Colorado Trip-- Input / suggestions from locals

[cruiserfien]

I would love some recommendations from the locals--I will be heading to Colorado (driving a 80 series LC from New Orleans) on July 2nd, picking the family up at the Denver Airport on July 4. We are going to Buena Vista on Sat-Sun to do a overnight white water rafting trip on the Arkansas River (Browns Canyon) with AVA Rafting tours (Open to any suggestions if there are better groups to book a trip with). After the rafting trip we will have a couple of days to fill. I would love suggestions on:
1. Trails in the area to hit and possibly camp at
2. cities/ national parks / attractions to do with the family in the general area (Ie...mountain biking, fly fishing, or other ideas, were open)

I am also going to put the 80 series in storage in Denver (I fly out on the 10th) as I want the truck in the area so I can fly back up a couple of times over the next 90 days to hit some trails and possibly attend the Telluride Blues and Brews festival in September). Anybody have any recommendations in the Denver area for storage or any facilities to steer clear of? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Neal A. Tew]

I would love some recommendations from the locals--I will be heading to Colorado (driving a 80 series LC from New Orleans) on July 2nd, picking the family up at the Denver Airport on July 4. We are going to Buena Vista on Sat-Sun to do a overnight white water rafting trip on the Arkansas River (Browns Canyon) with AVA Rafting tours (Open to any suggestions if there are better groups to book a trip with). After the rafting trip we will have a couple of days to fill. I would love suggestions on:
1. Trails in the area to hit and possibly camp at
2. cities/ national parks / attractions to do with the family in the general area (Ie...mountain biking, fly fishing, or other ideas, were open)

I am also going to put the 80 series in storage in Denver (I fly out on the 10th) as I want the truck in the area so I can fly back up a couple of times over the next 90 days to hit some trails and possibly attend the Telluride Blues and Brews festival in September). Anybody have any recommendations in the Denver area for storage or any facilities to steer clear of? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I wish you were going to be here just a little earlier as we have an event in Buena Vista soon:
Buena Vista June Jam / Colorado Front Range Camp out Meetup

Go to the Rally Point notes section in the above link. There are some links regarding the Fourmile area and some trail links for the area from https://www.trailsoffroad.com/.

Keep in mind that the high elevation trails are opening late due to the abundance of snow. The Arkansas River is also running very high. Be careful!

Don't hesitate to let me know if I can be of any more help.

 

[cruiserfien]

I wish you were going to be here just a little earlier as we have an event in Buena Vista soon:
Buena Vista June Jam / Colorado Front Range Camp out Meetup

Go to the Rally Point notes section in the above link. There are some links regarding the Fourmile area and some trail links for the area from https://www.trailsoffroad.com/.

Keep in mind that the high elevation trails are opening late due to the abundance of snow. The Arkansas River is also running very high. Be careful!

Don't hesitate to let me know if I can be of any more help.

Thanks so much, really appreciate it. We were originally headed to Ouray for this trip but with all the snow and the trails not open we decided to detour to this route. I have been to Ouray a couple times but never the Buena Vista area. Looking forward to exploring this part of Colorado.

 

[TerryD]

I wish you were going to be here just a little earlier as we have an event in Buena Vista soon:
Buena Vista June Jam / Colorado Front Range Camp out Meetup

Go to the Rally Point notes section in the above link. There are some links regarding the Fourmile area and some trail links for the area from https://www.trailsoffroad.com/.

Keep in mind that the high elevation trails are opening late due to the abundance of snow. The Arkansas River is also running very high. Be careful!

Don't hesitate to let me know if I can be of any more help.

I'm working on a map for a trip to Colorado next month and that trailsoffroad is AWESOME info. Thanks for posting that.

We're a little less organized though. We have a list of trails and we're just going to point in that direction so there will probably be lots of question asking. I need to make a thread for my own trip but I just wanted to say thanks.

 

[cruiserfien]

I'm working on a map for a trip to Colorado next month and that trailsoffroad is AWESOME info. Thanks for posting that.

