Trail tips for Arizona...

[Jim]

This arrived at my mailbox today - perhaps we can help with some local info:

I am looking to take my two boys on an epic Colorado four wheel and camping trip. I have a jeep rubicon unlimited 3 inch lift and 35 inch tires.

My plan thus far is engineer pass from near ouray to lake city. Next up I want to drive from crested butte to schofield pass to marble passing Devils punchbowl. So I have heard this is pretty scary steep trail. Do you know any current trail info for that area? Do you suggest any other epic drives we should do where we could also camp along the way. Again thank you so much for helping me out with some advice!!

[Jim]

Trail books are available:
www.FunTreks.com (http://www.FunTreks.com)

Trail web sites, specifically tailored for trail info, are about:
www.TrailsOffroad.com (http://www.TrailsOffroad.com) (kind of the new kid on the block)
www.TrailDamage.com (http://www.TrailDamage.com) (used to be the trusty old kid on the block but they just went paywall - though do consider signing up as they have decent coverage though some are critical with info being stale).

Engineer Pass - I can _almost_ drive the full trail in my Honda station wagon (some folks here are probably saying - you've said that too many times - we WANT to see that happen). Basically, in the dry / no snow - it's an easy trail (with GRAND scenery).

I've not traveled Schofield area so can't comment - others here have.

Black Bear (near Engineer) is another iconic trail - though some don't care for shelf roads. Lots of YouTube vids of it (and some of the carnage rolls as well).

I am biased to Red Cone > Radical Hill > Saints John near Breckenridge / Montezuma CO as it's more above timberline scenery with some mining history.

[Chris]

This arrived at my mailbox today - perhaps we can help with some local info:

I am looking to take my two boys on an epic Colorado four wheel and camping trip. I have a jeep rubicon unlimited 3 inch lift and 35 inch tires.

My plan thus far is engineer pass from near ouray to lake city. Next up I want to drive from crested butte to schofield pass to marble passing Devils punchbowl. So I have heard this is pretty scary steep trail. Do you know any current trail info for that area? Do you suggest any other epic drives we should do where we could also camp along the way. Again thank you so much for helping me out with some advice!!

Devil's Punchbowl is part of Sholfield Pass, I don't know of any bypass to reach Marble but I wouldn't use it if there is one. It's not as bad as the press it gets, the number of deaths includes the 8 people IIRC that went over the edge when the driver of the truck got out to take a picture and his ebrake failed. It's scary depending on the level of experience with ledges.

I assume he wants to reach the Crystal Mill, it can be reached from Marble to avoid Devil's Punchbowl.

Marble also has changed a lot. At one time you could walk among the huge blocks but those days are gone. You can't even get close any more. Also the blocks that were along the road are gone.

I suggest Pearl Pass from Crested Butte to close to Aspen or driven Aspen to CB.

It would be good to know his level of experience in the mountains.

[Spieg]

Haven't wheeled the Schofield Pass/Crystal/Marble area for almost 10 years, so can't really speak to trail conditions, but it was a fairly technical trail through the punchbowl. Beautiful area and tons of history (Crested Butte is my favorite mountain town ).

The Buena Vista/Leadville area also has great scenery, wheeling and camping. Mt. Antero (http://www.fourwheeler.com/events/1010-4wd-mt-antero/) is one of the trails down there and it is somewhat epic in that it takes you to only a few hundred feet from the 14,269'summit (the 11th highest mountain in the state... quite a view!).

[Chris]

Another comment on Devil's Punchbowl - while it's a ledge road you don't really have to worry about meeting bother truck coming the opposite way. You can see the trail beginning to end from either direction.