6/28/2014 Posted On: 6/29/2014 By: trishkaken Info: Past trip reports wanted to know what types of SUVs can successfully navigate to the top of the 4WD road. I have a 2004 Honda Pilot and it did not have any problems getting up or down this road. Other SUVs at the top were: FJ Cruiser, Xterra, Explorer, Forester, Forerunner, Trailblazer. Mostly, though, what seemed to be at the top were Jeeps and pick-up trucks. My friend‘s 2012 Outback 4WD could not make it up due to clearance issues. Also, it should be noted no restrooms at either the 2WD or 4WD trail head locations. | ||||
6/21/2014 Posted On: 6/22/2014 By: hberry Info: Road to trailhead is completely free of snow with water only in a few spots. Saw a Subaru Forester at the top of the 4WD trailhead. Only one somewhat difficult 4x4 spot on the way to the upper trailhead but easily done in a stock truck or SUV with decent clearance. | ||||
6/20/2014 Posted On: 6/22/2014 By: RyGuy Info: Road is dry from the 2WD TH to the 4WD trailhead. From the 4WD parking lot to where the newer trail splits off to the right, and heads up to the S. Colony Lakes is pretty wet. Expect to get a bit muddy due to all the run off. Gaiters recommended. Several small snowfields to cross right before the lakes themselves. Do NOT take the older trail that follows the road to the south, before curving back north and meeting the S. Colony Lakes. It is covered with a ton of avalanche debris piles, and snow drifts 4-5 feet thick in places. Very wet below the road if you descend to get around all the snow piles. | ||||
6/14/2014 Posted On: 6/15/2014 By: jakewilt Info: Road is clear to upper trailhead. Note there is one tricky spot about 1/2 mile from the upper trailhead that requires the correct line. I didn‘t have any issues with my stock 4runner. | ||||
6/14/2014 Posted On: 6/15/2014 By: zombiewolf Info: Last report is very accurate. I found another spot a challenge, but again, the right line made the difference. I was stunned to see a Crown Victoria parked above both obstacles. Bold! Very bold!! | ||||
5/31/2014 Posted On: 5/31/2014 By: davisrice4 Info: Clear 4wd drive TH, after that it is wet, runoff is in full force. Hike up to quite a conciderable amount of snow, lakes are still frozen. Should be melted in a matter of weeks, melting fast. | ||||
5/23/2014 Posted On: 5/23/2014 By: LeftyGriffin Info: Clear all the way to the 4WD trailhead. | ||||
5/17/2014 Posted On: 5/17/2014 By: bergsteigen Info: Almost open to trailhead. A Subaru can make it to 0.25 mi from TH, a higher clearance vehicle can make it all the way, at this time. | ||||
5/15/2014 Posted On: 5/17/2014 By: freeinthehills Info: Skinned in all the way from before Rainbow lakes.. Still a nasty little bulge impassible to my vehicle 4 sinusoidal undulations before the RL TH. On the way out a lot had changed. Road to South Colony TH should be melted out by Memorial day. Parking will be subjective. If you park by rainbow, plan on walking all the way to the TH, Past the big bend in the road, then beyond another 800m or so. I only took off my splitty three times. I walked across an additional patch of rock with the plank, but 3.5 km from the wilderness I counted 16 places I think will be melted out now and will require rock skinning, or removal of the boards... from about 1.5 km out, skinning is worth while and good. | ||||
5/9/2014 Posted On: 5/10/2014 By: aweygandt Info: The 4WD road is passable up to about 1/4 to 1/2 a mile past the private property (so 1.75-2mi up the 4WD road). After that, the snow drifts become too big of a problem. There are a few good pulloffs beyond the private property that work just fine for parking. It looks like there were a few fallen trees in the way before. Those have been cut/removed. | 3 |
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4/8/2014 Posted On: 4/9/2014 By: pioletski Info: Deep snowdrifts begin about 1/4 mile from the "winter" trailhead. These are passable in the morning, when frozen hard, but would be a big problem coming down in the afternoon when they would be mushy; in any case the road really isn‘t drivable past the "old 2wd trailhead" which is in the middle of the private property area. The entire road is pretty good for a snowmobile, with only a few bare patches to cross, though it could start to melt out and get tricky shortly. | ||||
2/15/2014 Posted On: 2/24/2014 By: craigjhn Info: Ditto previous report. You can get to the winter closure easily with any type of vehicle. You can get a little further with a high clearance 4wd, but not enough to make any difference in time. | ||||
1/26/2014 Posted On: 1/28/2014 By: Eagle Eye Info: No trouble getting to the lower 2wd TH but not beyond. | ||||
1/11/2014 Posted On: 1/11/2014 By: DanielL Info: Drove up to the Lower South Colony Lakes TH this morning in a Subaru Outback. The road is cleared except for the last 0.3 miles or so, which is snow covered and bumpy but packed down pretty well. After the lower TH, the road is more deeply snow-covered and only snowmobilers could drive to the upper TH. | ||||
11/10/2013 Posted On: 11/11/2013 By: MonGoose Info: The road to the South Colony Lakes TH is open and passable with some aggressive 4-wheeling. The Lower 2wd TH (~8,800‘) is free of snow but the upper 4wd TH (~9,900‘) has 8" of snow. Sections of the road are very icy in the morning becoming muddy in the afternoon. |
