Mega Magnolia Transect

IMG_1899The Mega Magnolia Transect was born late last week when I was looking at maps of 4×4 trails near the Metro Denver area and realized that there are many trails that link up together between Nederland and Idaho Springs.  Usually I would only do one or two trails in a day but looking at the map, I figured that I could do several all linked together.  Thus I set out in the morning for the northern end of the West Magnolia trail.  My goals were to 1) see the fall colors and 2) see how far I could go in a day.

IMG_1902
There was a lot of great color on West Magnolia.  Also there were some new waterbars built recently that make it a more challenging road than before.

IMG_1906
IMG_1907-1

20150926_100219_Richtone(HDR)-2
IMG_1912

IMG_1915

IMG_1917


IMG_1925
So many great trees!


IMG_1927
20150926_100224_Richtone(HDR)-3My friend Brent did a little color correction here.

IMG_1930-5


IMG_1933
IMG_1934


IMG_1936

IMG_1938
STA_1939-Pano-8After West Magnolia, I went over to Gamble Gulch.  This road is really narrow in spots.  I wouldn’t want to try driving a full-size vehicle through this road.

IMG_1947
IMG_1948
IMG_1954Next I went over to the Kingston Peak Trail.  There was quite a bit of traffic on this road.  Lots of big built vehicles, shiny brand new Rubicons, and side-by-sides.  I had the oldest and most stock vehicle on the trail this day.  One couple in a Rubicon Unlimited told me they were turning around because the road was too rough for their jeep.  I went around them and proceeded easily up the hill they were worried about.  It’s interesting to see all these very good vehicles not get used to their full potential.  I suppose in the spring when I started 4x4ing with my little 4runner, I would have also been intimidated by Kingston Peak Trail but now it seems easy to me.

STA_1955-Pano-10Looking north.

IMG_1966This is an awesome trail!  I’m guessing there was mining somewhere up here once.  Now it’s a beautiful route across some really unique landscape.

IMG_1967What a truck!

STA_1968-12
STN_1981-Pano-13
IMG_1982
IMG_1983
IMG_1988Heading up a rough section with some big dislodged boulders.

IMG_1989On top of the world.

IMG_2007Bumping along.

STA_2008-Pano-15
IMG_2016Neat meadow.



IMG_2018This hill was giving some people in front of me trouble.  I crawled right up without any problem at all.  I wonder how many people were running on fully inflated tires.



STB_2021-Pano-16Up at the rock house looking down onto Loch Lomond where we were last weekend.

IMG_2033Lots of people stopped at the rock house putting their rocks on it.

20150926_124937And of course my truck was the most attractive up there.

IMG_2035Heading down a connector trail between Yankee Hill and Apex Road.  This trail became progressively narrower and rougher as I went.

IMG_2036Big loose jumbled rocks that I had to slide down.  Very steep, very rough.



IMG_2040Heading down toward Apex.

IMG_2043

IMG_2047Back on Apex Road heading up toward Gamble Gulch Road.

IMG_2049Great colors!

IMG_2050Up at the top of Gamble Gulch Road.

STA_2051-Pano-17Very pretty.

IMG_2058An old mining site.

IMG_2061
IMG_2062Looking down into the valley above Rollinsville.


IMG_2066This was a nice, easy road.  I ran into a couple in a Jeep who had the same book I do.  I helped them navigate down to the highway.  I thought they were going to follow me to the next trail but we didn’t end up in the same place.  Next time!


STA_2069-Pano-18With some daylight left, I decided to go up the east side of Rollins Pass.  This road is really busy and has all sorts of passenger cars really high up on it.  I’m glad I went late in the day because it would have been even worse during the middle of the day.

IMG_2074Big old mine entrance near the lake.

IMG_2077Kingston peak to the south (I think).



IMG_2079Up at the rockfall at the cut about a half mile before the closed tunnel.  I’m surprised no one has gone up with some explosives and opened the trail back up again.  It certainly won’t reopen as long as Boulder County has anything to say about it.

