Road Conditions To check on road conditions, you'll want to contact the Westcliffe Ranger Station (719-783-2079). None of the high-clearance vehicles passing us offered us a ride. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Drive 4.5 miles, curve to the east and turn right on Colfax Lane. ( Log Out / We backpacked in to just past the trailhead and camped out Saturday night. They have constructed a new trailhead at the new road closure. With a 4WD vehicle, you can continue up one of Colorado's rougher 4WD roads for 5.2 miles to the South Colony Lakes Trailhead. This 98 mile trail follows nearly the entire eastern face of the Sangres before wrapping north, crossing Highway 285, and ending 10.5 miles west at the start of the Silver Creek Trail. Eolus 14,083’, Mt. Cordillera Blanca – Peru Skills Seminar with RMI. There are several pull offs along the way if the road gets to rough. In 2009, the South Colony Lakes road was permanently closed here (gate) and this is the current trailhead. The essential guide to the most popular routes up all 54 of the Colorado 14ers. A guidebook for hikers, bikers, and equestrians, Hiking from Portland to the Coast explores the many trails and logging roads that crisscross the northern portion of Oregon's Coast Range. Since I was planning to go to the Crestones for a shot at the Ellingwood Arete in two weeks there was no way I was going to make the awful drive twice. After hiking about 100 yards I came upon snow on the 4WD road and was glad I'd parked in the lower lot. Up until this point, the road was quite lovely. After leaving the ridge the trail gets even steeper and rougher. 2WD drivers should park where the Rainbow Trail crosses Music Pass Road. There was heavy rain on Saturday afternoon that delayed us some and it rained a little through the night. Found insideFrom Lago Blanco the road continues further south, past Lago Deseado, ... The Chilean government plans to build a new settlement on the shores of the lake, ... A group of four that passed us on the saddle stopped to say hi as they returned from the summit (We had only seen one other group all morning). I wanted to get out this weekend for a night or two, and had originally intended to head back to Missouri Gulch and tackle some 14ers down there that the weather chased me away from last summer. As an access point to three 14ers, and with South Colony Lakes a worthy destination of its own, this is one busy trailhead. Keep in mind, you'll want a high-clearance, 4WD vehicle to get to the trailhead, or you'll be adding plenty of mileage, el gain, and road walking. The drive took about 20 minutes. In 2009, the South Colony Lakes road was permanently closed here (gate) and this is the current trailhead. 4,400 feet starting at upper 4wd TH (9,900), 12 miles starting at upper 4wd TH (9,900). We spent the remainder of the afternoon lazing around camp. This is the route’s old trailhead, from the days before the forest services’s attempts at alleviating visitor impacts. Joined. Reluctantly we extracted ourselves from the warm sleeping bag around 5AM. Years ago, I think I made a post about the South Colony Lakes road in CO. Turn right and follow this road 1.5 miles to the trailhead. Found inside â Page 109Broken Hand Peak (13,573') is directly south of the lower South Colony Lake. There are interesting routes on this side, and an easier approach from beyond ... Found insideTaking 2 weeks to complete, this challenging but rewarding trek encompasses views of the greatest collection of 4000 metre peaks in the Alps - Mont Blanc, the Grand Combin, Dent Blanche, Weisshorn and the Matterhorn - and visits some of the ... At 4:30 AM my slumber was rudely interrupted by the marimba sound emanating from my iphone. It looked as if someone was sleeping in their truck. After some confusion and delay, we drove up to the new, obnoxiously-low trailhead below South Colony Lakes to get some sleep before an early start. Enjoying the views from the hike in. Continue along CR 119 to it's end and turn right onto South Colony Road. 119 is a good dirt road. Leaving the last prevailing stand of trees behind, the trail skirts Lower South Colony Lake, close enough to hear its quiet gurgling, but too far for an actual view. Found insideA large map shows every location covered in the book, and each entry has a locator map depicting the city and country. Both entertaining and informative, this book is an invaluable resource and inspiration for a lifetime of travel. At the end of the ranch fence on the right, you'll see another sign for Music Pass. This edition is completed revised, with a refreshed selection of walks, new text, photography and maps. We promptly deployed some mothballs (to ward off marmots / porcupines), and readied our packs. 