IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog

Schofield Pass (Marble, CO)

Schofield Pass is one of Colorado’s most famous trails, and another one of those trails that all four-wheelers eventually want to run. Unfortunately, this trails fame is because it was the site of Colorado’s deadliest 4×4 accidents. In July of 1970, nine tourists died when their vehicle slid off of the ledge above the Devil’s Punchbowl. While this trail is certainly narrow and a bit technical above the Devil’s Punchbowl, it is not very difficult or scary for an experienced driver.

The trail starts out in Crystal and follows the Crystal River all the way up to the pass. Shortly after leaving Crystal, the trail gets narrow and rocky until you climb up past the Devil’s Punchbowl where it levels off and gets wider and easier. While in this narrow section of trail, keep an eye out for oncoming traffic and for places that you can pass other vehicles, because there are very few places to pass.

Once you cross the bridge over the Crystal River you will head up above the Devil’s Punchbowl. This is the narrowest and most technical section of the trail. There is a place to park right before the bridge if you would like to walk up ahead and check out the trail.

While this trail has a bad reputation, the scenery is well worth the trip. I highly recommend this trail if you are in the area.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Schofield Pass below.

Schofield Pass KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Gunsight Pass (Crested Butte, CO)

Gunsight Pass is a very cool short spur trail off of the Paradise Basin trail, and only a few miles away from Crested Butte. The name of this trail is ‘switchbacks’ Practically the whole trail is a series of switchbacks up Red Lady Mountain and into Redwell Basin. Another interesting fact about this trail is that there is no way to actually drive over the pass, or even to the top of the pass. The last two large switchbacks of this trail are closed to ATV’s and 4×4’s because it is no longer safe to drive on. So if you are looking to get up to or over the pass, you will need to use a mountain bike or plan on a bit of hiking.

The trail starts out with crossing of the Slate River. In the spring this crossing can be very deep with spring runoff and may not be passable. It was fairly deep in August when I ran this trail. If your vehicle is able to make the water crossing at the beginning of the trail, you should have no problems anywhere else on the trail. After navigating up the switchbacks towards the top of the pass, you will be greeted with some great views of Crested Butte and into the Slate River Valley. Before you reach the end of the 4×4 trail you will also pass through the remains of the Daisy Mine and then get some great views down into Redwell Basin.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Gunsight Pass below.

Gunsight Pass KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Crystal City (Marble, CO)

Crystal City is an easy and popular trail. While it is not smooth enough for a car to travel, any stock 4×4 vehicle with decent ground clearance should have no problem getting to Crystal from Marble. This is also the main route to get to Schofield Pass from Marble.

One of the highlights along this trail is the Lost Horse Mill on the Crystal River just below Crystal. This structure is well preserved and situated right next to a waterfall on the river. It’s easy to see why this is supposedly one of the most photographed areas in Colorado (though, I am not sure I really agree with that statement). There is a short hike down to the river below the mill where you can get your feet wet in the river and get some great photographs of the mill. The Lost Horse Mill was built to provide air for the pneumatic drills of local mines.

Once you make it to Crystal, make sure to stop and check out the old cabins. Just beware that there are still some residents that live here, so please respect their private property.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Crystal City below.

Crystal City KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Rustler Gulch (Crested Butte, CO)

Rustler Gulch is a short spur trail that takes off from the Gothic Road not too far from Schofield Pass. Also known as the Bellview Jeep Road, this trail skirts the edge of the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness area. The trail is only a little over two miles long and dead ends at the Bellview hiking trail which enters the wilderness area and heads to the Silver Spruce Mine on Mount Bellview.

Even though it is a short trail, it offers great views and some nice camping areas located in the Maroon Bells Wilderness area. There are also some great views of the East River Valley below as you climb out of it.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Rustler Gulch below.

Rustler Gulch KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.

Spring Canyon Bottom (Moab, UT)

Spring Canyon Bottom is a fairly easy trail that takes off from Highway 313 and heads down to the bottom of Spring Canyon and the Green River in the Bowknot Bend. The trail starts out as a wide graded road until it reaches the descent into the canyon. Here, the trail becomes steep and narrower as it is cut into the high cliffs. There is also a short section of shelf road that travels under a large rock overhang.

This is a very scenic trail that any stock 4×4 should be able to handle. It is also not a very popular trail in the area, so it is a great place to get away from the crowded trails. This trail is also the only way to get to Hey Joe canyon. Combining these two trails makes for a great day of exploring near the Green River.

Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Spring Canyon Bottom below.

Spring Canyon Bottom KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.