Medano Pass Colorado

[devinhal]

I'm from the San Luis Valley and wanted to go play on a trail this summer so I picked one next to my work(Great Sand Dunes). The name of the trail is Medano Pass Road and it isn't that hard of a trail. It has 9 creek crossings and a few places that you can do a little rock crawlin. This trail isn't hard but can be fun to take a first time wheeler or the girl friend.

 

[getrdone52]

Nice that looks fun. That's like a 5 hour drive from me though.

 

[devinhal]

That sucks that your that far away. I took a few newbies with me just to break them into the idea and they had a blast. Working at the Sand Dunes I was able to meet people from almost every state and anyone with 4x4 wanted to do it. Even a bunch with AWD wanted to do it, but most of them need a tow rope to get back. AWD doesn't mean 4x4. My last trip I had to tow a Lexus SUV up the trail because he couldn't get out on the sandy side. Wish I had some pics of that. It don't have to be pretty, it just has to be a Ford.

 

[crawlin91]

Awesome, That is a beautiful area, I love the Dunes.

 

[slammer67]

nice
I've done that trail before - try it with a foot of snow

 

[slammer67]

The trail I want to hit down there is Mt Blanca

 

[devinhal]

Yeah that trail with a lot of snow would be a blast. By the way I think your talkin about Lake Como Road. Now that is a beautiful area, but the road is one of the worst in the state. I call it a road because it is owned by alamosa country and classified as a county road from hell. The Forest Service wanted to shut it down so the County picked it up. People die on that road every year. I rode up this on my dirt bike this year, but there is no way that I could get my truck up it. If you plan on attempting this beast you had better have a very well made rock crawler with lockers, winch, very high clearance, and also be a very experienced wheeler. Also being bat shit crazy might help.

 

[crawlin91]

Yep lake como road, Blanca Peak is on my bucket list, both as a 4wd trail and 14er (colorados 4th highest) and lake como is where the 4wd trail ends and the hiking begins...it is mostly dangerous because of the extreme drop offs in off camber situations. There is a memorial half way up in one of the rocks for a fellow who past away running that trail a few years back.
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=112
This is what it looks like everytime I am down that way, menacing and dark at the top, usually raining or snowing.

and a few looking down from the summit

 

[devinhal]

Yeah it's a wicked drive and one that you won't forget. I give props to anyone who drive Como or hikes Blanca. It's an amazing feet, and one that very few of the locals even think of trying.