Colorado Front range meet up

[Meister]

Just throwing this out there to maybe get a group from the front range, I'm in Colorado springs, and have a day out wheeling. I'm thinking early march.

Just got purple cranium diff protection, well waiting for them. Open to trails and difficulty levels.

Let me know if anyone is interested and I can give you my number

 

[WY.Ram]

Yo, I'm definitely down with this. I'm in Larkspur, about 25mi north of Col Springs. My availability is whenever, Mon-Sun, any day any time. There's one week in March (16-24) that I'm booked aside from that I'm in.
I'm fairly new to the area, about a year, so I don't have a whole lot of trail knowledge around here but there's resources.
Excellent idea!

Just throwing this out there to maybe get a group from the front range, I'm in Colorado springs, and have a day out wheeling. I'm thinking early march.

Just got purple cranium diff protection, well waiting for them. Open to trails and difficulty levels.

Let me know if anyone is interested and I can give you my number

2016 RAM 2500 pw | 392ci w 6spd | CAI w ARH long tubes & Solo | Diablo T2 w HF tune | 5.13 AAM w 35" Mickey MTs | Custom Graphics w illegal tint | Dodge Off-Road

 

[Grand Mesa]

Not to shed some snow on the parade, but having lived on the Front Range...March is typically the snowiest month.

http://www.skyviewweather.com/2011/03/02/march-is-colorados-snowiest-month-along-the-front-range/

If the higher elevations are too snow packed for off-roading, there's always the snow/muddy roads of eastern Colorado and New Mexico. Picketwire Canyon, CO and Mills Canyon, NM are within a few hours drive from the Spgs. Further to the north east is the Pawnee Buttes. Mills Canyon has multiple rock covered river crossings (beyond the graded road sections) which does require a high ground clearance 4x4 vehicle such as the Power Wagon to continue on.

Reside too far west of the (Colorado) Divide to join in.

 

[Meister]

I make it out to divide often, not terribly far. As we all know March may be warm or completely snow covered. I'd be ok with trying to get something together near woodland park or even divide if your interested.

 

[Grand Mesa]

Thanks for the offer. I meant the Continental Divide vs Divide, Colorado. I am familiar with that area though having dirt biked it, but I currently reside in a rural location between Grand Junction and Rifle. Nearly an hour drive to each of those cities and a much further over 4 hour drive to Divide, Colorado. Too far of a day's drive, even to Divide.

 

[Meister]

Looking to get a group together to have some fun March 9th. Open to meet up locations and trails. Is anyone interested?

 

[mtnrider]

If I was still out there I'd join ya. (used to live in Black Forest). Have fun and post up some pictures!


.

 

[Fox24]

Grand mesa was right. It's pretty slick and snow packed in our hills, by next weekend should be tons of mud. I'm working on FT. Carson and live downtown. Lets "all" get together when a few more COS people chime in.

 

[WY.Ram]

Grand mesa was right. It's pretty slick and snow packed in our hills, by next weekend should be tons of mud. I'm working on FT. Carson and live downtown. Lets "all" get together when a few more COS people chime in.

You sayin its gonna warm up sometime before this weekend and we're gonna get a taste of spring? God I hope so, but i aint too picky, Ill get stuck in mud, snow, sand, marriage. Its all the same, just some'n under my truck. Haha, lol just kidding.
Wyoming generally schedules to have most mountain pass roads open no sooner than memorial day, so damn cold some places there, is Colorado weather warm enough that they open sooner by chance? Not March sooner but ya know 'sooner'? Just curious

There is a dirt road on top of the hills west of where my truck sleeps at night called Rampart Road, i think. At least thats what we call it, it has a US Forest service designation and it runs North from The Springs has some two track and a small but challenging rock crawl area. Its the christmas tree road, anyway they closed it like Dec 21st or close, any Front Rangers have an idea when areas like that open?


