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Posted By: marksilas Info: Road is still open all the way to the TH. Mostly packed snow, but most vehicles shouldn’t have any problems. Don’t know when the USFS plans to lock the gate that is just above the church camp. |
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Posted By: wolfgangstiller Info: Road has packed icy snow in spots above the Mennonite camp (last two miles). I’d recommend AWD/4WD but at least one Honda Accord was parked at the TH. |
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Posted By: DixieFlyer Info: The road is currently well graded and even a sedan with half-decent clearance should have no trouble getting to the TH. |
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Posted By: aholle88 Info: Just an FYI for everyone, be cautious when driving up the road in the AM if you are arriving a bit after sunrise. The sunlight is blinding to the point that you have to stop because you can’t see the road in a couple spots prior to the Mennonite Camp. This was around 7am this morning. If you are driving up around that time or later this weekend, you won’t be finding any spots to park anyways. The winter parking or Ring the peak parking are alternative options, although the latter will also likely be full by ~7, so get there early or have backup plans. |
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Posted By: eudyke Info: The Crags trailhead is in excellent shape. Bathrooms very clean and parking was not an issue. Only 5 cars when I arrived at 6am. Not many more when I departed at 3pm. The roads to the lot were in great shape and accessible for any type of vehicle. The trail itself is very easy to follow, but gets a bit tricky as it crosses the road at lot 16 and again higher up as you actually have to go onto the edge of the roadway because it has been widened to take up all the real estate! I must say I was disappointed in the summit. Heavy construction at the top putting in a new welcome center. The summit is right next to a busy construction fence! Very anti-climatic. Dont be fooled by the ability to drive up to the top. This is a very challenging 14er! |
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Posted By: hogantheepic Info: Zero snow at all on this road. Campgrounds are closed pretty much everywhere along this road but I camped anyways up out of sight in the woods. Parked at the trailhead. 2WD low clearance cars can make it up this dirt road, although there was one car that broke down in the morning from driving up the hills leading to the trailhead. Pretty much any car could make it to the trailhead though. |
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Posted By: wolfgangstiller Info: The road is in the best condition I have seen. A low clearance 2WD car and easily make it to the parking lot. |
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Posted By: caitlin521 Info: Gate is now open. Can drive right up to the trailhead and park in the large lot there. When we arrived at 5:30 it was about 3/4 full. Road and most of trail up to Pikes summit completely dry. |
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Posted By: bgbg001 Info: Lot at gate closure was almost full at 6:15am today. Was back by 10:30am and Teller county sheriffs were handing out tickets and citations for illegally parked cars. Some cars parked on both sides of the road left just barely enough room for cars to leave. Recommend getting there early. |
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Posted By: Scotty21 Info: Similar to last weeks report, Gate is still closed (2 1/2 miles in) but there are plenty of parking spaces available right at the gate. The road from Hwy 67 to the parking area before the gate is free of snow. |
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Posted By: Scotty21 Info: Gate is still closed (2 1/2 miles in) but there are plenty of parking spaces available right before reaching the gate. The road from Hwy 67 to the parking area before the gate is free of snow. |
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Posted By: RhodoRose Info: The road from Hwy 67 to the parking area is free of snow. Gate is still closed before the official trailhead parking lot, but there is ample parking space available before reaching the locked gate. |
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Posted By: 123tqb Info: Road is closed about a mile below the trailhead. Flotation is optional until the trail begins, when I put on snowshoes. The snow is thinner towards the bottom, but increases rapidly as you get closer to treeline. Note: if you’re planning on hiking up to Pikes Peak, DO NOT FOLLOW THE TRACKS LEFT BEHIND, KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING. I can blame myself for taking a stupid route towards Devil’s Playground Peak instead of following the trail... |
