Log In 
 Trailhead:  Lead King Basin
 Posted By:  daway8
 Date of Info:  10/9/2020
 Date Posted:  10/10/2020
Status Update
Lots of different opinions on the road to this trailhead. As someone who made it to 10,200ft on the Lake Como road in his Jeep Renegade (8.7"clearance) I can say even the upper, "easy" route (FR315 i.e. Lost Trail Road - as opposed to looping down to Crystal) is a a fairly serious 4WD road. No major obstacles like on the Lake Como road and nothing that my Renegade couldn't handle but several sections that made me uncomfortable including several hairpin switchbacks where the dirt was scooped out at an odd angle such that you could potentially end up significantly off camber depending on your line (these were more of an issue on the return to Marble when I had to go down them - going up on the way to Lead King Basin wasn't bad but I think 4LO probably helped with that). The avy debris was almost a total non-issue except for one chunk of roots stuck right in the middle of the uphill section - had some real brief tire spin in 4LO before I popped up over those. Lots of very, very narrow sections including on rough uphill segments where meeting someone going the other way would be problematic. I imagine this road would be much worse when wet (and might have seemed a little less dramatic had I not done it in the dark both ways). The route through Crystal is reportedly much worse.


Comments or Questions
   Not registered?