General Information
Trail reports and more...
This is where you'll find recent trail run and trail maintenance reports, common information, etc.
Trail Run Reports
Fall Color Run 2025
Date: Saturday, 27SEP25
Trail Lead: Matt Anderson
Great day for leaf peeping!
9 rigs, near perfect weather, and right on time for basically peak colors. We even ended at the right time as the clouds started to roll in.
Hopefully I can time the trip just as good next year!
Metberry Leaf Peeping Run
Date: Saturday, 20SEP25
Trail Lead: Lisa Martinez
Trail report coming soon...
Red Cone / Radical Hill / SOB Hill
Date: Saturday, 13SEP25
Trail Lead: Steve Houston
All in all a fun day. Wind and weather picked up on top of Radical Hill while we were having lunch, but everyone was still having fun.
Steve only got stuck once on SOB Hill, and that's not bad because it was a little dug out and not easy.
Always a long day every year we do it, but also always worth it!
Pearl Pass / Schofield Pass
Date: Friday, 22AUG25 through Sunday, 25AUG25
Trail Lead: Matt Anderson
Two of us camped at Lincoln Dispersed Campground Friday night, and the other two met us at the trailhead for Pearl Pass Saturday morning.
It was an uneventful and pretty day. We had lunch at the open spot just down from Pearl Pass proper. We proceeded through Crested Butte and on to a dispersed campsite in the meadow near the trailhead for Schofield Pass.
Sunday we left from the dispersed campsite and ran Schofield Pass. Very little traffic to speak of. Stopped at Crystal Mine for obligatory pictures. Ate in Marble, then went up to the Marble Mines briefly. Totally worth the quick side trip.
On the way home one vehicle had an alternator and battery die. They got a tow all the way from West of Aspen to Colorado Springs, and ended up following us home that way. All's well that ends well!
Buena Vista / Holy Cross
Date: Saturday, 09AUG25 through Monday 11AUG25
Trail Lead: Various
Holy Cross Trip Report:
Long story short, it was a very long day but a ton of fun!
We had a total of 10 rigs with 3 being guests. All went well starting with a meetup at Safeway in Leadville and 8am. We then made our way to the staging area and met up with the Parks. After airing down we made our way to the trail and had a very smooth run all the way up to French Creek. We had everyone drive the “Notch” and “Steep Rock” with no issues or winching and the most exciting part was that everyone took the hard line on the left side of “Steep Rock”. The consensus is that it’s steeper and scarier but may actually be easier.
Then we made it to the French Creek crossing. The work done on the crossing last year is great and keeps the rigs out of the water except for the very end. However, I believe the creek near the big rocks is now deeper and the obstacle is a bit more difficult than in the past. There really isn’t much of an “easy” line anymore with taller initial climb and many holes and diff catchers to navigate.
This is where we ran into some issues. Rob and I made it up after a few initial attempts but then on one of Howard’s attempts his steering linkage came in contact with one of the hydraulic steering assist lines and broke the fitting causing a large leak.
We were able to get Howard’s Jeep moving again by capping off the hose fittings on the steering rack, but this was a difficult job that ate up a couple hours. It took some ingenuity and getting dirty but we got it done and he was able to carry on.
We finally were able to make it to Holy Cross City at about 5pm and then hurried our way down the trail with all rigs back on the highway heading home by 7:30. I believe everyone made it home by 11pm.
So overall it was a very long day but the weather was beautiful and a ton of fun.
Wheeler Lake
Date: Saturday, 19JUL25
Trail Lead: Mike Whittington
We had 10 vehicles on the Wheeler Lake run today. Three of us left promptly at 6:30 am from the meetup location in Old Colorado City, the rest we met at the trailhead. After airing down and a drivers meeting, we headed up the trail.
Everyone made it through the gate keeper, using all three lines to make it up and over. We didn’t run into a single vehicle or SXS on the way to up to the lake. We even saw a moose in the valley below us. The group kept a good pace and arrived at the lake about 11:15, then spent a little over an hour there eating lunch, enjoying each other’s company and taking in the beautiful surroundings.
There was definitely more snow on the hillsides this year than there was last year at this time. It was a bit chilly but that was primarily due to the wind. Thankfully we didn’t get any rain during the whole time on the trail.
The trip back down the hill was uneventful. As expected, we did run into a few groups but had no issues. Part of this was due to the great communication on GMRS between us and a group of Jeeps the same size as ours. They waited at the large pullout halfway up the hill until we passed. After descending the gate keeper we all made it back safely to the access road, aired up, loaded trailers and headed for home.
The entire day went exceptionally well. We had no issues or breakage. As always, everybody stepped up when/if someone needed a little extra help through an obstacle. All in all it was a fantastic day. Thanks to everyone for making it a great run!
Yansing Gulch
Date: Saturday, 21JUN25
Trail Lead: Mike Whittington
For those that have not done Yansing Gulch, it can be a bit to very challenging depending on conditions and the vehicle you are driving. Today the trail was dry as a bone and the obstacles were fairly well worn in from traffic.
