Wheeler lake end of april?

[74fj40]

Just bought about a gazillion parts for my truck :wrench: and would like to trythem out near the end of April of begining of May? Have always wanted to do wheeler lake, and think that now would be an awesome time. Its rated a 7 out of ten.

Heres a little info on the trail, It looks to be an awesome trail with tons of scenery.

http://www.mhjcontherocks.com/Community/Trips/1070.aspx

http://www.4x4now.com/trcowl.htm

http://sports.webshots.com/album/84668238yJissI

I dont remember where but I read that someone completed it in a stock mini-truck, But I cant validate this statement. :erm:

From the picture I would say that you will need some lift, and some bigger tires, and a locker is probably preffered but don't quote me, I've never been on this trail and am only judging from the pictures.

If someone from this trail could chime in and give us there input?

Thanks!! :cool:

[74fj40]

Hmm didn't even consider snow being up there, Good thought!

Well I guess I should reconsider a run for end of april to early may. How about slaughterhouse gulch?

[Funrover]

Wheeler is awesome, but I agree with the snow thought... it will more than likely still be closed! I have never done Slaughter. Chinamens is always open

[Funrover]

Wheeler is awesome, but I agree with the snow thought... it will more than likely still be closed! I have never done Slaughter. Chinamens is always open

[sonofbr]

I'm always up for a new trail.
Where is Slaughterhouse?

[Funrover]

I'm always up for a new trail.
Where is Slaughterhouse?

Just a short bit NW of Denver. :thunb:

[Pathrat]

Hi, I have done both Slaughterhouse and Wheeler. We did Slaughterhouse in the rain so it added some extra adventure. We did Wheeler in the snow, and that added a lot of extra adventure. I have factory lockers, about a three inch lift, but the lift was not in before both runs. I did have the 33" tires. I tend to be more of a cautious driver and I have a capable rig with a few mods, not anything like your clearance and flex. You would have a good time on both trails, and Wheeler is more of a challenge.
I am sure that the people on here who have run these trails with some snow (I assume people have) will give you more input on how snow impacts trail conditions.

[Brody]

Hey 74!

Wheeler will probably be opened up to the start of Bowling Ball Hill, which is the last hill/obstacle before the lake. There will be snow...Bowling Ball Hill tends to hold the snow longest...It is fun just trying to get as far as you can go, but the hill offers no place to turn around. I have busted through to this point on my rig, then bailed. This was with lockers F/R and 38s..Buggies usually manage to break the trail eventually....

Slaughterhouse is located off of Hwy 285 between Pine Junction and Bailey, before Crow Hill.

If I haven't welcomed you to the site...WELCOME! Looking forward to wheeling with you..Love those FJ40s...

[Warrlord]

This was in July at Wheeler Lake. I slid out of the line in the slush & the right front went into a ditch. Had to be yanked out backwards because any forward movement on my part would have put me deeper in the ditch. I'm thinking anything pre-June probably wouldn't let you finish the trail as it could still be blocked by high drifts in certain places.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Warrlord/Wheeling/wl1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Warrlord/Wheeling/wl2.jpg

[74fj40]

Hey 74!

Wheeler will probably be opened up to the start of Bowling Ball Hill, which is the last hill/obstacle before the lake. There will be snow...Bowling Ball Hill tends to hold the snow longest...It is fun just trying to get as far as you can go, but the hill offers no place to turn around. I have busted through to this point on my rig, then bailed. This was with lockers F/R and 38s..Buggies usually manage to break the trail eventually....

Slaughterhouse is located off of Hwy 285 between Pine Junction and Bailey, before Crow Hill.

If I haven't welcomed you to the site...WELCOME! Looking forward to wheeling with you..Love those FJ40s...



Thanks for the welcome! I have been a part of te forum for quite sometime now, just not as active as others due to a busy schedule with work and school! We have met before several times infact, we went wheeling a year and a bit ago at yankee hill in the snow, and I believe I parked next to you at the cruiser rally last year as well!

