Trails that give you the 'creeps'

[SubAlpine]

Not sure how to label this one. All the talk about the Rampart Range Rd booby trap has me thinking. There are several trails in the area that I do not feel comfortable on. Not due to the trial itself, but other issues. Any one else have any similar ones?

Apex rd to mammoth gulch. The property owner there is frequently "closing" the road with his junk cars. He will argue with you about public access, then start talking about the NWO and black helicopters. This used to be the only one I did not like.

Hidden Valley road (http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=201), and Dakan rd (http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=152), east of Rampart. The area is the stomping grounds for the "brotherhood of the White Temple". White power group. I have a good friend, who grew up hunting the area. He has had numerous run ins with them. He has been approached by men with rifles, while he was carrying a rifle, on a county road in a NF. They told him to get out or else. He is a big southern boy, and he said he felt it was time to go. On several other occasions, he has had similar issues.

In addition, my Wife and I were camping up Rollins Pass one night, and were approached by two really nice ex marines. Open carrying legally (http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/StatePatrol-Main/CBON/1251594549010), except for the drinking. It got me thinking after some conversation, that I would sleep better with my side arm.

[The StRanger]

We took the scout's up MSV for a campout and had some "" wheelers "" tryin to KOH the trail at night..
Felt a couple of times the Jeep was gona roll right through the site !!!

[Sinister68]

Apex rd to mammouth. That guys is a trip I've apparently know him since I was a little kid. Well that's what he swears up and down. But at that point I had never met the guy. Then anothertime it was my buddys and I and he stopped us started telling us that the goverment t was all over the hills and if we were speeding this giant bird would come and snatch the girls out of the jeep. And was a serious as could be and was quite entertaining. Luckily I haven't ran into him lately. My father inlaw is a gilpin sheriff and said the last time he had to deal with him was because he decided to dig giant holes across the street and put his own speed bumps in so he could talk to people. Lol bill is nuts.

[Haku]

Eagle Rock is the worst I felt from a non wheeling standpoint. I actually had a kid (12-14 years old) actually put a bead on me with the rifle he was holding and the other guys I was wheeling with as we drove by the are they were shooting in. Adults were with him and they said nothing, which I thought was pretty messed up.

Left Hand Canyon is pretty bad for that stuff too. All kinds of idiots doing all kinds of stuff. Worst I saw was a dude in an FJ80 who probably had never been wheeling before trying to switch tracks on the steepest part of the Big Mother Hill, gunning it, with his uphill tire 2 feet in the air. He was making the other people in his group so nervous they got out and watch from bellow, and one of the ladies said "geez...maybe he should calm down....we have a new born in there with him". The guy was so close to rolling I got the heck out of there and went home after urging his "people" to talk him down.

[Haku]

Eagle Rock is the worst I felt from a non wheeling standpoint. I actually had a kid (12-14 years old) actually put a bead on me with the rifle he was holding and the other guys I was wheeling with as we drove by the are they were shooting in. Adults were with him and they said nothing, which I thought was pretty messed up.

Left Hand Canyon is pretty bad for that stuff too. All kinds of idiots doing all kinds of stuff. Worst I saw was a dude in an FJ80 who probably had never been wheeling before trying to switch tracks on the steepest part of the Big Mother Hill, gunning it, with his uphill tire 2 feet in the air. He was making the other people in his group so nervous they got out and watch from bellow, and one of the ladies said "geez...maybe he should calm down....we have a new born in there with him". The guy was so close to rolling I got the heck out of there and went home after urging his "people" to talk him down.

From a wheeling standpoint, Webster Pass is high on the pucker factor to ease of trail ratio. Just a slightly rutted switchback road, but there are few spots that are washed out on it that make you feel like you are going to tip over the side and roll a thousand feet down a steep scree hill.

[SubAlpine]

Ya I have seen the pics of the Sport Trac rolled down Webster. Makes me think twice.

[Haku]

You really shouldn't though....its honestly not bad at all. Just has one spot with a major pucker factor but it doesn't take much experience to do safely. Still, when doing Red Cone, I do prefer to go home through Montezuma instead of heading back down to 285 and the pucker factor is a contributing factor.

[gm4x4lover]

I had a really bad experience on holy cross a few years back. There was breakage in the creek and we where trying to head back down. There was roughly to 20-30 backed up trying to get down and the same or more trying to get up. People trying to get up wouldn't let the rigs trying to get down through even though there wasn't room for the rigs heading up to get through. People got really aggravated and a fist fight almost broke out when another rig trying to head up busted in the creek (trying to go around everybody), some other db's in a buggy decided to drive down the creek way up stream to bypass every one. It pretty much ruined that trail for me.

