Colorado Trail Status, Closures, repairs, discussion.

Thanks, I figured it was probably still pretty snowed in but hadn't heard from any status yet.

 

Just got off the phone with Boulder Ranger District and MSV/ Coney Flats "at earliest" will open July 13th.

 

The kokopelli is already part of a loop

 

Tried to get to Clohesy Lake to climb Missouri on 6/29. River crossings were passable though slightly sketchy. Trail is blocked by avi debris 1.1 miles from the road for 100-150 yards. Based on the size of some of the trees in the debris, I'd estimate it hasn't slid this big for at least 25 years.

Can't imagine them getting this open anytime soon.

 

https://twitter.com/SheriffAlert/status/1132425981262569477

Found nice post of that 8.5M Lbs Rock that closed CO 145 down by Dolores

 

The second pic actually shows the trail right? Hard to tell how much snow is under/mixed in with the trees, and obviously some spots are worse than others, but an afternoon and a chainsaw...

I remember hiking that route. Screwed up early in the morning and kept going past the lake, added a couple extra miles to the hike by the time I figured out and had turned around to head up in the right place. That was annoying, but I did get one of my favorite pics on the way down.

I've been looking for something like that aerial view to finally give me proper perspective of that. Everything was on the ground and so close or at some weird point of view I could never tell exactly how the rock(s) related to the road. Will be interesting to see where they rebuild it. Supposedly it's going to save them $200,000 to rebuild around it compared to blasting it. Wonder if that includes comping the guy whose hay field they're going to have wipe out to do it.

 

I drove by there last week, the rock on the downslope of the road is right a the edge of the road. It doesn't look like it will take much to go around it uphill of the boulder. Lots of dirt work to stabilize the scar on the hill side.

 

This was the first time I'd been up there, so I can't be certain, but it does look like the trail. Regardless, there's still about 4-5' of snow packed under all that debris in various locations, including right as you come out of the trees.

 

I think only ChinaMan's is open out that way.

 

Damn, that's bad. I was hoping to get up there again this year. That's where I took my avatar pic last summer.

 

Ouray has added a website page for Trail status, I am assuming they are updating this as things change.

https://www.ouraycolorado.com/things-to-do/4x4

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO OHV TRAFFIC (please respect all trail closures for your safety and the safety of the crews that may be working to clear them)

• Black Bear Pass - closed by snow (expected to be late July/early August before passable)
• Corkscrew Pass - OPEN for about 1 mile on Silverton side, then closed by snow (San Juan County is clearing, Ouray County will start 6/17/19
• Engineer Pass - closed by snow
• Governor's Basin - closed by snow
• Imogene Pass- closed by snow (will be cleared by Ouray and San Miguel Counties following opening of Corkscrew, Engineer and Ophir passes)
• Kennebec Pass- closed by snow
• Minnehaha- closed by snow
• North Henson (Hinsdale CR 24 - access to Uncompahgre Peak): closed due to snow & downed trees along the road
• Lime Creek Road - closed by snow
• Lobo Overlook- closed by snow
• Picayune - closed by snow
• Placer - closed by snow
• Poughkeepsie- closed by snow
• Scotch Creek - closed by snow
• Treasure Mountain Loop - closed by snow

 

Maybe I'm confused which of the two they got rid of then. If the one on the road is gone, that would make sense. I guess last night I even forgot they did get one of them out period, and was thinking they'd have to go around both. You're definitely right about the scar though - that's the other part of why I was thinking they'd go around on the valley side instead of slope side, to allow for a debris field area for when it rains. Then again, some of the ones up the Poudre were bad right after the fire, but didn't really take much to stabilize after that (though the signs are still up to not park under them).

Yeah, it's tough to tell without standing there and only looking at pics. I just see a 'trail width smooth area' in that second pic. I'm sure the snow is pretty deep in parts of it, but some of that is because all the debris on top is insulating the snow. Clear off the leaves and evergreen branches, expose the snow and some rock on the edges, and it'll melt much faster.

 

I don't Face though.

 

This shows the existing boulder and road alignment.

 

Red Cone is still closed. Gate is shut. Webster Pass is open until the narrows coming from Bailey side. Didn't go up any further because we could see the drifts on the shelf road and didn't want to back down. Avalanche debris on that side of Webster has been cleared and the illegal bypass is blocked off.

 

We're you able to get to the big camping spot at the turn after the v notch? Seems like about 1/2 mile on the map.

 

Ugh. I guess I'll wait a couple more weeks. Thanks for the info!

 

So what you're trying to say is, the San Juans are closed... most likely through July at least.

 

Ophir is open, although with snow 10' deep on both sides, the view is like a white tunnel

 

wild flowers should be coming out just in time for new snow this fall up there