We're a little less organized though. We have a list of trails and we're just going to point in that direction so there will probably be lots of question asking. I need to make a thread for my own trip but I just wanted to say thanks.

I got the book Sunday. Awesome suggestion. Gonna make out my list this weekend. Def looking at doing tin cup/ st Elmo. Also for the wife and kids looking at the breakenridge lift 10 trail for a ride to the top and have a picnic/ lunch out of the ARB.

I am really fighting the urge to do some serious rock crawling since I will be solo with the family and unfamiliar with the area in case of breakage. However the boulder field pic in the book of iron chest mine is drawing me in!! Oh decisions, usually I end up making bad ones. Lol

 

[old_man]

Tincup to St Elmo may be closed all year. Do some research

 

[Boort]

I got the book Sunday. Awesome suggestion. Gonna make out my list this weekend. Def looking at doing tin cup/ st Elmo. Also for the wife and kids looking at the breakenridge lift 10 trail for a ride to the top and have a picnic/ lunch out of the ARB.

I am really fighting the urge to do some serious rock crawling since I will be solo with the family and unfamiliar with the area in case of breakage. However the boulder field pic in the book of iron chest mine is drawing me in!! Oh decisions, usually I end up making bad ones. Lol

Over in the Buena Vista Trip thread (US Rocky Mountain - Buena Vista June Jam / Colorado Front Range Camp out Meetup) @Aeroscout just posted that Tin cup is still closed due to avalanche danger/damage His pic is here https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/attachments/img_1185-jpeg.104989/

Boort

 

[Neal A. Tew]

From CORE:

Trail Report - 6/18/19

*Please read the full report*
All of Fourmile North - Open
All of Fourmile South - Open
Aspen Ridge - Open
Chinaman Gulch - Open
Carnage Canyon - Open
Mineral Basin - Open for 6 miles until just after the FS 344G junction for stock/slightly modified rigs. Open for another mile for built rigs capable of deep snow.
Ptarmigan Lake - Open for 1 mile with snow on the road.
Tincup Pass - Closed due to Forest Order
Hancock Pass - Not accessible
Alpine Tunnel to Hancock Town Site - Open for stock/slightly modified vehicles to just past the Allie Belle Mine at 4.5 miles. Open to Hancock Townsite for built rigs capable of deep snow.
Pomeroy Lake - Open for .75 miles to the Mary Murphy Mine.
Grizzly Lake - Open for 1.5 miles, blocked by snow and avalanche debris.
Mount Antero - Open for 2 miles, blocked by snow and avalanche debris.
Clohesy Lake - Open for 1.5 miles, blocked by snow and avalanche debris.
Kelly Flatts - Open
T33 - Open

 

[cruiserfien]

From CORE:

Thanks for this update. Guess I was getting ahead of myself.

 

[cruiserfien]

Colorado Bound in less than 24 hrs. Thanks for all the input.

 

[Neal A. Tew]

What plan did you come up with?

 

[cruiserfien]

30 miles outside of Dallas. Pulling 12.2 mpg

 

[Rogue7]

Nice rig!!
I am in Aspen just over the mountain from Buena Vista.

Trails in the area are:
Tincup pass
Hancock Pas and the Alpine Tunnel
Tomichi Pass
Pomeroy Lake Road

I did Iron Chest years ago. You'll need lockers and having a second rig with you is a good idea.
Grizzly Lake is down the same road just past the turn to Iron Chest. It's on the right. You might check it out.

Princeton Hot springs, south of BV, is a fun place to take the family.
Gleenwood Hot Springs is about 2 hours north and is an awesome place to relax for a day. Bonus, you get to drive over Independence Pass.

Have fun!! If in Aspen, give me a shout!!

 

[Neal A. Tew]

Nice rig!!
I am in Aspen just over the mountain from Buena Vista.

