opdsgt

Hey gang.

Me and a couple good friends who take two week-long wheeling vacations each year (Moab and Colorado) are making our way out next month. On the agenda:

1. Red Cone/Radical Hill
2. Holy Cross City
3. Minesweeper
4. Blanca Peak

We've done our homework. We're not taking Holy Cross or, especially, Blanca Peak lightly. We'll have comm, GPS/maps, medical, recovery, camping, food/water, spares, firearms, pretty much everything we could hope NOT to need if we have a mishap, but I thought I'd take a moment and ask anyone with experience on the above trails to chime in. Any input is appreciated.

Thanks, have a great weekend everyone.

Your neighbor to the east,

UD

isuadam

Red Cone and Radical Hill are so awesome. Last year I went on July 4th and while Webster pass was closed (due to a huge snow drift) at the switchbacks where it meets Red Cone, the Red Cone trail was open. Unbelievable. I'm not sure how much snow they got compared to last year, nor about how warm/cold it's been lately compared to last year, so you might want to check trail status depending on when your trip is...

IntrepidXJ

Minesweeper didn't make the new travel management plan in 2008...it's been closed since then.

Other than that, you've chosen some good trails

opdsgt

isuadam, what's the best way to run those trails in/around Red Cone? For instance, if we really want to do RC, do we try to come over Webster Pass first or Hall Valley or or or? Sequence? Thanks.

IntrepidXJ, you're kidding?! It's closed? That sucks. Okay, can you recommend a short "lunch hour" trail for our travel day from Dillon to Alamosa where we'll spend the night before tackling Blanca?

IntrepidXJ

As far as Red Cone goes, which directions will you be coming from? If you are coming from the Montezuma side then you can come over Webster Pass to reach RC and then loop back up over RC to Webster Pass again and head back down to 285. If you don't want to repeat part of Webster Pass twice, you can come over Georgia Pass to 285 and then loop back over Red Cone & Webster Pass.

Yep, Minesweeper has been closed for a few years now. I don't know of any very short trails on the way, but you will be passing by Wheeler Lake and Old Chinamans Gulch on that trip. OCG is a nice loop that didn't take me very long when I ran it, but you are going to need more than an hour After you pass through Buena Vista you can turn off and head up to St. Elmo and then take the Grizzly Lake trail. That's a short one with great scenery and a little challenge. Iron Chest is also next to Grizzly Lake.......just some ideas

opdsgt

The game plan for the first couple of days is, Omaha to Dillon Day 1 and check into a hotel; Red Cone Day 2; Holy Cross Day 3; head south to Alamosa Day 4 (second hotel, obviously); Blanca Peak Day 5; back home on Day 6. So to answer your question, we're headed to the Red Cone area from Dillon.

Secondary question: with MS closed and Iron Chest being a possible Day 4 alternative before landing in Alamosa, do you think it's within striking distance from our southward journey on 285 or will that detour take us into the night by the time we make it to the hotel down south?

LeftHandRubi

Those are great ones. On the way back from Blanca, you should take Medano Pass through great Sand Dunes. Saves time and is pretty.

You could easily add Wheeler Lake. Very pretty trail with some rock challenges. The lake at the top has hungry fish.

opdsgt

Lefthand, are you saying to take Medano Pass when we're done with Blanca? I thought we had to take Blanca back down same way we came up, not a loop? Or are you saying take Medano on our travel day back to Omaha? Sorry, just needing clarification. Thank you guys, this thread is most helpful.

P.S. I ran Wheeler Lake last year, a favorite.

LeftHandRubi

Blanca is one way in out. Once down, head north to Sand Dunes National park. That is where Medano pass starts. You can get through there then head to HiWay 69 north. If you have the time, I would drive back trails. Go to Canyon city for example and take Phantom Canyon (follows a old RR grade, a few tunnels and tressels) to Victor and Cripple Creek. From there drive to Woodland park, then head north on 67 to some of the Gulch roads like Illinois Gulch. Pick one of these trails to cut back over to Rampart range road. Head north on rampart range or take side trails. The trails around Rampart Range aren't as rocky as a lot of the CO trails, more sand and whoop-te-do's. Very pretty area though.

If you want extreme trails instead of heading up Phantom, you could head over to the Penrose trails--Independence, Patriot, etc. I haven't run these yet, but will in a few weeks. They are wicked. Stuff breaks on these trails.

You probably already know about Traildamage.com where very good description of trails are listed.

Another really pretty trail is Kingston Peak. This is a fun way to get form i-70 to peak to peak hiway. Also if you take peak to peak, then you can hit St. Vrain and Coney flats (lots of water on this one) as well as the T-33 plane crash. Good camping in these areas too. The trails aren't particularly difficult by Holy Cross standards, but they are fun and pretty.

opdsgt

What's the fastest paved route from Dillon to the 285 approach to RC then? Can we take Montezuma Rd south from Keystone, bypass the "wrong way up" RC, approch from the south and then do Red Cone/Hall Valley/Radical Hill on the way back north?