[Brody]

DUH on me....They shouldn't say stuff like 'Old age and wisdom' in the same sentence. It should be "old age and memory loss"...oh well....My loss (pun intended)....

I am game for trying Wheeler, but would like to propose selecting a back up trail to do as we are probably not going to get as far as the lake. Still would help to start opening up the trail. Fun to do a snow run when the weather is warm to hot....There are a couple of folks with set up rigs in the Frisco/Breck area who would be way up for this, too

I would post it up as a run and include Twin Cone maybe and the second trail..or something else relatively close by...

[Pathrat]

Warrlord...you mean something stopped that big, bad and bitchin' truck of yours??? :D

[Warrlord]

Warrlord...you mean something stopped that big, bad and bitchin' truck of yours??? :D

That was one only time you know of. The rest of the times I got stopped???..........Well, they'll surface soon enough. :o :D

[Tye]

:eek: lets do it ....just not yet :lol:

[WINKY]

:eek: lets do it ....just not yet :lol:


ya dont want any gaskets blown on the trail...HHAHAHAHAH:rolleyes:

[Roostercruiser]

funrover you never did slaughter house?

ive done slaughter house twice but never did the entire loop. a stocker can do it. and each time Crow Creek is closed and gated off so no mud pits. the hills can be diffecult.

[Roostercruiser]

Warrlord...you mean something stopped that big, bad and bitchin' truck of yours??? :D


he wasnt stuck he was posing for a picture:D

[Funrover]

funrover you never did slaughter house?

ive done slaughter house twice but never did the entire loop. a stocker can do it. and each time Crow Creek is closed and gated off so no mud pits. the hills can be diffecult.

That trail is a curse for me... everytime I try to go something happens.

[Chris]

Just bought about a gazillion parts for my truck :wrench: and would like to trythem out near the end of April of begining of May?

Good to hear from you Max! Say hi to Rob for me. :thunb:

When we did Wheeler it was a pretty crappy day so I'd like to run it again. What's your plans with those gazillion parts?

[Brody]

The Mud Pits were officially closed last year by the FS. This was at the same time that they installed a seasonal gate for the Crow Creek Trail.

This was the run that was posted on the site last year where the lame Colorado Go4s wanted help with the trail clean up. When I read the post and found out that helping the FS (and the GO4s) with the trail clean up also involved installing yet another gate and actually closing off a fun section of the, I posted it up on the site as a "Heads up, people! Think about what you are doing here" thing so that people would actually open their eyeballs and think, before jumping into helping the FS (our tax dollars at work) and another group install 'trail closed' signs and a gate prohibiting the use of the trail.

We are still losing more trails than are being reopened, and I, for one, absolutely refuse to help the Forest Service or any other entity with the closing of trails that we try, by way of trail clean ups, and pay for the use of, by way of our taxes, to keep open. I would suggest that everyone read the fine print and think when this topic gets proposed again.

[Mickey]

Has this trail run fizzled, or has it retreated back into planning stages?

-Mickey

[Brody]

Just post it up on the calendar, but keep in mind that this early in the year you probably won't get up to the lake. Expect snow bashing and some winching and a bit of trail breaking. If we do the run, essentially all we will be doing is opening it up more so that the next group can open it up still more, etc., until the trail is finally busted open.

I am game for this as I don't mind doing winching, towing, bashing, etc and think it's fun. Some of the other people do, too, but many don't see anything fun about this at all.

If you post the run, state all of the above and also state that this run isn't for stock or non locked up rigs...they will have no fun at all..unless they fit the 'we have fun no matter what' category like I do....

[Dan]

I'm in for whenever... I also like the snow bashing, winching, etc...just not too much fun for the kids if we aren't moving fast. If I get time (maybe this weekend), I will try to find it and see what it looks like since its relatively close for me...30 mins or so. Snow has been melting like crazy up here even though it still snows every other day. Half my yard is exposed ( where the sun hits) But I'm at 9000 ft. I think wheeler starts above 10,000 and goes to abbove 12,000. 1,000 ft can make a big difference in snowpack!

