Snow Run Investigation

[subzali]

Hey y'all, since we've had marginal success with running Yankee Hill as a club the past couple of years I was thinking of looking for some alternates. It looks like the next couple of Sundays will be open for me, at least in the morning. I was thinking of taking a look at:
-Argentine Pass
-Guanella Pass
-Lamartine area
-Castle Gulch
-Bill Moore Lake Area
-Switzerland Trail Area

Do these sound like good alternates? Is anybody up for running some of these with me (better to not be by myself etc.) over the next couple of weeks to check them out? Anybody have reasons why I/we should stay away from any of these during the winter? Thanks.

 

[treerootCO]

Check out this link for Guanella Pass snow wheeling. It was harder than I thought it would be.

http://www.root45.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=49373

 

[subzali]

Yeah I remember that from last year. It's worth a shot to check out though right?

 

[bh4rnnr]

Hey y'all, since we've had marginal success with running Yankee Hill as a club the past couple of years I was thinking of looking for some alternates. It looks like the next couple of Sundays will be open for me, at least in the morning. I was thinking of taking a look at:
-Argentine Pass
-Guanella Pass
-Lamartine area
-Castle Gulch
-Bill Moore Lake Area
-Switzerland Trail Area

Do these sound like good alternates? Is anybody up for running some of these with me (better to not be by myself etc.) over the next couple of weeks to check them out? Anybody have reasons why I/we should stay away from any of these during the winter? Thanks.

I wouldnt recomend Argentine this deep into winter. Seeing how the main section of road follows a good shelf section for some time. The only other option for that rd is to follow the power line road in the valley, but that might get interesting seeing as how you have a few creek crosing to navigate.

Guanella Pass, as Mike stated, was tough but it also was fun. Nothing to much to worry about on that road, just all the snow that has been coming down.

We did Switzerland trail a few years ago around this time I think, and it was a lot of fun. Will have to see if I can dig up the pics....

The others I have not done enough to know for winter time use.

We did Loch Lomond a few new years ago, but that to was slow going, even with the Cruiser Train plowing in front. I'm sure it'll be just as tough with all the recent snow.

 

[Uncle Ben]

I wouldnt recomend Argentine this deep into winter. Seeing how the main section of road follows a good shelf section for some time. The only other option for that rd is to follow the power line road in the valley, but that might get interesting seeing as how you have a few creek crosing to navigate.

Guanella Pass, as Mike stated, was tough but it also was fun. Nothing to much to worry about on that road, just all the snow that has been coming down.

We did Switzerland trail a few years ago around this time I think, and it was a lot of fun. Will have to see if I can dig up the pics....

The others I have not done enough to know for winter time use.

We did Loch Lomond a few new years ago, but that to was slow going, even with the Cruiser Train plowing in front. I'm sure it'll be just as tough with all the recent snow.

Switzerland Trail is what we used to do the Snow and Pizza Run on. The last couple years we did it there was so little snow that the fun factor was limited to the Pizza part! I can do a quick look-see at SL and see what it looks like. (20 minutes from my house!) I bet the upper section is drifted in deep!

 

[subzali]

Yeah I remember doing Switzerland (riding with Groucho) a couple years ago, so that's why it came to mind. I'm assuming the Pizza Part would not be at Beau Jo's in that case though...

Where's Loch Lamond?

What about Slaughterhouse?

Other northern trails? We did Walden with the FJCs last year, I know that's pretty far and really more of a destination type deal, but still...

 

[Red_Chili]

A group of motorcyclists attempted Guanella yesterday.
ADVrider.com
Looks like they got pretty far this year, as far as we got last year in 4x4s!

 

[Uncle Ben]

Yeah I remember doing Switzerland (riding with Groucho) a couple years ago, so that's why it came to mind. I'm assuming the Pizza Part would not be at Beau Jo's in that case though...

Where's Loch Lamond?

What about Slaughterhouse?

Other northern trails? We did Walden with the FJCs last year, I know that's pretty far and really more of a destination type deal, but still...

The way we did the first run of the year (Snow/Pizza run), [Edited], was the whole group did Switzerland Trail then we ate pizza at Millsite Inn in Ward. After pizza those who wanted more of a run (tougher) went out again a tad bit higher. Some of those "after the pizza runs" became great campfire legends! Like for instance, Henry Brimmers side slope adventure or Jeff Jackson's famous "Bob Sled Ride!" Good times for sure!

 

[Uncle Ben]

Hey y'all, since we've had marginal success with running Yankee Hill as a club the past couple of years I was thinking of looking for some alternates. It looks like the next couple of Sundays will be open for me, at least in the morning. I was thinking of taking a look at:
-Argentine Pass
-Guanella Pass
-Lamartine area
-Castle Gulch
-Bill Moore Lake Area
-Switzerland Trail Area

Do these sound like good alternates? Is anybody up for running some of these with me (better to not be by myself etc.) over the next couple of weeks to check them out? Anybody have reasons why I/we should stay away from any of these during the winter? Thanks.

Another great place to get stuck in the winter is the Bunce School road area!

 

[nakman]

Loch Lamond is up above Alice. If you remember Kingston peak where you stopped at that place where people stacked up all those rocks? That looks down to Loch Lamond.. Yoder is our resident master for getting up there, he took me up there once after I led a night run up and over Kingston. In fact there are a couple tricky areas where I was glad to have sliders and both lockers.. the rest of it is a snoozer though just a forest road. In snow, there would be some nice opportunities for sliding right off the trail.

 

[subzali]

You went up there during summer it sounds like Tim?

 

[nakman]

You went up there during summer it sounds like Tim?

Yup, August 2005 right before our son was born. I found a picture, here I am with the winch out, of course you can't tell from the pic but I was literally sliding down the hillside, you could hear the tires slip every time I opened a door, etc. Kind of a nothing deal, you just go across the top of this big open landslide spot, I just wasn't quite high enough also wasn't aired down, and before I knew it all 4 were slipping downhill and I got to the point where I didn't think I could make it, so I got the winch out. Again, looks like nothing in the picture but I wouldn't want any part of this if there's snow.

I'll do again in the summer though!

 

[subzali]

I We did Loch Lomond a few new years ago, but that to was slow going, even with the Cruiser Train plowing in front. I'm sure it'll be just as tough with all the recent snow.

Perry, is the "Cruiser train" the two guys with the V8 FJ40s that use the tow bar to create and 8-wheel drive machine?