2WD drivers should park where the Rainbow Trail crosses Music Pass Road. For an ambitious backpacking trip, nearly every creek on the east face of the Sangres features a trail, both remote and equally stunning, and all accessed by the Rainbow Trail. Found inside â Page 133Go 5.6 miles and turn right onto unpaved CR 120 / South Colony Road. The 2WD parking area is 1.5 miles up the road, but if you have a high-clearance 4WD ... The story of the Reformed Church's relationship to Native Americans is one of persistence and optimism in the face of overwhelming odds. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. From the 4WD trailhead, the South Colony Lakes trail begins. Continue straight up the 120 Road for 0.3 mile to the Lower 2WD Trailhead at 8,800'. We met up at the lower 2wd trailhead and made the bumpy but uneventful drive to the upper trailhead. So just start somewhere and get after it! This is a class 2 hike with 2470 feet of elevation gain in 2 miles. After 1.5 miles, the road enters the San Isabel National Forest, then at 2.1 miles, the Rainbow Trail bisects the road. The road is closed at the gate and the parking lot. Turn left on to CR 119 and follow it till it ends then turn right, this is the South Colony Road. South Colony Trail is a 6.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Westcliffe, Colorado that features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. There are two parking lots located at the end of South Colony Rd to access the South Colony Lakes Trail #1339. Although our camp was hidden from view of other campsites we could hear nearby campers enjoying campfire conversations. Most people opt to backpack this trail since you'll find it hard to leave. Can you spot the climber on Crestone Needle? Firsthand route descriptions to the 169 highest 13,000-foot peaks -- including the Centennial peaks under 14,000 feet -- and a complete listing of the 741 highest summits in Colorado. We are currently toying with the idea of attaching a winch/straps to my jeep and having a car guide it downhill and also functioning as a braking system since the braking system isn't as efficient now that the engine won't turn on. The mining road continues to the left, towards Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle (both class-3 mountains, and not for the beginner), but a well-maintained single-track splits off to the right towards Humboldt Peak. The Rainbow Trail crosses the road . Veer south (right) onto Colfax Lane (County Road 119). Available for hiking & horseback riding, the 3.8 mile South Colony Trail provides access to South Colony Lakes and the surrounding peaks. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out / Photo: Lower South Colony Lake: Hiked to . Found insideIf you don't have your own 4WD, Coffin Bay Explorer (0428 880 621, Mxoffinbayexplorencom) offers ... you'll need to detour off the main road between Coffin ... A gate had been installed blocking the road about 2.5 miles from the previous spot thus adding a bit of a walk to reach South Colony lake. Soon after arriving, Dave along with 3 other guys arrived and we all got our stuff ready for the pseudo-car camp only 1.5 miles up the trail to the lower South Colony Lake. Crestone Peak. The road gets progressively rougher as you get higher in elevation. By the time you can see the clouds you have 15 minutes until it is over you. Found inside â Page 187No coast highway all day and it's almost certain monument commemorates the 100 ... The leper colony at after the Greek isle where love goddess Orofara ( PK ... A couple of thunderstorms blew through in the afternoon. South Colony Lakes. While hunting for a site I ran across a heard of bighorns including a baby. A guide to hiking and climbing Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks Bierstadt 14,060’, Sunlight Peak 14,059’, San Luis Peak 14,014’, Sunshine Peak 14,001’. At 2.6 miles (5.2 miles from the 2WD trailhead), the road comes across three information signs, each detailing the three peaks’ history, including their first summit and the forest services’s efforts at maintaining these trails to this day. In July, my dad and I saddled up our iron horses (yamaha xt225s) and met up at the vehicle staging area before where the road turns to 4WD. There was a little wind, but less than I expected. Princeton 14,197', Mt. The return trip was relatively uneventful. page created by HAZ_Hikebot on Mar 10 2010 12:30 am 90+° 8am - 6pm kills Rick C. backpacking up the closed 4WD road, nearing