[glacierpaul]

The Apex side of Yankee Hill, the "enchanted forest" is spooky at night, or when there is a fog rolling thru, at least my kiddo's think so :)
Lake Como Road was a little sketchy, but I was in my huge Ford truck then. I sometimes will get a vertigo type feeling on shelf roads like the one on Leavenworth going up to the closed pass.

[Coonburger]

Bill Moore brought out the worst or you could say the best in me depending on your point of view. We went camping up there. My brother niece and cousin were already up there. I got to Idaho springs and flipped on the cb and they answered back in a hurry. Some people were bugging them coming close to the camp side but still in the tree line. Just staring at them. I never drove up that trail so fast and well i went to protection mode and got the .40 out. I felt my family was under threat and i dont run. I can neither confirm nor deny if rounds were fired to let them know i was armed. I stayed in the bushes all night long waiting for them to return. I had found the trail in the woods they were using to get to the camp site and well about 2 am they were coming up it. I let them get by me and i gave them a gentle whisper letting em know i had them in my line of site. They immediately stopped turned around and ran back to their site in a hurry packing their stuff and were gone. I went by their site later in the morning and it smelled like someone was cooking meth.

[Jim]

That's a story (and one LONG night).

[ExplorerTom]

Yeah.... Camping in places that are easy to get to... Can be sketchy.

Ive camped in Buffalo Creek and heard gunshots in the distance all night long. I camped at Columbine outside of Central City and had drunk people being super loud late into the night. I've heard bad stories of Chinns Lake as well.

But that's not to say that those that own vehicles capable of getting further in are any better.

ive gone camping without my sidearm (forgot to pack it) and really wished I had it later that night. Not that I've needed to defend myself or my family, but as many of you know, having it helps to ease your mind.

[Chris]

having it helps to ease your mind

and make unwelcome visitors not feel at ease...

[ExplorerTom]

But as far as getting "the creeps" from the trail itself- I haven't really found one. Red Cone doesn't bother me, except for that one blind right turn up on top. Haven't done Black Bear or the southern part of Webster Pass. Peak 10 has some fun and tight switchbacks but they didn't bother me.

[Jim]

that one blind right turn up on top.

My first time, first in line (IIRC), and I hit that spot and STOP! On my mind was "WTH - I'm at the peak of a mountain, where'd the trail go"?

[Jackie]

and it smelled like someone was cooking meth.

Now you make me feel like I need to buy a gun. I would have done the same thing, I think... (if I had a gun). I have never felt unsafe camping. It's in the cities where I have encountered trouble and abuse in the past.

[Java]

On Moon Gulch there is a guy living in a bus with the biggest, ugliest pit bull / mastiff / mix I've ever seen, they did absolutely nothing wrong and scared the **** out of me. The exit by the old stables off Barbour Fork is fun too...

[xaza]

Never felt unsafe camping either. I don't carry a gun, but I have a bow and a good scalping knife. My Rotty does a good job of letting us know if anyone is close by and tends to keep them at a safe distance. There was a time at the experimental forest down by the Springs we were cruising along and hadn't seen anyone in quite some time when a military humvee comes rolling up to an intersection with M-16s drawn to let us know which way to go. Forest has had an uneasy secret government project feel since then.

[Coonburger]

damn.............

[The StRanger]

We where hunting in the Utah mountains when some "clowns"started takeing pot shots at us from the other side of the valley, But that was like back in the 70s !!!
Other than that Iv never had a problem in the hills !!

[southpaws3]

Hey coon I remember that phone call!!! I ran into brody wheeling and somebody was shooting over our heads brody being the gentleman he is shot around in circles nobody returned fire

[SCRubicon]

Apex Billy is a trip. I have not seen/talked with him in years. He always knew when I was coming when I had the CJ5. Skin walkers, UFO's, green mist, boulders falling from the sky, strange colored lights over the mountains, insect size spy drones...you name it.

Never really had any trouble with shooters. The Rubicon is quiet, so if I see someone target plinking up ahead I'll toot the horn to let them know I'm there. (and I'll wait until I know they have seen me) Little wave, smile and "thank you for waiting" as I pass.

No no trouble with late night visitors either - 4 or 2 legs. Brody gave me a good tip on how to keep big cats out of camp with ammonia. And back from the days of scouting, to never leave food around. We target shoot too. Depending on the size of the group it probably sounds like a Civil War skirmish. People tend to not pop in after hearing us.