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Posted By: wolfgangstiller Info: Made it to the Crags parking lot in a Subaru but the road was snow covered by about six inches and required careful driving. Based on past experience with more snow coming this week, I am expecting the road will be closed just past the Mennonite camp later this week. |
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Posted By: Rex_Grant Info: As of this year, there is no longer dispersed camping along the road to Crags. Beattle kill has made it too dangerous according to the Crags host. Thankfully there was an open pay ($1 site for me. |
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Posted By: sdicenso Info: The road is open to the trailhead parking lot now, so that will save everyone some time not having to hike from the Mennonite Camp now. |
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Posted By: Danger_D Info: Gate still closed 1.2 miles before the trailhead. Almost completely melted to the trail |
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Posted By: bmcizzle Info: Road still gated about a mile before TH. Completely clear until that point. Sign on gate mentioned that it would be closed until May (15th, I think). I would think it could open much sooner based on conditions. |
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Posted By: Lithobatiks Info: Road is gated off a little over a mile below the trailhead. Easily drive-able with 2WD passenger car. |
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Posted By: MountainDawg Info: The parking lot is NOT plowed. The Menonites were out placing signs and ropes to keep people out. I had to park well below the camp. Made the RT 19.58 miles. |
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Posted By: Kmschu2 Info: Start of winter trailhead is 1.2 miles back from Crags Trailhead just before the Campground. Trek today was awesome, without a need for snowshoes until I hit the saddle prior to Devil’s Playground. I had been watching a storm move in from the SW for the last hour of my hike and it caught up to me then. Whiteout conditions led me to ditch my attempt and I walked down the closed Pikes Peak Highway 5.5 miles to their closure where my anxious husband was waiting. He originally planned on a pass by at Devil’s Playground so I knew if I didn’t head down I’d probably end up with Rangers or S&R looking for me if I took too long submitting. Lol https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=-C-KRwzk-8E |
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Posted By: WildWanderer Info: FYI: "The U.S. Forest Service on Friday expects to install a gate to close off a road leading to the popular Pikes Peak recreation area known as the Crags. The agency in 2017 announced a government order to keep drivers off the rugged Forest Service Road 383 when deep snow makes driving on it hazardous. The road, leading to the Crags trailhead in Teller County, had proven to be treacherous for vehicles in the winter, with even the most equipped rigs sliding off and getting stuck in ditches beside the woods. Those without cell service were having to hoof it back to call a tow. It was a scene observed last weekend: Multiple vehicles were stranded, threatening to block drivers making their way to and from the trailhead beloved by snowshoers. Pike National Forest spokesman Gregg Goodland said in a phone call that the government shutdown had kept rangers from installing to the gate. Before the shutdown started Dec. 22, he said the road had not been deemed hazardous enough to close. In the case of the Crags road, the district tries to strike a balance of providing access to the amenities up drainage and closing the road when the snow becomes unmanageable, he said. Since the partial government shutdown ended two weeks ago, Goodland said rangers have been busy catching up on other tasks. But on Friday, a plow was scheduled to clear the parking area by the Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camps cabin, just before Road 383. Though parking space is limited, visitors from there can cross-country ski or snowshoe the roads 2 miles to the trailhead. The gate will be lifted once snow melts. In recent years, land managers had closed the road to take down timber killed by beetles. With the possibility of dead trees collapsing, dispersed camping was banned. The Forest Service reported mass removal ended two winters ago." https://www.outtherecolorado.com/popular-colorado-trail-closing-for-now-due-to-hazardous-conditions/?fbclid=IwAR1n3M4BWrg3GfpWLC8oEDmZ1RajlSllJ3zuH5k7BBhrFkwXdQJ5Hc_Jaes |
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Posted By: wintersage Info: County Road 62 starts out as dirt with a light sprinkle of snow up to the Mennonite Camp. From there, the snow gets much deeper but you can get to the Crags Trailhead parking area (1.5 miles) by following the tire tracks of those who went before, provided you have a vehicle with high enough clearance and 4WD. It’s easy to accidentally drive into a snowbank on the side or middle of the road and get stuck, especially if you’re driving there in the dark. At one point I had to switch to 4Lo to get myself out. |