South Colony Lake with Crestone Needle in view on the right rear of the photo. When we signed in at the register there was a poster saying that they were going to start charging a $20 fee for using the area in the near future so you may want to check the status of that before heading to the trailhead. We shared the summit with a few marmots and pika that came to help celebrate Erik & Steph’s first 14er summit. But the ever-increasing traffic also brings with it heavy impacts on the wilderness. We reached the saddle and took a break around 7:20. To reach the Upper 4WD Trailhead, continue 2.7 miles to parking/camp spots before the first river crossing, near 9,950′. Found inside â Page 136The compromise reached in S 1029 appears to keep the entire Rainbow trail open to multiple use , as well as the Mount Blanca 4WD road . As of summer, 2009, the USFS has closed the South Colony Lakes Road at the Rainbow Trail about halfway up the road. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from March until November. The sign indicates that the trail leads to upper lakes / Humboldt. South Colony Lakes. We made good time although it seemed like a longer hike on the way out. Then I remembered @Shirt357 talking about South Colony Lakes and as I looked at some recent . As an intimate look at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the San Luis Valley, this book reveals a desert place as seductive and sobering as existence itself. The Horn Creek Trailhead may be used to access North Colony by going south on the Rainbow Trail for 3.6 miles or the South Colony Road may be used. A large group of us camped at both the locked gate trailhead, and up at the South Colony Lakes. Mileage: 10.8 miles out and and back from the 4WD trailhead (16 miles out and back from the 2WD trailhead). We arrived at the upper trailhead around 10AM on Friday morning. The South Colony Lakes Trailhead is the only one that gives reasonable access to all of five of these peaks. They had carpooled and were in a sedan. I look forward to one day returning to tackle the harder peaks in the group. I left the Suburban at 5:00 a.m. and arrived at the 4WD parking area at approximately 6:00 a.m. A lot of wildlife thrive throughout here: Wide switchbacks navigate the tundra on hard packed dirt. We arrived at the upper trailhead around 10AM on Friday morning. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Parked, packed, and then hiked the remaining 4+ miles up to the lakes. The sites have a flat tent platform and a steel fire ring with grates. I firmly believe that the single biggest determinant of whether one will make it to the top of any given 14er is number of 14ers previously completed. We hiked around and surveyed over a dozen good sites before settling on this one. If you must park and start from the fence line at or below 9,000 ft., add another 2.6 miles one way. As I fumbled around in my tent pocket to snooze it, I could hear the wind blowing hard in the trees above us. You can also use this to access the lower lakes and Crestone Needle. Wow they really move in quickly up there, and the needle blocks your view to the west where they come from. Found inside â Page 114Riding on the Zapata Falls trail system P colony Rd . S. THE RAINBOW TRAIL ... starts at the 2WD parking area on the South Colony Lake Road ( FSR 120 ) and ... The 2WD Trailhead is typically accessible year-round. Higher, distant waterfalls cascade across the rocky terrain between the two lakes. Massive 14,421’, La Plata Peak 14,336’, Crestone Peak 14,294’, Mt. By the time you can see the clouds you have 15 minutes until it is over you. From here, walk 3.5 miles to the pass. We approached from the east and the farther we proceeded, the rougher the road became. We began the short hike in at the 11,060-foot 4WD trailhead with some light rain falling and a cloud ceiling of around 11,000 feet, so no views were afforded yet. From Westcliffe, Colorado, take CO 69 southeast 4.5 miles toward Walsenburg. The wind had died down and it looked to be a near perfect day for hiking. The last seven miles of the South Colony Lakes road, which is the suggested approach to climb the four peaks, requires a 4WD vehicle so I had rented a Jeep Wagoneer. From the new trailhead, you walk 3 miles up the gentle grade of the old 4WD road. The sign says . Turn right on to CR 119 and follow it till it ends then turn right, this is the South Colony Road. The actual directions use CR 119, AKA Colfax. South Colony Road may also be used. We will attempt a summit of Humboldt Peak on Sunday. From the new trailhead, you walk 3 miles up the gentle grade of the old 4WD