IMG_2080-Pano-2-19The infamous tunnel plus the lake just below the tunnel.

STA_2090-Pano-20Looking back south where my truck was parked.

IMG_2098It was at this point that I found the starter in my truck wouldn’t work.  I initially figured that the truck had simply heat soaked the starter like what had happened in the summer going to California.  I poured water on the starter and waited.  Still nothing.  I tried roll starting it in reverse.  The grade wasn’t steep enough to do that very well.  Then I looked around more, checking fuses and whatnot.  Then finally I discovered a loose wire in the engine bay.  Some quick splicing and I was back in business.  It took me a little over an hour to figure out what was actually wrong.

IMG_2099Looking back at the tunnel on the way down.

STA_2103-Pano-21Sunset.

IMG_2112I saw a big moose in the uppermost meadow on the way down.  Neat!

IMG_2116Nearly full moon rising.




IMG_2123

IMG_2125

Looking down into the valley above Rollinsville.  By the time I got down to the staging area by Moffat Tunnel, it was late enough and dark enough (especially with my puny stock headlights), I decided to air up my tires and head down to Golden.  Had I more time, I would have reverse-run West Magnolia or maybe gone up Mammoth Gulch or tried Jenny Creek.  Next time!

West Magnolia and Apex on New Tires

20150829_161017

We went up West Magnolia and Apex Road yesterday to try out my new tire inflation system using a SCUBA tank.  The West Magnolia road is really nice and quite.  We only saw a few other people at the start of the trail from the Nederland side.  About halfway along West Magnolia, we saw some old mine ruins.

20150829_161020

Big old boiler or pressure tank.

20150829_161051

Collapsed headworks.

20150829_161140

A big pit in the ground where an old adit is collapsing.  The whole area looks a bit unstable.


20150829_161646

An old collapsed cabin close to the Rollinsville end of West Magnolia.

20150829_162544

The trail is narrow and gorgeous.  In another few weeks, the aspens will be spectacular.


20150829_170046_Richtone(HDR)

Up on Apex Road on the Tolland side looking toward the Indian Peaks Wilderness and Rollins Pass.

20150829_171004_Richtone(HDR)

Up at the top in the small parking area.

20150829_171209_Richtone(HDR)Heading down toward Apex near the little stone building.  We were stuck in the snow just below here back in the spring.

Cumberland Gulch and the Road Between Apex and Tolland in the 4runner

20150530_121915

We took the Toyota 4runner out up Cumberland Gulch to see if we could get over the top at Yankee Hill.  Much of the trail was acting more like a creek than a dirt road.

20150530_122227

The mountains sure are pretty with the new coat of white they received over the last few days.
20150530_123239

The road is in decent shape although there was lots of water flowing.

20150530_123713

Just before the first snow on the road.

20150530_125431

I tore off one of my mud flaps backing up here.  Down behind me there was a very large area of mud followed by a bunch of snow.  This is Forest Road 271.1F at the intersection with the main trail.


20150530_130541

Heading back down the hill through the trail turned creek.  The road becomes impassable due to snow at the intersection of 271.1D, 271.1G, and 271.1H.  A 3rd gen 4runner was stuck in the snow there.  We helped pull them out.  We headed down the hill before they tried getting through the snow drifts again.  There was another 4×4 farther up the hill that looked like it had chains on.  I don’t think anyone will be going over this hill without some serious traction tires and chains for another few weeks.

20150530_175459After heading down to Idaho Springs for some lunch, we went up Oh My God Road, through Nevadaville, and out to Apex to try and get over the top to Tolland.  Close to the summit we ran into a very deep snow drift.  It was late in the afternoon and the snow had softened up quite a bit.  We sunk up to our axles and spent the next two hours using the hi-lift to slowly work our way backwards.  The last ten feet, a Toyota Tacoma appeared and snatched us out the rest of the way.  This route is going to be closed for at least another couple weeks.  Beyond where we became stuck it is one long snow drift to the summit.