JK-jeepit

Schofield Pass is opened. We will be doing this again on Saturday July 19th from Crested Butte to Gothic to The Crystal Mill, our return trip will be TBD. Either via Schofield pass again or the highway and Kebler Pass.
will be stopping for dinner at the secret stash in Crested Butte.
We are staying in Gunnison.
Anyone wanting to join us fill free and we can arrange a meeting spot..
There is a community center in the middle of Crested Butte that would work.

nmwranglerx

Neat trail. We just ran this a couple of weeks ago. One spot on devil's punchbowl still had some ice/snow and made for high pucker factor. Came back the next day and ran from Crested Butte side to Crystal Mill. Snow spot was barely still there. I have to say it's the most narrow trail I've probably taken my JKU on and I'm very very glad that the trail was not busy (punchbowl part). Got some tire damage from sharp rocks on the trail, sliced whole lug off Have fun, be safe!

nmwranglerx

couple of pics from the trip:

Machoo

Those pictures are absolutely awesome! The waterfall and the old wood structure is my favorite but the Jeep on the bridge is pretty epic as well.

Great job!

nmwranglerx

thanks Machoo

JK-jeepit

this will be the forth time I have done the trail.. My Aunt painted a painting of the Crystal Mill so I alsways wanted to see it in person, now I have to go by it everytime I get up in the area... another great pass is Pearl Pass which is one of the prettiest passes we've seen also.. Crested Butte to Aspen but I don't think it's opened all the way yet.. we might take it on Sunday and find out...???

and I agree this is the narrowest trail I've been on.... but it's the part below the punch bowl and not above it that I find is the most narrow.. although there are a few narrow spots above it also...

I hope to find more water in the stream on Saturday the what we see in Sept....


punch bowl falls.. also hoping for more water this year...




this is the trail just above the falls... probably the worst part...



looking from the top



Pearl pass..

JK-jeepit

your pictures have me excited now.... hoping for about the same amout of water..... etc.... nice pic Idea of the Jeep on the Bridge at a distance... I might have to steal the idea.... lots of snow still.... !!!!

nmwranglerx

Glad the pics are a good primer for your trip. I wish I could go back so soon and run it with you. You will definitely see a lot more water than what shows in your pics. If you like BBQ, we ate at the Groovin BBQ in Marble just off the road to Crystal Mill. Really nice folks and good ribs. I think I want to go back in September to get pics of the mill with the leaves changing. I think it'd be pretty spectacular. You've got nice detailed photos of the trail that really show how narrow it is. I was so focused on keeping us on the trail, I didn't get out and take pics while I was on the narrower parts lol.

JK-jeepit

here's a video of Schofield pass coming down from above the punch bowl... to the punch bowl and bridge..
I might do a longer video tomorrow of the drive from Crested Butte to Crystal Mill... via Schofield Pass
http://youtu.be/Tq0Qlg888TI also a pic of the mill with colors - almost... it's hard to catch the colors when you live so far away.... next goal for seeing the Mill will be with sonw... maybe a snow shoe trip in....???


a secret pond just above the town of Crystal.

JK-jeepit

So we ran Schofield Pass last Saturday and talk about tons of ATV's oh my god...
we have done this trail 3 other times and never saw this many people..
we went from Crested Butte to Gothic over Schofield Pass to the town of Crystal and the Crystal Mill, then turned around and went back...
we ran into what must have been 4 groups of 10-15 + ATV's and a one Group of Jeepers, and another group of off roaders in misc 4x4's, bike riders, motorcycles, hikers and cliff jumpers... etc..
what I would now highly recommend everyone do is have someone hike ahead with radios... we do this any how just because my wife would rather hike parts of these trails then drive them...
on the upper part of Schofield pass, above the bridge there is one place to pass, this can hold maybe 2 - 3 jeep MAX,... while the bigger group passes.. I had to wait here twice, my wife hiked to this point and cleared me to it.. not much after I started another 4x4 came around the corner,, he waited for me then we passed, then the first big group of ATV's came,,, I waited... by now my wife had made it to the Devil's punch Bowl, just above the bridge where there is an area about 4-5 Jeeps-MAX could wait, just as I left the rock she said there was another group of ATV's,, they had to wait at the bridge... mixed in all this was mtn bikers walking their bikes up.... and hikers.... then just below the bridge there is another section, probably a mile where there is basically no place to pass... at least for two vehicles... and barely for a jeep and ATV's,,, we found this out as we once again ran into ATV's this time about 15-20...
Then on the way back we ran into more ATV's again below and above.... the punch bowl... we found that with my wife hiking alot of it this worked out ok...
I think I have more video of this then pics...
but here are a few pics... I guess these and the others that are posted gives one a good idea of the area... I don't really think it's a difficult trail just one that requires respect (like all do) and a spotter...

trail just below the bridge at the Devil's punch bowl, there is still a corner you can't see before the bridge, I also found out you can squeeze one Jeep on the corner (corner at the distance) and pass ATV's


above the Devil's punch bowl... at the ROCK... about half way... once again the lower section can't be seen from here.. so a spotter is recommended


the bridge and the Devil's Punch Bowl in the back ground..


Top,, you can almost see all the way to the bridge..


stole this pic idea from NMwranglerx


this years Crystal Mill Picture..



here is a video of some cliff jumpers into the Devil's Punch Bowl
http://youtu.be/vzqN2IGebOM