Highest Elevation Tacoma

But we didn't stop for pictures there, here's a shitty shot of @SuperBad ass at 37.9701374,-107.5898607, topo seems to put it just over 12,960


Taller, but not nearly as cool

 

Unfortunately, an avalanche took out a portion of the Alpine Tunnel palisade like 3-4 years ago and the it's been closed ever since. There was some discussion of properly fixing it/reopening the road, but I'm sure that's stuck in red tape. Williams Pass will be first on my list if they ever reopen it.

 

@mk5 the other thing that separated Ca from Co is where the gold (and later silver, etc) was. Our’s was almost all at lower elevations so the mining towns and resulting road networks are mostly in the 3-6K foot range. Our higher peaks (and of course we don’t have as many) have pretty much always been roadless, except for White Mtn and a few other areas east of the Sierra Crest.

 

Oh no, that is such an amazing place to visit! I added Williams to my bucket list as soon as I got the Tacoma -- the F150 was definitely too big for that one!

I recall reading that the town of Woodstock was built somewhere below the palisades, and was totally wiped out by an avalanche and never rebuilt.



Hopefully the route gets re-opened. Thank god it isn't in Boulder County, or else they would have already closed it forever and declared it a wilderness.

Excellent point! I was always puzzled by how few routes cross the Sierras.

 

Amazing post MK5! Thank you, taking notes.

I will say that Mineral Creek is indeed a more challenging route. My wife ended up none the happier with me after the first few hours of navigating that trail. The scenery was fantastic but the drop offs were not to her liking. LOL She was sweating and swearing a lot. It was wet and slippery to boot. And in the interest of stability and my personal well being (from my wife) I kept the locker on the whole time to keep the drama down.

 

Thanks @mk5 !

Didn't know the significance of where I was. Went out to the Bristlecone Pine Forest and just kept following the road because it was there. Was quite disappointed when we hit the locked gate as I wanted to get to the end of the road on the map.

White Mountain Road at the White Mountain Trailhead.

According to Google Earth this is 11,700 - 11,720 in elevation.

 

More wasted time online has brought to my attention another potential route to drive to 14,000 feet in Colorado:

Mount Bross is 14,178 feet, and it looks like a road goes very near the top of it. In fact, here is a September 2019 video of someone driving all the way to the actual summit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLuc3vJr8z4

The nearby Mount Lincoln (14,286 ft) also has a road leading to the top, and in fact, there is even a road linking the two via the ridgeline. However, according to a 2014 report on 4x4Explore, there is a gate (photographed on that site) at 13,176 feet, well below the summit.

Checking the topo maps, we can identify the location of that gate, at the first point where the #437 road enters the mining claims near the summit (I drew a big black arrow at the location of the gate). Sure enough, I can even find that gate on the google maps satellite photo.



(That's Hoosier Pass on the upper right corner.)

The topo also indicates there's a gate on the ridgeline, at the first claim boundary northwest of Mt Bross, which would rule out Mt Lincoln from either side.

But it looks like I've found another destination for the 2020 Colorado trip. Assuming I ever get out of this house this year!

This has been a fun discussion. Thanks OP!

Here's one of my stupid video montages of going up Mineral Creek and over Engineer last year, for what it's worth:

https://youtu.be/N9zLjPmiEZ4?t=32

Definitely a number of steps requiring the locker in the uphill direction.

 

Great info, haven't heard of anyone going up Bross, added to this summer's activities!

 

This is indeed that spot!! Ben mentioned he’d proposed up here! Hoping the border opens again, so I can meet up with you guys somewhere on one side of the border or another!!

 

Lets make sure that happens.

 

Another one in the east koots, about 8600’. The old mineshaft is ahead of, and to the left of the truck.

 

Looks like an ad.

 

Finally I'll be on my way to the CO high country this week... but I guess the first winter storm is going to beat me there by two days.

WTF 2020?

Anyone make it up Bross this year?

I'll probably still try, but it's hard to hold a lot of hope at this point.

 

the storm should hit us tomorrow and we are forecasted to get 3-5” of snow tomorrow night.

so far my truck has only been over Wolf Creek Pass a few times, 10,857Ft
It rest up between trips at 7618ft in the driveway

 

Going to try the loop in early October. Hope I’m not too late and can’t go up. Gonna be close.

 

Anyone who’s driven trail ridge road through Rocky Mountain National park has been at 12,183 I don’t have a picture unfortunately

 

Saw these guys on Bross last august when I hiked it. Can't remember if you need keys for mining claim gates or not. Someone had an old Toyota pickup up there that had been buried by winter snows after getting stuck in the fall and was still abandoned in July of 2019.

 

California's contribution to the highest thread:

White Mountain Road does go higher all the way to 14,251 ft, but unless you work at the research station and happen to drive a tacoma, that'll never make it on here. The gate is traditionally closed at 11,690 ft, but some years they allow parking at the research station for two days which brings you up to the 12,450 ft level. I took my subaru up there and it was a gutless wonder loaded with five people and a shitty manual transmission in an NA motor.

Now onto the more exciting stuff that firmly requires 4wd and is California's highest thru road. You colorado people love your high passes, but our highest road is a through road right over the top of the Sweetwater Range's highest peak- Mt. Patterson. At 11,673 ft, you are up there in a martian landscape with no trees to be seen and just wildly colored rocks. Patterson also is the tallest thing around for many many miles so expect it to be damn windy. When I was there in June, gusts were ripping across the summit at 110 mph and it was impossible to open the truck doors. The mirrors were threatening to fold in and the hood was shaking with so much wind blowing in the grille. Honestly was a bit concerning especially near the steep slopes at the summit. All photos were taken at lower altitudes were the winds were a mere 50-60mph.

 

I was part of a grant proposal last year that might have gotten me instrument time on White Mountain. Not actually at the very top, but perhaps I'd have gotten a chance to drive up there anyway. Unfortunately the proposal wasn't funded :-/

Can't wait to drive Mt. Patterson, thanks for the report!