Speaking of traffic. We had very little. A group of SXSs came up behind us but once we let them by, there was nothing else other than a Jeep that trailed behind us (they’re from COS and planning to attend a meeting in the near future).
We did experience a minor mishap. Greg P. turtled on a rock obstacle and had to use his winch to drag himself off. Then shortly after, he popped a bead on the driver’s rear wheel! No big deal. It was swapped in no time and we continued on.
We stopped for lunch at the loop intersection and then headed back to the start/finish. We were off the trail and aired up around 3:00 and everyone headed for home.
On the way home, we ran into Greg L. parked on the side of the highway. He broke a tie rod end. Greg P. stopped first and offered to take him into Buena Vista to try and find a replacement. Will M. also stayed with them. No luck on finding the rod end and Greg L. ended up calling a friend with a trailer to come pick him up.
With the exception of the broken tie rod end, the entire day went very well. As always, if someone needed a little extra help through an obstacle we were all there to help.
Thanks to everyone for making it a great day of wheeling!
Rimrocker, Hole in the Rock, Lost World, Wipeout Hill, & La Sal Pass
Date: Sunday, 25MAY25 through Saturday 31MAY25
Trail Lead: Matt Anderson
It was a hot week for trail runs (90°+F), especially in some of the areas we were in, but still such an amazing experience!
Section One: Rimrocker
The Rimrocker was long, but very enjoyable. It was so fun going from higher elevations and forests, to the Paradox Valley rim and a much more desert environment, then back to forest before ending up in the red rock of Moab. Camping on the rim overlooking the valley was worth the trip alone.
Section Two: Hole in the Rock
The weather was hot, but we made the best of it. It was honestly easy to get distracted with the unforgettable views and challenging obstacles. Once the trail picked up, neither seemed to stop. I started calling it the "Red Rock Rubicon" as that's what it reminded me of. At least in spirit of it's views, challenge, and unrelenting nature. One of the rigs had a small mechanical issue, and despite not being a showstopper, we opted to play it safe and head back rather than proceed to the last, and most difficult section of the trail. Live to wheel another day. We'll be back!
Section Three: Moab
For the last part of the week we simply played around Moab. We capitalized on the recently announced limited time "Jeep Badge of Honor" trails and ran D2700 Lost World, and Wipeout Hill. Lost World had some interesting obstacles hidden in it, and was very enjoyable. Wipeout Hill was one of, if not the most vertical climb and decent I've ever done. The next day we ran La Sal Pass to escape the heat, and what a great choice that was! The views were excellent, and so were the cooler temperatures at elevation.
Conclusion:
All in all the week was a success. Nothing major broke (my tie rod fell out at a RR crossing. That was almost bad. haha), everyone came home safe, and we all had an amazing time. Can't wait to do it all again!
Eagle Rock
Date: Saturday, 17MAY25
Trail Lead: Ethan Hansen
The morning started out beautiful as we cruised up Old Stage and Gold Camp roads. There were small sections of snow remaining from last week’s storm so we expected to find some snow on the trail.
The lower section of the trail was in good condition and we had fun getting up it. Then we found some drifted sections on the shelf road below the second creek crossing. Since this section of road is off camber, we decided it was not safe to take 6 jeeps across. So we found a spot to make a sometimes 6 point turn around.
Oh and I did earn myself a stuck fee….
Shelf Rd, The Bank, & Seep Springs
Date: Saturday, 10MAY25
Trail Lead: Matt Anderson
We had great weather for what was a good "shake down" run for several of us for the first of the year. There was less snow than I would have thought, and with the exception of a few mud puddles hiding in the shade here and there, the trails were all dry.
The group also allowed me to explore an out-and-back side run in Seep Springs I'd been wanting to investigate for several years. It had a little difficulty to it, and led to a nice little viewpoint with easy parking for all 7 rigs.
Other than that the run was uneventful and pleasant. We stopped at the "Epic Campsite" on The Bank for lunch, and overall had a very nice day.
Liberty Trail / Bunker Hill
Date: Saturday, 16MAR25
Trail Lead: Dustin Kemp
Arrived at trail head approx. 9:30 am and started the decent into the canyon. Very windy on the upper edge but dropped some while in the canyon. Some overgrowth in the trail causing pinstriping and tree dodging. About 3/4 the way in, Chris and Heidi were descending a rock obstacle and broke the driver side tie rod end. We climbed up the canyon wall to get reception on our phones to search for parts and shuttle. Chris had the original tie rod at home and Sandra was able to pick it up from their daughter and bring it to Penrose Commons and meet us.