2016 RAM 2500 pw | 392ci w 6spd | CAI w ARH long tubes & Solo | Diablo T2 w HF tune | 5.13 AAM w 35" Mickey MTs | Custom Graphics w illegal tint | Dodge Off-Road

 

[Meister]

I dont think it's going to be OPEN and we are supposed to get more snow.....probably need to postpone sadly

 

[Grand Mesa]

Not good off road conditions over here either. There's thick and wet bentonite mud on the Western Slope dirt roads all around the Grand Junction region. At Bangs Canyon last Friday we parked next to a Wyoming 4x4 pickup truck with Mickey Thompson M/T's of which the treads were packed with it 3" thick. Spinning the tires to clear it on my Power Wagon just helped getting it to stick like concrete on everything else. Your best bet is to stay on the Front Range this time of the year.

 

[56PW17]

Pretty awesome what you guys have access to out west. If the road is closed and you drive it what happens? Here on the east coast if the road is closed people still try no matter what. Bunch of dummies

 

[Meister]

There was some clown who tried to take his h2 hummer out and he was fined a couple grand and had to be towed out

 

[WY.Ram]

Pretty awesome what you guys have access to out west. If the road is closed and you drive it what happens?
.....east coast... people .. Bunch of dummies

Lol^^^^, Im just kidding, the "east coast" need be removed and yeah, Im a people. See......

Most road closure violations are posted as the typical misdemeanor I believe, $750 fine and up to 1 yr in jail. Now with that, the patrolman are usually very curious as to why I thought I needed to duck the gate, a good reason and being well prepared (4x4 with appropriate sneakers on it, at least) will most often get me a good earful about the risk to others when they gotta come get my thick skull And then sent on my way.
If i actually need to have recovery assistance, probably count on a traffic ticket, $400 might be a starting point.
If i ask before I duck the gate and am well prepared - decent conversation that results in the officer at the gate allowing me to go through, and having me check in when i clear the area. Unless it just to dangerous then I be grateful that its him minded a gate so as to save all the dummies from themselves and then I get to go home.

My favorite is the ass chewin one when you come out of the closed section to meet and greet the patrolman minding the dummy gate. My truck looks like an icecycle on steroids, windows are now down, hands on the steering wheel, and I open with "hi", followed by a good solid 15 sincere yessirs, then be on my way.

These are temporary, short term closures on state highways. Any seasonal closure on a road around here and a vehicle wont make it out of site of the gate, penalties are the same i believe, fatty traffic ticket unless they have to come get you, then their ass is in trouble, pay for recovery effort these days. If they use a heli.....lol


2016 RAM 2500 pw | 392ci w 6spd | CAI w ARH long tubes & Solo | Diablo T2 w HF tune | 5.13 AAM w 35" Mickey MTs | Custom Graphics w illegal tint | Dodge Off-Road

 

[Grand Mesa]

Pretty awesome what you guys have access to out west. If the road is closed and you drive it what happens? Here on the east coast if the road is closed people still try no matter what. Bunch of dummies

It happens here too. In Rabbit Valley (west of Fruita, Colorado) the BLM within the past decade has put up every sort of steel fence and wood post barrier to stop all vehicle, bicycle, and foot access across the Utah border right across a dirt road on the high rock cliffs above the Colorado River. It once was entirely accessible and enabled one to continue down the dirt road to the river and beyond for many miles, finally connecting to another road and highway. The barricade signs don't even allow for foot access, since what was once a road, is now a "never was a road". Even my dog can clearly see a dirt road on the other side. Still 1/4 mile up the still existing road some diehard off roaders have found a well utilized get around to the other side of the fence and just follow it pass the barricades to the "never was a road". Got to get caught in the act, but it's highly unlikely due to the remoteness and the low population density of this area. Hefty fine/jail sentence or both more than likely for disobeying the BLM.

Anyhow, in Colorado on some well used trails signs are posted to what is recommended to drive on them. Bangs Canyon (Billings Canyon access) has a clearly marked sign at the entrance. The 33" tires on the sign in the photo has been recently updated to 35".

https://www.americantrails.org/reso...ersal-difficulty-rating-system-for-ohv-trails

 

[Fox24]

There is a dirt road on top of the hills west of where my truck sleeps at night called Rampart Road, i think. At least thats what we call it, it has a US Forest service designation and it runs North from The Springs has some two track and a small but challenging rock crawl area. Its the christmas tree road, anyway they closed it like Dec 21st or close, any Front Rangers have an idea when areas like that open?

