One More Day in Crested Butte, CO

This day was originally scheduled to be a moving day, but after spending four days here, we decided we weren’t quite done in Crested Butte (summer of 2022). I wanted to wheel. While in town the day before, we took a stranger’s advice, also a Tacoma owner, to check out Crystal Mill and hike to a lake. Although, because of a miscommunication, we ended up in a different situation. If we had taken his suggested route, we would’ve driven to Marble, CO, on pavement, and then taken trails to the mill. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the area, but CB and Marble are both tucked into what’re called box canyons. Meaning there’s only one main road in and out. The others are trails that traverse mountains and use high-elevation passes to get to other towns, and most require 4x4 vehicles.

I must’ve misunderstood which trails/roads were blocked by a “boulder” [rockslide]. He was very clear about where to expect snow on a different section and mistaken about where to expect the rockslide. After studying the maps, I plotted an alternate route to avoid the rockslide, but we’d take our chances on the snow.

The Easy Stuff

We took Slate River Rd, which eventually turned into a dirt road. Just past Pittsburg (private property), we began ascending the southwestern side of Mount Baldy. We crossed Paradise Divide, which appeared to be a pass, where we were stunned by the vastness of Paradise Basin. The hillside looked like a boundless golf course with small rolling fairways and pockets of traps around the greens. Above us, the bronzed cap of Mount Baldy stood tall.

Continuing on this trail, we passed through the area known as Scofield Pass and Historic Park. It was a lush valley sprinkled with small cabins on either side. Further down the trail, we came to a sign that gave me those rowdy vibes.

“NARROW STEEP ROAD - Recommended only for very experienced drivers & small high clearance 4WD”

The Descent

This is exactly why I needed to stay an extra day. My inner GPS guided me here. Immediately the trail narrowed and began descending ledges. We crossed a large stream and to our right a large roaring waterfall. As we snaked down this tapering trail, the rocks became boulders. After one last water crossing, the valley opened up. I was stoked—Liz was nervous and for good reason. From what we could see this trail was as sketchy as Black Bear Pass and equally as epic. The trail was just barely clinging to the cliffside. We didn’t know exactly what lie ahead but then we saw hikers and a group of adventure motorcycles head up the trail. We stopped and waited. The hikers approached us first. They explained to us that “there’s a pile of boulders in the way, you won’t make it.” I remember snickering…hopefully it was just inside my head and I didn’t seem like an ass. Anyway, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. I know what my truck is capable of, they don’t.

The motos had disappeared around the first corner, which concerned me, so as I made my way down on foot. To my surprise, I saw one of them standing on a boulder the size of a Lay-Z-Boy. I assumed he was the leader, likely the most experienced. There were four or five more getting ready to attempt the obstacle. Camera’s always ready, I was able to get a few action shots. The large boulder was about six feet from the wall and at the fulcrum of a thirty-five or forty degree kink in the trail. Another large boulder, plus a pile of rocks below, blocked the trail between the wall and the Lay-Z-Boy. The motos made their way up without too much drama.

The lead rider advised me that even if we did make it through this obstacle, the snow at the bottom was likely impassable. I was already prepared to attempt the boulder and going down was definitely the easier direction. I steered to the driver side, as close to the wall as possible, and then turned toward passenger once the front tire cleared the boulder. I used the passenger slider to swing around until the rear tires perched atop the boulders. For a moment, the front bumper had caught the wall on the driver side, leaving a battle scar and a story to tell. The rest of the trail down was really rough and tight but manageable, allowing the 5.29 gears to slowly walk us down the cliffside.

At the bottom, we crossed a bridge that hovered about 12’ over the stream. This is where the moto guy said we’d need to about-face. After a short hike down further down the trail the snow revealed itself. Based on the evidence, I believed we were looking at the remnants of an avalanche. The stream dug a tunnel though the massive pile of snow—it was quite an interesting situation. I had ideas of trying to cross it using the winch line to keep us from sliding sideways, but I knew Liz would never go for it.

The impassable snow.

Devil’s Punch Bowl

Return to the Furniture Store

Unaware of our surrounds, we were parked just downstream from Devil’s Punch Bowl—a gorgeous 35-40’ double waterfall. We paid a quick visit, but only from afar—we knew we had a challenge ahead, which prevented us from fully appreciating this scenic canyon feature. Heading back up the trail on foot, I mentally prepared for the drive. I mounted the GoPro to the edge of the hood which turned out to be an interesting perspective with nothing in view but the trail. Once we made our final approach to the boulder, I stopped and setup the Sony A7iv above the obstacle looking down the canyon. Using the wide length of the Sony GM 16-35mm lens, I was able to capture everything in frame quite nicely.

Two guys on mountain bikes were just below the obstacle. They saw us coming and stopped. When we approached them, we exchanged excitement and they asked if they could stay and watch. It took some pressure off Liz because she doesn’t love spotting. The one guy had a built 80 series so I trusted he knew what he was doing.

Once the front tires reached the rock pile, the truck was on a 45 degree incline, approximately, so I’m looking up and can only see the top halves of everyone standing above the obstacle. I start crawling toward the boulder, now on the driver side; I planned to use the edge of it as my line. Once I got there, both front tires hit at the same time and I lost momentum, but instead of letting off and resetting, I chose to keep the wheels spinning. I sensed some grip so I gave it a little more gas. The truck started to lift so I held the line, throwing the truck over the pile of rocks. As the nose of the truck came down, the slider smashed the boulder, it violently kicked the truck left. The locked diff in the rear crested the boulders, and at that moment, with my head out the window, I was bucked out of my seat and my foot mashed the gas pedal, sending dirt and rocks flying as I hurled toward the bystanders, including Liz trying to capture footage on her iPhone. Although she says it wasn’t as bad as it looked, watching back the footage, it was still dangerous. You never want to learn the hard way, standing too close to a 3-ton vehicle while it’s in a state of chaos.

Lay-Z-Boy

After several high-fives and hugs, our adrenaline diminished and we were on our way back up the trail to the parking lot sign that warned us of the perils ahead. On our way over the pass, we made several stops to view wild animals. The highlight being a marmot and a chipmunk bathing in the evening sun on the same log. By the time we made it back to camp, the weather had turned and we experienced a nasty thunderstorm.

In true Roam4Lo fashion, from start to finish, the day was scenic, exhilarating and ended with a beer. We only wish the rest of the group was with us.

#HereForTheMarmots