Advice on Crystal Mill

I've done a search but can't find what I'm looking for and need some honest advice. My wife and I are going to be down in the Aspen area on Memorial Day weekend 2019. I really want to get up to Crystal Mill and photograph it. I am very much an amateur off-road driver and I'm too old to do stupid sh*t. Like getting in over my head off-road.
1. Is the trip to Crystal Mill doable by an amateur?
2. Is it an out and back?
3. Is Memorial Day weekend the worst time to go?
4. Will I trash my beautiful brand new paint?
Thanks gang.

 

Yes, yes, yes, no.

 

Memorial weekend travels.. woof... Best if you can swing a weekday. Weekends are bad enough, throw in a holiday and it's madness

 

If I recall, there is one off camber towards the Crystal River section where it feels much worse than it actually is. I remembering my parents freaking out a bit.

 

Try going to alltrails.com
I found it quite easily with plenty of info.

 

Can you even get to the mill by Memorial Day?

 

I was wondering same thing, from Bush ducks last year.

4/30/18 - Mountain biked from Marble to the Crystal Mill. Clear all the way save for a 100 yard snow drift half a mile from the Mill that is covering the road, but well compacted and passable. Vehicles have made it through. Not sure how much farther it is open.

 

Last year was also a really bad snow year.

 

That Jeep service out of Marble starts running Memorial Day weekend. Probably weather dependent though.

 

I was on it last year in the summer and it was not that bad. We drove in about a mile short of the mill and camped over night.
It was tight in a few spots and added some pinstriping letting another vehicle go by . If you keep going to devils punch bowl than its get tough.
Yes you can go both ways. There is a great bad ass barbeque restaurant at that entrance in Marble, called Slow Groovin BBQ, highly recommended.

 

Everyone raves about that BBQ, need to hit the Crystal fishing and check it out.

With all of Colorado now over 100% snowpack, run-off will be a challenge this year

 

You can also turn it into a loop by taking lead king basin back around. That part has a tight shelf road, but wasn't that challenging when I did it July 2017.

 

The wife and I did Crystal Mill last fall to check out the aspen trees. The road from Marble to Crystal is very easy - just rocky and you might get some pin stripping. There was an old man in a full size Cummins Dodge coming back from the mill when I was heading there and I was in a 18 OR completely stock to give you some perspective. However, there might still be snow on Memorial Day Weekend and I wouldn't go then anyway.

As @penadam said you can do Lead King Basin back around and that is what I did. When I was at the mill there was a guy that lived in Crystal on an Enduro there kind of policing it. He pretty much told me every way he could that he would not take my truck up Devil's Punch Bowl and head over to Crested Butte, but said he thought I could do the Lead King Basin loop like @penadam mentioned which we did opt for.

With that said, you mention not being very experienced. I don't know it all either, but I've done almost every iconic trail in North America, use to compete in rock crawling, and have driven the mountains of Afghanistan - I'd be lying if I said the Lead Kind Loop isn't a little sketchy at the start. It is the part right after you leave Crystal and head up the mountain. It gets narrow with a massive drop off into a river. There was one part towards the top of the narrow section that becomes extremely narrow and you go up kind of a small waterfall. I probably could of hit it hard and made it up this but thought I would get some body damage - I was slipping on the rock pretty good so this is the only time I have ever used the crawl control on the Tacoma. Have to say it worked amazingly (Have stock tires). After this part it is all easy going and stop at the waterfalls there. They are amazing!

If you are comfortable though and take it slow I think you will be fine and that loop is very much worth it. One of the most beautiful basins I've seen in my opinion. Mind you - we were there at peak aspen change and the whole basin was raining yellow leaves making it look like sparkling gold.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the mill because we were there during the worst light. Will be back!

 

I drove through there several years ago, from the Crested Butte side.

As an amateur off-roader driving a mostly-stock F150... the upper section, between the mill and Schofield pass, was absolutely terrifying. I remember sliding over to look out my passenger door a dozen times just to make sure I still had my front wheels on the road!

But the section between the mill and Marble is easy for a stock truck so long as the snow is melted. I was at Snowmass last weekend and can confirm there is a LOT of snow up there right now.

I hope you're a better photographer than I am.

 

Trail has changed, they had a rocky slide and stuff that significantly altered Devils Punch Bowl area, I want to say the whole trail was closed for a year or 2 while they figured out what they wanted to do.

https://www.aspendailynews.com/mass...cle_c88f2cb0-f53c-5886-ab40-de0c67a9cae5.html

https://www.fjcruiserforums.com/for...owl-trail-destroyed-north-schofield-pass.html

Details on the re-opening
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1914-schofield-pass

This Trail detail has seasonal closure Dates:
FR314 (north side) November 23 to May 20
FR317 (south side) February 29 to June 30
https://www.4x4explore.com/rds/s_rds/schofield_ps.html

 

It’s a horrible drug and if you don’t already do it, my suggestion would be not to start.













Sorry. Every time I see this title I have to read it twice.

 

Quit mething around, he's asking for serious advice