Trails in the area are:
Tincup pass
Hancock Pas and the Alpine Tunnel
Tomichi Pass
Pomeroy Lake Road

I did Iron Chest years ago. You'll need lockers and having a second rig with you is a good idea.
Grizzly Lake is down the same road just past the turn to Iron Chest. It's on the right. You might check it out.

Princeton Hot springs, south of BV, is a fun place to take the family.
Gleenwood Hot Springs is about 2 hours north and is an awesome place to relax for a day. Bonus, you get to drive over Independence Pass.

Have fun!! If in Aspen, give me a shout!!

I don't think most, if any, of those trails are open yet. Tough year.

 

[cruiserfien]

I don't think most, if any, of those trails are open yet. Tough year.

Made it to Denver. Waiting on a flight to arrive today with the Fam.

We’re headed to Buena Vista Fri AM to the AVA outpost where we will meet up with a guide and raft the Arkansas River til Sunday. Looks like most of the trails are closed but I plan to talk to some locals and see if they can point us in a direction.

Then we’re going to Breckenridge to do some mountain Biking.

Thanks for all the input so far.

 

[Neal A. Tew]

I can hook you up with a fun and scenic trip near Buena Vista as well as some camping spots if you're interested.

I believe @nichenke and @unknown_overland may be there this weekend as well.

Let me know how I can help.

 

[cruiserfien]

I can hook you up with a fun and scenic trip near Buena Vista as well as some camping spots if you're interested.

I believe @nichenke and @unknown_overland may be there this weekend as well.

Let me know how I can help.

I’m open for the suggestions on scenic drives and camping spots. Much appreciated

 

[Neal A. Tew]

I'm sorry to be delayed in responding.

Here's some info I sent to the other pair of OB'ers I mentioned above:

These two campsites are pretty close to each other. Both are under a stand of shade trees.

GPS: 38.891571, -106.120782
GPS: 38.887744, -106.111769

The first has more of a view and is a little more exposed. The second would be good if it was really windy. I have stayed at both of those and recorded the coordinates myself. Both are accessed via CR 375A. They are on the north side of Hwy 24/285.

This site is on a short spur off of CR 185D/Little Cottonwood Creek. I just got the coordinates off Google Maps. It's an amazing overlook, but wouldn't be fun if it's windy. It's on the south side of the highway.
38.765310, -106.006744

There are maps of the Fourmile area here: Friends of Fourmile - Greater Arkansas River Nature Association

One of the most fun routes to me is to come in on CR300/Bald Mtn Gulch. Take the 300B Bald Mtn Loop and then take the spur to the summit. Great views. Try to go early in the day to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. If you want to avoid a couple rocky switchback sections then stay on the left side of the loop. However, I like to take the loop counterclockwise and do the rocky sections uphill. They are all on the east side. I do them in a stock full size.

When you come back off the mountain go northeast on 300 to 185D/Little Cottonwood Creek. It's a fun little climb, but you might want to avoid if wet/muddy. The third campsite above is just off this trail.

Trailsoffroad.com is a great resource for learning about these trails. Here is an example:
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/2530-fourmile-area-little-cottonwood-creek
Click on the NEARBY TRAILS tab to find others. Notice you can expand the distance. Also notice they have the gpx files for download for use in Gaia software or similar.

Any questions?

 

[Neal A. Tew]

More info:

For immediate release - 7/5/19
Avalanche debris field clearing efforts in Chaffee County

On June 30th volunteers from CORE, Mile-Hi Jeep Club, and the Colorado Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, Inc completed an operation to clear the avalanche debris field on the St. Elmo side of Tincup Pass. This project required several months of planning and involved the above organizations in conjunction with the Salida District Forest Service Office. It took 23 volunteers 5 hours to clear the road to a passable condition.

The Forest Service Closure Order was rescinded on 7/3/19 and you can travel the St. Elmo side of the pass to treeline, the road at that point is blocked by snow.
Thank you to all our members, sponsors and those supporting our work to #keeptrailsopen.

 

[cruiserfien]

My view waking up in the hammock while the girls were in the rtt.