Colorado Trail Status, Closures, repairs, discussion.

The news is making the rounds on the 'net... Stage 3 closure (full closure) of multiple ranger districts along the front range within the Arapaho and Roosevelt NF: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd831610.pdf

This means no using FSRs which most of the "trails" we enjoy are.

 

Anyone have an update on Chinaman's

 

any reason why it would not be open?

 

It's probably open, I was curious about the level of snow and ice for a buddy

 

i drove through BV last weekend and it's fairly dry in the valley.. should be good to go

 

Anyone call the USFS PSICC South Platte Ranger today to see if Rampart Range is open yet? @lambo @johntoyota

Roads and trails reopen when conditions are favorable for summer recreation. A target date is April 1, but weather conditions may delay opening until late-May pursuant to a "mud-season" closure order. The closure order is in effect April 1-May 31 annually, to provide resource protection for all National Forest System roads & trails in the Recreation Area.
​

EDIT: I'm guessing it is probably still closed. I forgot that where I go climbing there is above 8000'.

 

So is it open?

 

Dunno. It's after hours and I'm trying to plan out leaving tomorrow now. If nobody knows, I'll call the Ranger in the morning.

 

Let me know. Would be a lot closer than the current plan a.

 

Haha... I just checked the NOAA snow depth. Looks like there still snow above 8000'.... Who would have thought.

 

I'll be up in the area this weekend. Wasn't planning on Rampart to be open so I'm hitting up Rainbow Falls.

 

That’s where I am heading tomorrow after work for the weekend

 

Rampart Range is still closed:

 

The Fourmile Seasonal Gates to Aspen Ridge and Chubb Park will not open until May 1st this year. Watch the video for all the details and plan accordingly. Also has video update on Gulches closure battle.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFihjZG96Uw&ab_channel=Keeptrailsopen
incase no one wants to go to facebook

 

So for 13 years they've been unintentionally opening the gates 2 weeks early and all that has to end because some busy body found a problem with the paperwork? I hate people sometimes.

 

I'm hoping to do the Rimrocker Trail from Montrose to Moab this June. Any side trails or scenic bypasses that aren't on the main trail that I should add to the plan?

 

Around these coordinates there are a bunch of trails that shoot north, that intersect another trail that runs pretty much parallel to the main rimrocker. 38.37036, -108.26807. I added a couple of those when I did the rimrocker last year in my stock truck.

Also, keep your gps or whatever navigation software you are using pulled up, especially on the Utah side, I ran it from Moab to Montrose and the signage isn't as good as I thought it was going to be and I definitely took a couple wrong turns on the Utah side. Also, as far as camping goes I found that was much more camping on the Colorado side, most of the Utah side is open range and there were cows everywhere. I ended up driving a bit further than I wanted to get to Colorado to camp.

 

38.39089, -108.78084

There is a spur to the left (going colorado to utah) with a dozen or so adits on a shelf road. The views combined with all the mine adits takes you back 120 years.

Plus one of the mines is named Big Dick Mine so you can giggle like a school kid when you see it on the map.

 

Ironclads is open as of 5/9