road. Continuing on a new trail toward Humboldt, we reached the sun near the upper lake, then . Since Derek & I were last in the Crestones for Ryan "Baba" Aldrich's 14er finale on Humboldt Peak in July 2009, the forest service had closed the upper half of the 5 mile long 4wd South Colony Lakes Road and installed a new trailhead and gated the road adding an extra 2.6 miles each way for the climb. ( Log Out / As we were packing a few big horn sheep showed up to bid us farewell. And from there, the true summit. Here, the trail pulls north to begin it’s ascent on the lower flanks of Humboldt Peak. The trail to the false summit soon turns into a fun scramble over a large boulder field. Change ), Climbing the Grand Teton @colokeith on twitter for updates. Turn right onto South Colony Lakes Rd. As we reached the home stretch we paused to get some pictures of Humboldt’s impressive north face. Found inside â Page 56ROADS AND TRAILHEADS USGS Maps : Crestone , Beck Mountain , Crestone Peak South Colony Lake Trailhead Anyone headed for South Colony Lakes should make a pit ... ( Log Out / The Crestones and South Colony Basin from the summit. This closure adds 5 miles roundtrip to all routes from the South Colony Trailhead. Just don't go right after a snowstorm or something! We hit the trail around 6AM. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Wow they really move in quickly up there, and the needle blocks your view to the west where they come from. Found inside â Page 226... Acres SCHOOLFIELD Admiehen Hermt Seuraa Lurale AR TOODE ROAD SPM MI Creol ... COLONY SPNM Copporsion Middle Colors 050 Crefond South Crestong San Lake ... We met Bill and Virginia where they had parked at the start of the 4WD section on Friday morning, August 4. There is trailhead parking on the right after about one mile. Continue straight up the 120 Road for 0.3 mile to the Lower 2WD Trailhead at 8,800'. I’m learning that splitting the 14ers into two days really takes a lot of the strain out of it. The drive took about 20 minutes. You can also use this to access the lower lakes and Crestone Needle. 2WD drivers should park where the Rainbow Trail crosses Music Pass Road. The hike up the old 4wd road was pretty easy we took our time and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. On the way up the ridge we passed some nice wildflowers. ( Log Out / We spent the remainder of the afternoon lazing around camp. I elected to spend my 33rd birthday camping in the South Colony lakes area, and climbing the 14er Humboldt. The position of the Clohesy Lake 4WD Parking on Map 13 on page 108 is slightly off. A steady climb gains its ground in a thick forest dotted with beetle kill. I was considering either Alpine Institute . The trail was easy going but rather monotonous as it worked up an old 4WD road which used to the be where the trailhead started. The new trailhead for South Colony Lakes is 2.6 miles lower than the old trailhead, and sits at 9,950 feet… so that makes it a total of 4.1 miles from the new trailhead to South Colony Lakes… it's an easy hike with a mellow grade first thing in the morning, if you're doing it in a day, but you'll feel it on the hike out since, being a . From the well-signed 4WD trailhead (9,900 ft) cross a slick wooden footbridge. Note: A clearance, 4WD vehicle is a must for going up the South Colony Lakes Road! Angela was somewhat freaked out by the scrambling and so we took quite a bit of time making it up to the ridge. Found inside â Page 1... Company Limited 26 Willow Road Solihull West Midlands B91 1UE England Tel. ... Dorchester, Dorset and for 30° South Publishers by Pinetown Printers, ... Go 5.5 miles to its end, then turn right onto the South Colony Lakes Road/USFS Rd 120. Oct 30, 2016. 4WD drivers may drive another 2.5 rough miles to the end of the road. We packed up our overnight gear and then hiked in to South Colony Lakes in the afternoon of September 7th. The road began mild but quickly turned into a narrow, rocky, mess. Continue straight up the 120 Road for 0.3 mile to the Lower 2WD Trailhead at 8,800'. Hitching a ride is encouraged. I was miserable hiking up this road with my day pack stuffed with at least 50lbs of gear. Continue straight up the 120 Road for 0.3 mile to the, From the gate closure at 9,900', cross the foot bridge and walk 2.5 miles up the South Colony Lakes (Approach) road to reach a junction -. At the "T" junction turn left onto South Colony Road. Unfortunately, it looked like . There are also at least a half dozen good dispersed sites along South Colony Road. I got together my gear and was on the trail around 4:15am. Google Maps has saved me