Rampart ridge road is the "highway" of close off roading. You absolutely should check it out. Many trials off of it. I usually go up Mt. Herman Rd. I've NEVER seen it closed but it's not plowed. From there there are more trails than your gastank can get you to. You can enter the ridge from Woodland Park, Garden of the gods, and Mt. herman on the south side, Deckers on the west side, and many ways from denver..... But i don't go to Denver.

 

[Fox24]

It happens here too. In Rabbit Valley (west of Fruita, Colorado) the BLM within the past decade has put up every sort of steel fence and wood post barrier to stop all vehicle, bicycle, and foot access across the Utah border right across a dirt road on the high rock cliffs above the Colorado River. It once was entirely accessible and enabled one to continue down the dirt road to the river and beyond for many miles, finally connecting to another road and highway. The barricade signs don't even allow for foot access, since what was once a road, is now a "never was a road". Even my dog can clearly see a dirt road on the other side. Still 1/4 mile up the still existing road some diehard off roaders have found a well utilized get around to the other side of the fence and just follow it pass the barricades to the "never was a road". Got to get caught in the act, but it's highly unlikely due to the remoteness and the low population density of this area. Hefty fine/jail sentence or both more than likely for disobeying the BLM.

Anyhow, in Colorado on some well used trails signs are posted to what is recommended to drive on them. Bangs Canyon (Billings Canyon access) has a clearly marked sign at the entrance. The 33" tires on the sign in the photo has been recently updated to 35".

https://www.americantrails.org/reso...ersal-difficulty-rating-system-for-ohv-trails

They have arm barriers they can set up and lock to keep you out, shutting off the whole road. I think the Forest service runs them. I don't see where theres anyway to track it either, so sometimes, you drive up to it and have to turn around. Theres really not much for "law enforcement" in pike national forest, but if I caught you tearing up the forest, I'd talk to you. We take care of our own woods around here

 

[Grand Mesa]

If you want to enjoy a short hike, Mt. Herman is a nice one. Dirt biked (motorcycle) the trails off of Rampart Range when I lived in Aurora due to my son lived in Palmer Lake. Texas Canyon is another good nearby option between Salida and Canon City off of the Arkansas River that we went to. We both moved away in 2017, but still have family with 3 off road vehicles in the Springs.

Still avoid going to Denver to this day. My favorite though between Colorado Springs and Denver for both camping and full size truck four wheeling was North Twin Cone Peak. The 126 road (county road 872) is accessible via a closed gate, but it's legal to open and proceed through the private property. Quite challenging climb with a 4x4. The Kenosha Pass access is usually jammed packed with visitors, but once through the private property there are only a few.

North Twin Cone Peak
Colorado.

https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/6870-north-twin-cone-peak.html

Found on YouTube, up North Twin Cone via '99 Jeep Wrangler

 

[Grand Mesa]

They have arm barriers they can set up and lock to keep you out, shutting off the whole road. I think the Forest service runs them. I don't see where theres anyway to track it either, so sometimes, you drive up to it and have to turn around. Theres really not much for "law enforcement" in pike national forest, but if I caught you tearing up the forest, I'd talk to you. We take care of our own woods around here

Not me. LOL

I would have reported it if I could see the destruction taking place, but I could only hear them in the distance and their sounds faded off away in Utah.

I have enjoyed camping and hiking with my family in the Pike National Forest from 1969 to present. Camped at Cheyenne Mountain State Park just last month during the extreme cold temperatures.

Both of my daughters worked/work for the US Forest Service in Colorado and Nevada. Spent 5 months myself working for the Parks and Maintenance on the Front Range in 2016. It takes a lot of effort to repair vandalism and so besides 4x4 government pickups I drove a Hotsy truck equipped with a 500 gallon tank which could remove most of the graffiti.

 

[WY.Ram]

@Grand Mesa and @Fox24 this is great information, I do have a serious concern or reservation about rolling one wheel onto an unauthorized area. Not looking to lay down anything closely thought of as vandalism and My lack of trail knowledge in the area compounds the anxiety. So your inputs help tremendously, thank you!


2016 RAM 2500 pw | 392ci w 6spd | CAI w ARH long tubes & Solo | Diablo T2 w HF tune | 5.13 AAM w 35" Mickey MTs | Custom Graphics w illegal tint | Dodge Off-Road