way through. A crew has shoveled the remaining drifts and drove the entire thing yesterday.

Mosquito Pass is now open and passable all the way through. A crew shoveled it open through the last drift.

Trail is open and passable. Super narrow in spots due to runoff chutes, so just be careful and use good judgment with your vehicle.

The Red Cone gate has officially been opened. Trail is dry and clear all the way to Montezuma.

Trail is closed via a Forest Order due to washouts or something. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd641734.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1DWHuOBc6xtYbYsaqwVXygGn1WOMlwqXMftGRCg3mbpaQXauLLfVUwGJs

Burns Gulch will not open this year due to the Grouse Gluch Avalanche slide. The county has currently cut a trench through to Picayne and is attempting to cut county road 2 into Animas Fork. Because burns is on the other side of the creek, they are piling snow in it's direction. The avalanche is around 100 feet deep. Hopefully it will melt out next year.

North side of the pass is closed due to a Forest Order. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd641734.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1DWHuOBc6xtYbYsaqwVXygGn1WOMlwqXMftGRCg3mbpaQXauLLfVUwGJs

The trail is now snow free and can be driven all the way over. Mirror Lake is still flooded over the trail. Do not attempt to ford the water if you do not know the road.

Trail is open and clear to the top. No snow, no avalanche debris, only some small washouts in the middle of the trail from the heavy snowmelt. Those didn't cause any issues and will fill in with some trail use, but just something I noticed on my way up. The trail is very hard to pass with groups. If you are the leader of a group larger than 4, you should go way out in front of the group to scout for on coming traffic as there are not too many opportunities to pull over and pass more than 1 or 2 rigs.

According to the Ranger District, the road is open from Vail Pass to Turkey Creek but closed to Red Cliff due to a road wash-out.

Open all the way

The section of trail in this guide is 100% open, connecting Animas Forks to Engineer Pass. It is muddy in places but there are no other issues. The Grassgulch Avalanche farther down the valley is impressive. But again, this entire route is open.

The county road is still closed in part due to the very large avalanche just below Animas Forks. You can access Animas Forks via Hurricane and California passes, but you then have to return the same way. The avalanche is massive to say the least. I was hearing 100 foot depth stories and found it hard to believe, until I saw it for myself from a mile away. These pictures were taken on the Engineer Alpine loop connector. This is the closest I got as there was no reason to travel closer as lots of other traffic was already doing that.

Trail is open and in good condition. Very wet and muddy on the Lake Come side of the pass, which is still very much frozen by the eay. Keep an eye out for oncoming traffic as the snow walls are high, and narrow on that side. The views currently are very impressive with the snowcapped mountains.

Trail is open, but extremely wet and muddy. The snow walls right now are extremely impressive, but it does make seeing oncoming traffic very difficult. In some sections it is currently impossible to pass oncoming traffic so make sure to keep an eye far out. The trail description in this guide is spot on.

Ran Engineer from Lake City to Animas Forks in my stock '16 Ram 2 days after it opened. It's worth noting that although the trail is not difficult, it is steep in sections and a low end transfer case is pretty much needed. It also helps to have some sort of AT or more aggressive tire. a standard street tire is asking for trouble. The lower sections of the trail are absolutely riddled in relentless avalanches. I stopped counting, there are so many. No wonder it took so long for the trail to open this year. Once above treeline, you hit the plowed snow right about waypoint 18. They have plowed it plenty wide, so no passing issues on this side. The summit, and Oh Point are both plowed. Just beyond waypoint 13 all the way to waypoint 12, the trail is currently cut very narrow with only a few spots large enough to pull out. I watched 2 large Jeep groups in opposite directions attempt to pass each other and it took FOREVER to back people down the trail to enough wide sections. Waypoint 12 is a little more torn up than the photos shown and was the only tricky section for the Ram where I needed to get out and spot the wife as she drove. The remaining part down to waypoint 11 was extremely wet and muddy. Even with brand new AT tires, aired down, we were slipping around some. From here we headed down the connector to Animas Forks. I was told on Monday (7/15) that the Mineral Creek side of the pass (waypoints 1-11) was open, but was unable to verify this firsthand.

This section of road between Animas Forks and Engineer Pass has been cleared and is now open. It is currently the only way to connect Lake City to Silverton.

Engineer is now open from Lake City to Waypoint 11, and down into Animas Forks. To get into Silverton, you must then take Hurricane Pass and California pass to county road 110. The Ouray side is still closed somewhere between waypoints 4 and 11.

Reports from this weekend say the trail is clear to French Creek and not much farther. Beyond the creek there remains heavy snow. Photos courtesy of Chris Breidenbach and The Edge Automotive 4x4.

Forest Order PSICC-2019-19 has now been rescinded. Thanks to Colorado Off Road Enterprise and Mile-Hi Jeep Club working with the Salida Ranger district to clear the avalanche debris that closed the trail on the St Elmo side. The trail is mostly clear with a few patches of snow and very wet conditions up to treeline at waypoint 6. From this point on, snow fields are almost constant with a few patches of dirt. Snow is extremely deep and off camber before ever approaching the switchbacks. Please be sure to stay on the trail and drive over snow drifts and not around them at all. On the Tincup side, the road has been reported as flooded out due to high water in Mirror Lake.