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Spruce/Crystal Creeks Trailhead

  
7/9/2019
Posted On: 7/9/2019 By: 9patrickmurphy
Info: Spruce Creek 4WD road open to its junction with Wheeler Trail. Crystal Lakes 4WD road gate is currently shut at junction with Spruc Creek road.
 
6/23/2019
Posted On: 6/23/2019 By: madmountainmike
Info: Basically snow free until you hit the big old avy debris over the road at top of the hill before the last descent to meadow and parking area. 2 historic slide debris with trees and snow covering 100+ feet of road within .75 miles of 4wd thj
 
5/16/2019
Posted On: 5/16/2019 By: grahampa
Info: Spruce Creek is open and easily accessible with 2wd. Deep snow starts immediately on 4wd road beyond TH
 
10/13/2018
Posted On: 10/13/2018 By: clairekm
Info: Road up to Crystal Lakes is gated at the junction with the spruce creek road.
 
9/9/2017
Posted On: 9/10/2017 By: Trotter
Info: Spruce creek upper 4WD TH is fairly easy 4x4 road, a suburu type vehicle could do it. Its mainly an issue with clearance.

Note, the road that goes between spruce upper 4WD TH and the Francie's Hut location on Crystal road is Aqueduct road, and it is gated shut and posted for no motorized vehicles.
 
6/25/2017
Posted On: 6/26/2017 By: Laura M
Info: All clear of snow up to the 4WD trailhead and beyond. Past the 2WD trailhead the 4WD road was wet in a few areas but not muddy. Wrangler made it to the upper trailhead easily in 4WD high, no need for a lower gear.
 
1
6/3/2017
Posted On: 6/4/2017 By: Marmot72
Info: You still cannot get beyond the lower TH, because there is a huge pile of snow blocking the continuance of Spruce Creek Rd. The road beyond is dry.
 
5/4/2017
Posted On: 5/5/2017 By: Tim Edinger
Info: Spruce Creek Road free and clear to trailhead. Still plenty of snow at trailhead. I was able to skin/ski from car to/from summit of Crystal Peak. Lower portions of trail are melting out though so within a week, it will be intermittent ski/skin conditions within the first 1.5 miles I suspect.
 
4/3/2017
Posted On: 4/4/2017 By: cory_eales
Info: Fresh snow on road to lower TH on the way up. Needed 4WD/AWD. The fresh is melting quickly and bare spots were already exposed on the drive down. Large snow drift from plowing just passed the parking area.
 
7/23/2016
Posted On: 7/23/2016 By: SolarAlex
Info: Drove up to crystal lake yesterday afternoon on the crystal lake road, and this is a real 4wd road. Its steep and rough...theres one pretty big hole about 500 yards up from the junction that would shut down a lot of stock SUVs/ Subarus id imagine.
Another guy up there said that the road had deteriorated a lot this year, for what its worth.
 
5/14/2016
Posted On: 5/14/2016 By: yingyangsoup89
Info: Clear all the way to the 2wd trailhead (10.4K). Caked beyond that point and I can't imagine it melting until June.
 
3/1/2016
Posted On: 3/1/2016 By: BillMiddlebrook
Info: Winter closure in effect, of course. 10,400'
 
1
10/10/2015
Posted On: 10/13/2015 By: LetsGoMets
Info: Drove all the way to Lower Crystal Lake in a Wrangler. Road had maybe 2 areas where we took it slow, but overall was no issue. No snow as of Saturday, dry and beautiful.
 
6/7/2015
Posted On: 6/9/2015 By: fightgravity
Info: There was a huge mogul of snow blocking the road at the winter TH, but after that the road was almost free of snow, but def wet! With a few shovels (or maybe this week's melting), it may be possible to pass the obstruction.
 
5/31/2015
Posted On: 6/1/2015 By: Chicago Transplant
Info: Winter closure still in effect, large snowbank at the foot of the road. Spruce Creek road has several dry patches that extend across the road, generally 5‘ to 10‘ wide. You can skin across them, but probably need to take skis on and off on the way back down. The start of the Crystal road at the turnoff is dry, so I skinned up the aqueduct road instead.
Note that if you are not on skis, the Spruce Creek road has long sections where the snow only covers half the road.
 

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