After the repairs were complete, Chris & Heidi along with Brendan turned around and headed back to the start. Howard and I continued to the end and reviewed our options of climbing Bunker Hill or returning the way we came. I decided to make the attempt at Bunker Hill. After a few tries, I was able to climb out without winching and continue up the ledges to the exit. Howard decided to turn around and return the way we came. I walked the trail back with Howard Parks and our dog Karma that Sandra Kemp brought with her and stayed with us to finish the trip. After climbing out the entrance, we noticed a leak from Howard Parks Jeep. This ended up being the tranny pan that had a bolt impact from a skid plate bracket. The leak was minor enough to continue driving home and monitoring fluid levels.
All in all, a short trail with a long day! Thank to Sandra for being our parts shuttle! I believe everyone had a good time and look forward to the next!
Trail Maintenance Reports
China Wall Trail Maintenance
Date: Saturday, 31MAY25
Trail Lead: Kevin Smith
During the past year the China Wall trail system has been damaged due to speed and trail braiding (going around an obstacle to avoid the perceived difficulty). With the help of the Forest Service, the Colorado Four Wheelers identified three major goals and four secondary goals to bring the trails system back to MVUM standards.
To address these goals members of the Forest Service, C.O.R.E, Stay the Trail, the Colorado Four Wheel Drive Association, and the Colorado Four Wheelers performed a work day. We started around 9:15 A.M. with a planning session; created work crews, identified goals, dispersed work tools and filled out the required form to be on trail before the trail opened. The day was long and work was completed efficiently and everyone was off trail by 4:30 P.M.
The major work goals for the day were on FST204. There were two obstacles that were circumvented by going through the trees, and on FS212 there was an illegal by-pass that went through a drainage ditch to avoid a corner. These were corrected by installing buck and rail and utilizing dead wood to block the entrance/exit of the illegal by-pass. We also pulled some large boulders into place to identify the areas should not be entered. Extra branches and dead wood were then placed into the sections where erosion had already started from heavy snowfall and spring rains.
The secondary work goals were on FS212 at the V-Notch obstacle, and several corners on FST204. Boundaries and signage had been removed and several corners had been expanded due to excessive speed. All boundaries were properly identified utilizing dead wood from the surrounding areas, and moving large rocks into the damaged areas.
To give you an idea on how much damage and abuse was corrected, all of the identified areas were at least 50~100 yards in length and 50~75 yard deep.
Despite the damage, it was a very successful work day and much was accomplished to repair the China Wall trail. Many thanks go out to all the groups and volunteers who helped! If you are interested in helping us with trail repair efforts, please contact us!
Special Events
Pioneer Rodeo and Demolition Derby
Date: Sunday, 17AUG25
Colorado Four Wheelers is looking for you to come out and show off your rigs!! We are one of the sponsors for the Pioneer Rodeo Car / Off-Road / Motorcycle / Side by Side Show!! This is a FREE event!!! Come out and experience all the cool rides and park your rig in the show!!!! There will be venders, prizes and trophies for winners of multiple categories!!! This will be a massive event!! Bring out the whole family and enjoy!! More information to come and all are welcome!!! If you want stay for the Demolition Derby to follow after the Car Show!! If you have any questions feel free to post them in the comments!! Please let us know if you’re coming so we can make sure there is a spot for your Rigs!!!
Great Outdoors Fest
Date: Friday, 13JUN25
The Colorado Four Wheelers will have a booth at the Great Outdoors Fest in Woodland Park! Come say "Hi!"
Join our outdoor community for a free public festival!
Activities
• Interactive Polaris and Jeep exhibit
• Live music
• Country line dancing
• Kids' games and crafts
• Yard games
• Campfire cooking competition
• Campfire & smores
• Food Trucks ($)
• Great door prizes!
Sponsors
• Great Outdoors Adventures
• Hunt & Homestead
• PSB Trust Bank
Exhibitors
• US Forest Service
• Colorado Parks & Wildlife
• Stay the Trail
• UC Health
• Hunt & Homestead
• Reality Enterprises - drones, etc
• Colorado Friends & Family Fishing
• Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance
• Visit Colorado Springs
• Sky High Ranch Girl Scout Camp
• Teller Trail Team
• Faithful Hearts Equine Learning Center
• Friends of the Peak
• Eagle Fire Lodge
• America’s Mtn Festival
• Focus on the Forest
Food Trucks:
• HooieZ Hot DogZ
• Dani’s Thai BBQ
• Colorado Cupcakes, Coffee & Waffles
Meet & Greet
Date: Sunday, 18MAY25
We were so thankful to be able to meet a bunch of new people and discuss what the Colorado Four Wheelers are about. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!
Special thanks to Tony Cobb and Cobb Auto Works for hosting the event. We definitely had a cool spot for us all to hang out and talk. And thanks again for the food!
Also, thanks to Brian from C.O.R.E. for coming and setting up a booth to discuss Stay the Trail and all the other things they do. (And thanks for more stickers. Who doesn't love more stickers!)
For those who weren't able to make it, no worries! We plan on having another one or two of these over the summer. Or, if you'd like to just stop by a club meeting, get fed, and ask us what we're about, please do!
See you at the next one!
