When do Colorado Trails/Passes Open?

[Unner]

I'm wondering when the off road mountain passes, like Engineer Pass, Imogene Pass, Black Bear Pass, etc. typically open up during the summer?

I know it's dependent on snowfall for the season and all sorts of other factors, but I'm just wanting to know when they usually open, or if there was a lot of snow this year that could effect the opening dates.

Thanks for any input!

 

[Soul-Surfer]

this may help

I'm wondering when the off road mountain passes, like Engineer Pass, Imogene Pass, Black Bear Pass, etc. typically open up during the summer?

I know it's dependent on snowfall for the season and all sorts of other factors, but I'm just wanting to know when they usually open, or if there was a lot of snow this year that could effect the opening dates.

Thanks for any input!

Check out this site as they keep info updated on each individual pass Bushducks - Jeep Trail and Backroads Trip Reports<br>Colorado Jeep Trails and Passes - Opening Dates

Hope this helps!

Im headed out there next week and know most passes are not even close to open however a few have been pushed open it looks like.

 

[ajordan1975]

Almost everything is open by mid June. It might change this year since the mountains just got anywhere from 1' to 5' foot of snow yesterday.

 

[Unner]

Check out this site as they keep info updated on each individual pass Bushducks - Jeep Trail and Backroads Trip Reports<br>Colorado Jeep Trails and Passes - Opening Dates

Hope this helps!

Im headed out there next week and know most passes are not even close to open however a few have been pushed open it looks like.

That is a great website! That will help for sure. Good luck on your trip!

Almost everything is open by mid June. It might change this year since the mountains just got anywhere from 1' to 5' foot of snow yesterday.

Good to know, hopefully there are some warmer temps in the forecast to start melting all that snow... What are the temps like up in the mountains during July? Any idea? Most everywhere is gonna be too hot to camp then, but I feel like up in the mountains it will be very pleasant.

 

[ColoRAD]

Good to know, hopefully there are some warmer temps in the forecast to start melting all that snow... What are the temps like up in the mountains during July? Any idea? Most everywhere is gonna be too hot to camp then, but I feel like up in the mountains it will be very pleasant.

Summer temperatures are pretty variable depending on where you go and what elevation you're at. But summer is always great in the mountains!

 

[Jimmy_D]

In snow years such as this one some of the passes will still be closed until just before the Summit, which begins the 19th of July this year. The powers-that-be make certain that everything is open for that particular event. There have been years that some of the passes didn't get opened until literally the day before the Summit. One year I did an evening run down Black Bear with some of the Trail Teams guys (back when they were still in existence) the day before the Summit opened because they had just opened Black Bear that afternoon. Here's a picture of me in my FJ one year at Summit on top of Black Bear:

 

[STX4Runner]

^^^What he said. Mid June as someone said above is not reasonable to expect most of these passes to be open. My friend who lives in Fort Collins (4,600' elevation) got 8" of snow this week. What do you think they got at 12,000'?

 

[snivilous]

I live at 9000ft, about 20 miles west of Boulder, and got 3ft of snow the other day. It's been super warm since then, and looking outside probably half of it has already melted (though granted I'm not very high compared to the passes). Mid June, especially with the recent storm, would be a no go in my opinion. Even low elevation trails near me will probably be closed until July due to runoff and snow. Keep in mind it snows into June routinely, sometimes even July (at least at my house).

 

[RonJR]

If the Forest Service or the county goes up with a bulldozer and actively opens a road, a high pass can be open by late June or early July. If they just wait for natural melt-out, the road may be 90% open by then, but a few 100-yard-long drifts in shady north-facing spots may prevent through traffic until late July.

Generally in the San Juans they plow the roads open, because the jeep tour operators depend on the lengthened season. Most other areas in Colorado rely on natural melting, so the high passes stay blocked until late July, sometimes later.

 

[Unner]

In snow years such as this one some of the passes will still be closed until just before the Summit, which begins the 19th of July this year. The powers-that-be make certain that everything is open for that particular event. There have been years that some of the passes didn't get opened until literally the day before the Summit. One year I did an evening run down Black Bear with some of the Trail Teams guys (back when they were still in existence) the day before the Summit opened because they had just opened Black Bear that afternoon. Here's a picture of me in my FJ one year at Summit on top of Black Bear:

Unfortunately the 19th of July is too late for me. I can't move the dates that I would be going out there if I do. That's a lot of snow, looks pretty nasty, especially with the sky looking like that!

^^^What he said. Mid June as someone said above is not reasonable to expect most of these passes to be open. My friend who lives in Fort Collins (4,600' elevation) got 8" of snow this week. What do you think they got at 12,000'?

True, I'd be the first week of July so there's a slightly better chance of things being open I suppose.

