Colorado Trip Reports

A few pics from Yankee Hill with @iRideMTB and @TacoMAss.




Someone had to show us rookies what to watch out for...

 

Ran Lead King Basin into Crystal Mill over the weekend. Foliage is past peak at the mill for those wondering, but it was still a pretty trip.

20161001-DSC_1798_HDR by Tim Souza, on Flickr

20161001-DSC_1856_HDR by Tim Souza, on Flickr

 

How difficult is this trail? I've seen so many photos of that place and would love to go, but I never have.

 

None of it was particularly difficult per say, it just got a bit bumpy after you come down the switchbacks all the way to the intersection with Schofield Pass. I don't see why you couldn't get a stock 4wd Tacoma through there as long as the driver isn't a complete hack.

 

Did you go up to Schofield?

 

Nope. Went right at the intersection to the mill and headed out. My wife was with me and I'm not sure she possesses the fortitude to want to go over Schofield.

 

You don't actually have to go up Lead King to get to the mill. When I visited I had my parents behind me in a Rav4. We started up Lead King, but the first major creek crossing was a bit deep and rocky for comfort, so we turned around and went the other direction, down along the river. No issues at all.

 

i thought that lead king was more difficult than scholfield correct?

 

Sweet, thanks guys!

 

Not from my understanding. Lead King is a 2/3 while Schofield is a 4 on Trail Damage (granted, that's one possibly out of date rating, but it lines up with all the other sources I've ever seen mention the two). I don't know there's any named obstacles on Lead King. Schofield has the Devil's Punchbowl. Which, if I recall, a few years back was improved/repaired/made easier/whatever, but still warrants some driver skill.

 

yeah I've done scholfield and spent a lot of time at the town of crystal camping. went most of the way up lead king but never actually ran the whole trail. Usually we came in the easy trail to the mill and then back out the same way if we didn't want to do scholfield into crested butte.

 

IMO lead king was harder based on sketch factor...schofield is more traveled

only sketchy part on schofield was the part above the punch bowl..

i would give caution to those looking to do lead king and don't under estimate it..

 

^^^^See this is why i thought that it was more difficult. Scholfeild is sketchy but a VERY FUN trail. Lead king I thought i remember you saying you had a moment where you had someone coming the other direction on the trail and it was SKETCHY because not a lot of room on that trail to get around someone

the trail going into crystal mill and then coming back out the same way is EASY if you take your time and have good wheel placement in a few spots. This is for a stock truck.

I wouldn't take a stock truck up scholfield or Lead king without another rig at least.

 

I'm confused on which trail we are calling which. Trail damage names them slightly different than the Chuck Wells book.

Lead King Basin takes off from the same place as Crystal Mill, and then intersects what Funtreks calls Devil's Punchbowl, while TD says that after the town of crystal you are on Schofield Pass.

I'd take a stock taco to the mill, up devil's punchbowl, and over Schofield without worry. Sketchy? Yes. Challenging? Not really. I have not been on Lead King so I can't comment on that.

@Night Eagle and I made it from Marble to CB in under 2 hours.

 

crystal mill should be considered one trail and rated easy

schofield starts later, i would say where the 3 trails meet up...lead king, crystal and schofield

that is where you can easily see the differences in the trails

 

lead king starts below the mill and meets back up past the mill, if i recall

 

I've been using the Trail Damage nomenclature. The Crystal City trail is the direct route to the mill and the town of Crystal. After you pass through the town you are on the Lead King Basin trail that will take you up to the intersection with Schofield Pass. Bang a left at that intersection and you'll head up and around Sheep mountain to complete the Lead King Basin loop.

Interesting to hear that Lead King is more difficult that Schofield as I was always under the impression that getting through the Devil's Punchbowl was nerve wracking. As to Lead King, there were definitely a few sections on the shelf road where it was very, very narrow and off camber. Luckily I never ran into anyone as passing would have been muchos difficult.

 

I would second the suggestion that if you go Lead King counter clockwise you do so cautiously and with a friend. Clockwise will send you downhill on the more difficult sections and is easier to complete.

 

Just so everyone is on the same page... Let's see if this is still legible or if you can at least click to full-size:

Note, I just winged in the lines, not traced the roads and all their switchbacks nor is it a loaded gps track.

 

yep, thats exactly correct!!

although the lead king on the crystal town side is just up the road and up one or two turns just outside of that town.