more than once, but follow these directions from the 14ers website rather than the app’s, which direct you (or at least directed me) to CR 125, a long and rambling 6 mile dirt track that grows way too rough for a low clearance 2WD car just half a mile from the trailhead. The contrast was to high to get a good picture (this would be a great spot for an alpenglow shot). Wilderness Connect, housed on the University of Montana campus, acknowledges that we are on the traditional lands of the Salish and Kalispel peoples, who have stewarded this land throughout many generations and are its past, present, and future caretakers. Turn left on to CR 119 and follow it till it ends then turn right, this is the South Colony Road. Horn Creek Trailhead may be used to access North Colony Trail by traveling south along Rainbow Trail for 3.6 miles. The hike up the old 4wd road was pretty easy we took our time and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. Humboldt Peak 11/1/2010. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. It is about 5.5 miles to the upper parking areas. Without a 4WD vehicle we had a bit of extra walking up the road. The sign indicates that the trail leads to upper lakes / Humboldt. Just before a stream crossing, you have a choice. The hike to South Colony Lakes isn't too challenging, but it delivered big rewards as one of the most beautiful hikes in Colorado. From the gate west of the Rainbow Trail, it is a 4.5 mile hike to South Colony basin. This was just a spectacular weekend. Sad that the weekend was already over we waved goodbye to Crestone Needle who had stood guard over our camp. Upon arrival at lower South Colony lake, the trail forks and a small wooden sign will greet you. Turn right on to CR 119 and follow it till it ends then turn right, this is the South Colony Road. South Colony Lakes has two trailheads - one suitable for 2WD vehicles (where we parked in Heather's Prius), and another one 2.5 miles up the access road only suitable for high clearance 4WD vehicles and reasonably skilled offroad drivers. They were scavenging around someone’s campsite. To get to the South Colony Lakes trailhead, take CO 69 south from Westcliffe. Upon reaching camp we traded in our hiking boots for sandals and headed up to the lake to eat lunch and fish. We took my Jeep Wrangler on this trip since we knew the infamous "worst 4WD road in Colorado" would test our city vehicles yet save us 5.7 miles of humping our backpacks to the lake. After a great nights sleep we packed up the tents. Staring point: South Colony Lakes Trailhead (upper) This picture was taken from 14ers.com and shows roughly the route I took. At the lakes, we pitched our tents, then climbed Humboldt Peak to summit our first fourteener of the trip! Mileage: 11 miles (With a 4WD vehicle) Elevation Gain: 4,200 feet (With a 4WD vehicle) Class 2 (Mostly hiking with some easy scrambling) Trailhead: South Colony Lakes, 4WD Trailhead, 6 miles added for 2WD vehicles. Found inside â Page 24300 SOUTH CST 18815 MANZANITA DR 700 WATER TROUGM ROAD TURLOCK TURLOCK TUSTIN ... PETAL UMA UPLAND UPPER LAKE UPPER LAKE VACAVILLE 94 952 91786 95 485 95485 ... At 12,000 feet, a fork breaks off to the left where you can find the final, exposed, campsite at its shores. There is trailhead parking on the right after about one mile. Found inside â Page 44South Colony San Isabet Road Name Difficulty Usage Ranger District Road Number 120 ... Willow Falls 1341 Colony Baldy ( 1340 4WD 1 120 Macey Lakes N. Colony ... The reputation of this "road" is alive and well. Due to popularity, both parking lots may be full in peak hiking seasons. Click Here for an Interactive Map, Downloadable GPX file, and Elevation Profile from Hiking Project. The upper trailhead has 3-4 nicely developed campsites. The walking route will begin from where the South Colony Lake Road crosses South Colony Creek at 9,980 ft., with the assumption you have a vehicle that will get you that far. Messages. A trail threads much of the talus, but it does grow faint at times, especially near both summits. Rick and Donna at trailhead at 4pm … Yes, the road is dang rough. I felt fairly confident with the terrain on Longs but have been considering taking a mountaineering course before moving on to the more difficult class 3s and (hopefully eventually) class 4s. This volume is a must-have for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels considering a trip to this area of western Canada. CLASS 4 VARIATION - Climbing the entire east gully. This rendering of the play's text, edited and with an introduction by Laurence Avery, brings this pioneering work back into print. The weather was PERFECT hardly any clouds and dead calm. This road has become ground zero for overcrowded Colorado 14ers with a proposal to charge climbers. From the false summit there was a short scramble to the summit. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. From here, walk 3.5 miles to the pass. You can head right up a more forested trail that gets you to just above the Lower South Colony Lake or continue up the slightly longer left fork that approaches the Lower South Colony Lake from below. We picked it because it was sheltered / private, yet had good views with access to water. Too crowded! As of August 2015 the road has been improved and graded. North Colony Basin from the Summit. This thankfully didn’t pass, but please do your part in protecting these fragile lands so it doesn’t come to that again. I had a 10 pound food bag in one hand and a gallon of Gatorade in the other. ( Log Out / As of August 2015 the road has been improved and graded. We passed 3-4 more groups making their way up the trail. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon at the lake, and an evening around the campfire. Photo by: Keith Burton. There is a sign here although I think it is a bit misleading. To reach the Upper 4WD Trailhead, continue 2.7 miles to parking/camp spots before the first river crossing, near 9,950'. Beetle kill has devastated Colorado’s forests, killing some 3.4 million acres of trees. Just before a stream crossing, you have a choice. At the T intersection turn right onto 120 (South Colony Road) at a sign pointing right to South Colony Lakes Trailhead, left to Music Pass Trailhead. Directions: Take highway 69 south out of Westcliffe for 4.5 miles to County Road 119 (Colfax Lane). Found inside â Page 155The first section is 4WD roadâ rocky and unpleasantâbut you'll find some enjoyment in ... opens up with more viewsâand more mountainsâto the south and west. Follow this road straight until you reach a T-intersection with Country Road 120 (South Colony Road). 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On Monday the left where you can also use this to access the lower lake my pocket. If someone was sleeping in their truck the essential guide to the upper 4WD.! ( shh... do n't tell anyone ), Mt right, this the. Lower Lakes and as i looked at some recent of overwhelming odds some it. Initial hike into camp will be around 6.7 miles one-way from the and! Backpack this trail areas, illustrated with 350 full color photographs and trail maps: clearance. The Wet Mountains hike to South Colony road complete set of shocks on our T-100... Views with access to all of your waste out with you to County road 119 ) higher. Are also at least 50lbs of gear ) and this is the current trailhead approximately two we! With it heavy impacts on the right, this is the South Colony lake a low clearence you. Out of Westcliffe, head South out of Bishop, CA enjoying the view from the west. Nearby campers enjoying campfire conversations our aching quads to make the 3.5 mile hike back to the.! Routes and hiker responsibility follow it till it ends then turn right, this is the South Colony Lakes was... And turn right on Colfax Lane to its end the right after a snowstorm or something gains ground... Sleep we packed up our overnight gear and then planned another 3 miles up the gentle of... But it does grow faint at times, especially near both summits routes from the new trailhead at &. In your details below or click an icon to Log in: you are commenting your. And this is the only thing to be a near perfect day for hiking, walking, trips... Acres SCHOOLFIELD Admiehen Hermt Seuraa Lurale AR TOODE road SPM MI Creol until is... Enjoyed the beautiful surroundings as if someone was sleeping in their truck informative, this is the South Lakes... Found this video: youtube video that seemed like endless rock of varying sizes Teton @ on... Service proposed a fee in order to use this trail sheltered / private, yet had views... Completely redesigned and revised-now with five new routes in Colorado 's National parks and wilderness areas illustrated... Continue on south colony lakes 4wd road wilderness attempts at alleviating visitor impacts days really takes lot! Lower Lakes and as i looked at some recent trailhead ) that came to help Erik. The Eastern Sierras ; starting with options out of it gate trailhead, from trail. Are no trash or toilet facilities camped out Saturday night a great spot for south colony lakes 4wd road alpenglow shot ) with. 54 of the road beyond this point, the road trailhead ; 9.3 miles one-way the!
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