I live at 9000ft, about 20 miles west of Boulder, and got 3ft of snow the other day. It's been super warm since then, and looking outside probably half of it has already melted (though granted I'm not very high compared to the passes). Mid June, especially with the recent storm, would be a no go in my opinion. Even low elevation trails near me will probably be closed until July due to runoff and snow. Keep in mind it snows into June routinely, sometimes even July (at least at my house).

That's crazy. I saw no snow this year other than the flurries in Kansas when I went out to Moab...

If the Forest Service or the county goes up with a bulldozer and actively opens a road, a high pass can be open by late June or early July. If they just wait for natural melt-out, the road may be 90% open by then, but a few 100-yard-long drifts in shady north-facing spots may prevent through traffic until late July.

Generally in the San Juans they plow the roads open, because the jeep tour operators depend on the lengthened season. Most other areas in Colorado rely on natural melting, so the high passes stay blocked until late July, sometimes later.

Interesting, hopefully the snow stops and they can do some plowing to get things opened up soonish.


I guess the point to take from this is it's really too early to tell when exactly the passes will be open this year. If I can make it out there it would be the first full week of July, the dates are non negotiable for me though. I assume there are other slightly lower elevation routes/trails that would be open that time of year though if worst case some of the passes aren't open?

 

[RonJR]

I assume there are other slightly lower elevation routes/trails that would be open that time of year though if worst case some of the passes aren't open?

Hard to say. Generally the areas above timberline are slow to melt out because it doesn't get very warm up there, and the nights routinely drop below freezing in early summer. Below timberline, from 10,000-11,000 feet, there's a lot of shade, which can slow down melting as well. It just depends on warm spells and how much snow accumulated during the winter. Every spring is different. Below 8500 feet or so it will probably be dry by early June.

Generally, though, I find the the 'wheeling is much better in September and early October than it is in late June or early July. This past fall the season lasted until Nov. 15.

One other point. The Forest Service keeps many roads closed until they are fairly dry (not just snow free) to reduce damage from wheeled vehicles. This is particularly true of lower elevation roads in the trees where there's a fair amount of soil to stay muddy for quite a while.

If you go to the website for the specific national forest you will be traveling in, many of those websites will have current road conditions and status. However, there's no consistency from one NF to another about where such information is located on the website, or how thorough it is.

 

[Eryan36]

I live at 9000ft, about 20 miles west of Boulder, and got 3ft of snow the other day. It's been super warm since then, and looking outside probably half of it has already melted (though granted I'm not very high compared to the passes). Mid June, especially with the recent storm, would be a no go in my opinion. Even low elevation trails near me will probably be closed until July due to runoff and snow. Keep in mind it snows into June routinely, sometimes even July (at least at my house).

Wow. Knew you guys got some snow, but did not realize it was that much. Wife and I are hoping to head up to CO to do some camping and hiking (Fourmile Falls, Conundrum Hot Springs, Decalibron) the first week of June, and I was hoping to take the 4R up the Aspen Summer Road and Breck Peak 10..

 

[Unner]

Hard to say. Generally the areas above timberline are slow to melt out because it doesn't get very warm up there, and the nights routinely drop below freezing in early summer. Below timberline, from 10,000-11,000 feet, there's a lot of shade, which can slow down melting as well. It just depends on warm spells and how much snow accumulated during the winter. Every spring is different. Below 8500 feet or so it will probably be dry by early June.

Generally, though, I find the the 'wheeling is much better in September and early October than it is in late June or early July. This past fall the season lasted until Nov. 15.

One other point. The Forest Service keeps many roads closed until they are fairly dry (not just snow free) to reduce damage from wheeled vehicles. This is particularly true of lower elevation roads in the trees where there's a fair amount of soil to stay muddy for quite a while.

If you go to the website for the specific national forest you will be traveling in, many of those websites will have current road conditions and status. However, there's no consistency from one NF to another about where such information is located on the website, or how thorough it is.

Thanks for the advice! I wish I could make it out there a little later in the year, but the 20+ hour drive there and back makes it hard to find enough time to go out there. I'll be sure to look into the NF websites. I think what I might do is plan a trip, and if the weather doesn't work out and the trails/passes aren't open, just drive a couple more hours west and go back to Moab. Should be plenty warm there.

Is the Charles Wells guide to Colorado trails just as good as his book for Moab? Might pick one up and start looking at making a basic plan.

 

[RonJR]

Wow. Knew you guys got some snow, but did not realize it was that much. Wife and I are hoping to head up to CO to do some camping and hiking (Fourmile Falls, Conundrum Hot Springs, Decalibron) the first week of June, and I was hoping to take the 4R up the Aspen Summer Road and Breck Peak 10..

Don't know anything about the other roads you listed, but I doubt you'll get very far up the Breck Peak 10 road the first week of June. The ski season just ended 3 weeks ago, and not because of lack of snow.