[Brody]

Generally speaking, you can't get up to the lake before early to mid June. The worst snow pack starts just before the base of Bowling Ball Hill, right about treeline. And Bowling Ball Hill...well the buggies can bust that out as far as I am concerned...I sure wouldn't want to try to bash snow and then back down the thing...

[Funrover]

Generally speaking, you can't get up to the lake before early to mid June. The worst snow pack starts just before the base of Bowling Ball Hill, right about treeline. And Bowling Ball Hill...well the buggies can bust that out as far as I am concerned...I sure wouldn't want to try to bash snow and then back down the thing...
X2, I will wait on this trail..esp. on that part.

[Brody]

When I was working in Jefferson, I ran Wheeler May/June for about 4 weekends in a row. Every time I kept getting a little bit farther on it. There were Bogger tracks on two occasions that had busted the trail out past where my last tracks were.

I would love to do this as it is a great trail and needs to get opened. Since wheelers are the ones doing the opening, I say post it and let's do it. We have enough rigs that are set up, so a run there would be fun. We can run Twin Cone on the way back to town as it is on the way..

[billsbar]

I've never done wheelers lake but I have caught a lot of really nice fish out of Montgomery res.

[Gecko Cycles]

I caught 2 14" Cutbows at wheeler lake. Never got a nibble at the Res. LOL. Casted to lots of them though. It can get really windy up there at Wheeler and there is no wind breaks either. Cold, freezing rain and big time wind. I came down in the dark which made it real exciting. We were by ourselves after the guy I went with bailed on the ride and the fish were biteing so we stayed.

[white collar redneck dad]

I went with another group during July 4th weekend of 2008...made it close to bowling ball hill...snow drifts way too deep!! If you want to see the lake I would suggest mid to late July or early August...either way im up for some chains and snow bashing!!!!

[Brody]

Like I mentioned before: let's get a group of folks to go to Wheeler with the intention of bashing the trail out as far as we can, then do Twin Cone or something else close by.

If you don't mind winching, shoveling and getting a little stuck, this would be fun. So what if we don't make it all the way? We'll just carve the trail out a little bit farther so that the next group can do the same...

Nice picture of the Jeep, BTW!

[Pathrat]

Here is the video link from the last run the group did:

http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3249

[WINKY]

im in, all i need is about 75$ and i can get my winch mount built and get it mounted then i will be indestructible! i am going to try and get it done this month.i just need the 5/16 plate for the winch and start welding.

[itsjustdan23]

im in, all i need is about 75$ and i can get my winch mount built and get it mounted then i will be indestructible! i am going to try and get it done this month.i just need the 5/16 plate for the winch and start welding.


I really hope you just didnt say that about bein indestructible. I also hope you didnt just jinx yourself bud. That would suck major ya know.....

[WINKY]

lol it was a joke... HAHAHAHA i know things break but its all part of life.. i am in touch with reality :)

[74fj40]

Wheeler lake does not open until july. How about saturday july 11th? anyone know of a good meeting place out there?

[Funrover]

Meet at resorviour. or in the town of Alma/south park

[Brody]

Wheeler lake does not open until july. How about saturday july 11th? anyone know of a good meeting place out there?


I didn't realize that it ever closed. Last year I ran it 3-4 times way before then, just busting the trail farther than the last time. Never saw a gate (thank god), never saw a sign...Usually it is the buggies that actually bust the trail open all the way to the lake, with a lot of help from anyone else that wants to do a little snow bashing. This is what I was proposing earlier...that we get some folks together who have some decent built up rigs, go up there and BASH THE TRAIL OUT A LITTLE FARTHER, then run Twin Cone or something. Anyone or damn near anything can run Wheeler when it is 'open' and it is fun for sure...I don't think that there is any "official" FS BS opening date...