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Easier trails near Holy Cross

jimbo92

jimbo92

Well-known member
Joined
May 21, 2020
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Heading west to moab in a couple weeks and buddy is wanting to run Holy Cross trail on the way. He will be in a 1 Ton linked CJ with 39" reds and an LSX and I will be in a GX460 with 285s.....so won't be running Holy Cross in that thing. I'm looking for something easier in the area to bang around on while he runs the harder one.
 
Mosquito Pass is easy plus you can explore a couple mine sites. Another 45 min south are Sceep’s suggestions.

How skid plated are you? Winch? You can run the beginning of Holy Cross Up to the exit turn off with no problem. Not saying I recommend this but our friends that run with us have run the entire trail numerous times in a locked Tacoma on 33’s and a locked TJ on 33’s. Worst part of the whole trail is getting across the creek. You could ride to there, park, and watch others.
 
Close to the tip top of Breckenridge Ski Area Peak 10 is cool too. Haven't been up there in awhile, not sure if you still can go to the old repeater station. People ski up there in July.
 
Curbkrawler said:
Mosquito Pass is easy plus you can explore a couple mine sites. Another 45 min south are Sceep’s suggestions.

How skid plated are you? Winch? You can run the beginning of Holy Cross Up to the exit turn off with no problem. Not saying I recommend this but our friends that run with us have run the entire trail numerous times in a locked Tacoma on 33’s and a locked TJ on 33’s. Worst part of the whole trail is getting across the creek. You could ride to there, park, and watch others.
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This is what i like to see. I wouldnt want to run the whole trail and beat my truck to death...but If i can get decently far in, set up for lunch and watch some folks while my buddy runs the whole trail that would be cool.

Truck has 3" coilovers on the front, 2" coils on rear, sliders, stock skids, ironman bumper, and a 12k lb winch on the front. Experienced driver I like to think. Not your standard overlander that pilots these things. No lockers, but crawl control cheats the system pretty well.
 
I'd much rather run Mt Princeton or Antero than HC to the river crossing and back. It'll take the rest of your group at least a few hours to finish out the trail and get back to you waiting for them.

What will suck is if you don't go with them and they all come back saying "fuck man, you should have come, you could have easily made the whole thing." :( I don;t think you'll make it past the river crossing but its been a few years since I was up there.
 
It's graded county road, but the end of the road that goes past Holy Cross goes to Homestake Reservoir, which is pretty cool. There are a few other dirt-road spots in around Holy Cross that are cool to just poke around exploring as well.
Mosquito Pass could probably be done with careful driving in a Subaru, but it's pretty cool. The Matchless Mine is on the Leadville side and if you're history-geekly, it's kind of cool to check out. There are a couple other mine sites on the way up Mosquito that you can look at from the road, but can't look into (private property).
You can theoretically go, on dirt, from Camp Hale to the Vail Pass rest area, I've done most of it, and it's mostly not-hard trail, I can't say 100% it goes through, but I think it does. It goes out the northeastern end of Camp Hale, winding around to the east side of Red Cliff, then over Shrine Pass. I wouldn't want to take a crew/longbed that way, but I think a stock YJ with a decent driver could do it. Some incredible views along the way, and more than a bit of old Colorado mountain history as well.
 
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Sceep said:
Head down towards BV. Mt princeton, Mt Antero.
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This, if you want some awesome views. Both can be done in relatively stock vehicles. Pomeroy Lake is another one that can be done in a stock 4x4, the trailhead is off the same main road as the other 2.
 
Sceep said:
I'd much rather run Mt Princeton or Antero than HC to the river crossing and back. It'll take the rest of your group at least a few hours to finish out the trail and get back to you waiting for them.

What will suck is if you don't go with them and they all come back saying "fuck man, you should have come, you could have easily made the whole thing." :( I don;t think you'll make it past the river crossing but its been a few years since I was up there.
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agreed on the river crossing. Last time we ran HC, 2019, I have never seen so many people there. We waited in line for about 45 min at the river crossing. We crossed, turned around, and came back out bc there were at least 30 rigs ahead of us.

Antero is a great trail. A Subaru can do it, but the scenery is amazing. You can fork off on a side trail down to a lake once you get to the board and have lunch. St Elmo on the way out is a cool stop too if you are into ghost towns.

Another one just outside of Leadville is Up Half Moon Gulch to the Champion Mill and Mine if you are interested in exploring a 100 year old mill. Nothing technical except a water crossing (less than 2’ last time we were there).
 
Ran Holy Cross Monday in my Montero on 31 with a TJ on 33 and JK on 35. I needed to winch in one spot on the one way, TJ winched up the first obstacle after the one way. French Creek was probably the easiest obstacle. Took us about five hours and having lunch at the city, didn't go up to Clevland Rock.
On Sunday we ran McAllister Gulch pretty easy trail has one hard spot but any real 4x4 should make it. The cut across to Red Cliff was closed so you have to go all the way around back to Camp Hale. Tons of trails out of Camp Hale
 
hooligan shmulligan said:
Ran Holy Cross Monday in my Montero on 31 with a TJ on 33 and JK on 35. I needed to winch in one spot on the one way, TJ winched up the first obstacle after the one way. French Creek was probably the easiest obstacle. Took us about five hours and having lunch at the city, didn't go up to Clevland Rock.
On Sunday we ran McAllister Gulch pretty easy trail has one hard spot but any real 4x4 should make it. The cut across to Red Cliff was closed so you have to go all the way around back to Camp Hale. Tons of trails out of Camp Hale
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How much yeehaw was required to get that Montero through there? Any body damage?
 
hooligan shmulligan said:
Tons of trails out of Camp Hale
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Back in the late 90s, Jeep based Camp Jeep out of Camp Hale, my college wheeling club did a lot of the trail guiding, we had mostly stock jeeps on our runs, and most of them had a good time.
 
jimbo92 said:
How much yeehaw was required to get that Montero through there? Any body damage?
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Had to get a little western in a few spots. Got the clutch pretty hot on the first obstacle after the one way. Got real chinese on the off camber climb that throws you into the bushes. Probably should of winched but said fuck it and made it, clipped the right rear on the rock. Coming down the same spot my wheels pancaked to the left ,thought I was going to break a tie rod or a CV got it straightened out and made it down.Shit don't turn well when you're welded front and rear. I beat the shit out of the rockers but that's kind of a given.
 
A Subaru can make it up to Cleveland rock these days. The river crossing seemed to be missing all the big rocks when I was there last week.
 
What is the best location to park tow rig and trailer?
 
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