Colorado Trip Reports

Check here: http://bushducks.com/tripreps/passopen.htm

Looks like Tin Cup just opened up and Hancock is still snowed in. Make sure to check out Tomichi, Taylor, and Pearl if you're in the area and they're open. Tin Cup might be the busiest 4WD road in the state next to the alpine loop. I really don't find that road enjoyable, but allows you to connect some better trails.

 

Also, I assume the road to the Alpine Tunnel is still closed. An avalanche a couple winters ago took out a large section of the road and as of last year it hadn't reopened.

 

I remember a discussion last year on Alpine tunnel status since they had a major avalanche ? year and AFAIK it has not bee reopened, closed at Sherrod Loop point if I recall right.

Edit found pick on damage, you could bring Mtn bikes to get by it!

 

Check Pic I just posted, and here is thread with lots of pics to help you decide on Mtn bike option.

https://14erskiers.com/blog/2016/09/tr-the-alpine-tunnel-west-side-20-aug-2016/

The Alpine Tunnel road is certainly worth checking out and biking is a fun way to do it! The railroad grade climb is not too difficult for most. There’s still time to enjoy it this year, especially since the fall colors are right around the corner!

 

I don't know that we ever sorted this out, is the slide before or after the Williams Pass gate? Is there a gate on the Alpine Tunnel section leading up to it that wouldn't permit getting to it either way?

 

Based on my view from the top of Tomichi last year, the slide is well before the start of Williams.

There's no gate, but a road closed blocker thingy.

 

Boo, and after reading Steve's link, it says there is a gate at the switch back, which I think is where Hancock drops in.

The road was closed to motorized traffic at the Sherrod Loop, which is a giant switchback in the the road. It was still a few miles away from the Alpine Tunnel.​

 

And from Bushducks for Alpine. Balls, super pissed it was closed a few years ago when we tried to run it when it should have been open.

6/21/17 - Closed at junction with Hancock Pass - there is severe road damage. About a mile above the closure- at the Palisade Wall - the road has been taken out. Looks like the result of boulders and erosion. You can hike the three miles to the tunnel though.

 

Wonder if you could out and back it from the other side? Doesn't make a lot of sense but maybe you could at least hit it that way.

Someone needs to call the FS or the Alpine Tunnel historic society and figure out what plans are in place to reopen the road. Somewhere I read it had to be reconstructed to a historically correct standard. If that's the case it will be twenty years until they pass through all the red tape and find the worlds foremost expert on narrow-gauge train palisade construction to supervise the repair.

 

Pretty much, may be a lost trail . . . Alpine Tunnel wasn't exciting at all from a trail perspective, but the historical value was pretty cool. Any of you old timers ever run Williams? @Star-Lord @Gramps

 

Alright, you motivated me, just talked with the Gunnison FS. He said that some minimal efforts were made to repair the washout, but it was very low on the priority list and likely to be at least a few years to repair, they make an effort to just make it "passable". Based on the pic above, that could work, but IDK. I also asked about Williams, and he said it was unlikely to open until Alpine is, as it intersects the Alpine trail. He did say that it was not really in their wheelhouse, the Gunnison Jeep Club is responsible for it as we discussed with that guy up on American a few years ago, but I wouldn't think they would open it until you could run it straight through.

 

Brett's looking for something to pass the time, maybe he can rebuild the rail lines too.

 

When are you going?

 

I heard the Palisade section was spectacular and why I have it on my list to get out there, plus I like looking at the old railroad stuff.

 

Tin Cup is for sure Texas/ ATV heaven but Cottonwood Pass summer closing for road work this summer might make it somewhat less so.

 

if you do Georgia pass you might as well just start in Montezuma and go over either radical hill or saint johns or deer creek and and up, and then back down the middle fork of tiger road and then head up Georgia pass. Somebody else can maybe chime in with more details. This is my back yard so everything is off of memory so sorry for the lack of details.

 

This for sure, skip Georgia. Red Cone> Radical>North Swan>SOB will get you to the top of Georgia.

 

I've run Williams pass a few times. It's open for about one month of the year.
It's not a long trail. Worth the time to drive it though. Very scenic, trail consists of numerous basketball size boulders and is kind of wet to add to the slippage.
It is after the current slide on Alpine Tunnel road. I doubt it will be opened until the slide section is repaired to keep people from coming up the back side.

 

Medano pass is nice. Did Labor day(memorial day?) last year there. No crowds on the trail, found a bomb camp spot i'll share with you in a PM if you'd like. Should be able to escape a lot of the crowds there, seems like anything in/near the Sangre de Cristos are much less traveled. I was down there for the 4th and we found a spot no problem and were only one of 4 parties that summited our target climb the next day.

 

You can still see the Palisade section from below.
There is some RR features before you get to the closure on the road. But the best stuff is at the top and right now the marmots are the only ones getting to see that.