1/6/2025 Posted On: 3/31/2025 By: jacolc Info: Was easy Jan 04 by 2WD and probably also at Jan 06 before snow. Edit climbed Crestone Pk in 13h C2C | ||||
12/21/2024 Posted On: 12/22/2024 By: daway8 Info: Road is mostly dry to the trailhead. Just a tiny bit of snow left at the trailhead at the moment. Basically any vehicle could get here. | ||||
12/12/2024 Posted On: 12/12/2024 By: bigfoot1 Info: Road is nice and packed down, didn't need to put chains on tires. It looks like only about an inch of snow fell on the road, and assuming it doesn't snow again within a week, I bet the road will be clear. Great trailhead 10/10 | 1 |
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8/17/2024 Posted On: 8/18/2024 By: IHikeLikeAGirl Info: Started out at 6:20a. Mosquitoes/bugs were not an issue, for anyone in our group of 4, but bring your bug defense, just in case. The trail is beautiful, BUT...is easy to lose, included some short scrambling, and was more time consuming than expected. There are trails through the willows, just gotta find 'em | ||||
6/24/2024 Posted On: 6/26/2024 By: JasonKline Info: Summer conditions. My Hyundai Ioniq had no trouble making it to the trailhead, so any car should be able to get there. The mosquitos are ridiculous. | 1 |
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6/25/2023 Posted On: 6/26/2023 By: sfreytag Info: BRING BUG SPRAY! Even bug spray didn't fully work. I think the mosquito netting hats and sleeves are what you really need, saw a few hikers sporting these nets. No joke, this was the worst I have ever seen mosquitos in my life. Got to the TH the night before to sleep in the truck. Opened the truck door and got out to see how far I needed to back up. In that time a few hundred mosquitos entered the truck. It was like a swarm. Ended up having to drive away and get back on paved roads with the windows down to get them out of the truck. Had to park down the road a bit for a few hours of sleep. Pretty cool trail and route up to Cottonwood Lake. Lots of fun scrambling and route finding. Glad I did it. But that being said when I go back for CP I will be using South Colony Lakes TH again. | ||||
1/6/2023 Posted On: 1/6/2023 By: Kiefer Info: Trailhead is accessable for 2wd vehicles. Little icy in the morning. | 3 |
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9/20/2022 Posted On: 9/21/2022 By: GregMiller Info: Found the trail easy to follow, LOTS of cairns. Also, a LOT of bees or wasps along/on the trail, watch your step. | ||||
9/17/2022 Posted On: 9/17/2022 By: JohnKLovesMtnGoats Info: I just accessed Crestone Peak from this trailhead on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. On the good side: first 2.5 miles were VERY well cleared of fallen trees- thank you to whomever cut the fallen trees in two with a chainsaw! Very easy trail up to that point. Beyond that, when you get to the famous gnarled tree trunk at the waterfall and have to climb up a steep area, let's just say it's an awful place to be at night with a bulky backpack. At least it was for me. In the daytime (as on my way out), it was easier to avoid the bushwhacking, though there still was some that was unavoidable. At night, even with my Garmin Device, I kept ending up in Kafka-esque situations of having my backpack stuck in jungle Cottonwood branches and being hopelessly mired in tangles. Sadly, the hours of delay brought on by this coupled with high winds and fog the following morning, prevented my doing the Traverse ( all the while Google weather claiming "Sunny" at the Crestone Needle and Peak- they were invisible through the clouds from a thousand feel below!) Going to try again next week if weather permits, but will likely start from South Colony Lakes 4wd parking lot. | 1 |
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4/14/2022 Posted On: 4/14/2022 By: KyaCav Info: 4/08/22 Dry from trailhead until about 2 miles in. Patchy snow from about 2-2.5 miles. Started skinning at 10,200 and skinned all the way to bottom of Crestone Peaks south couloir (a few short booting sections mixed in depending on route finding). Very challenging approach in complex terrain with variable snow depths the entire route. | 2 |
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1/13/2022 Posted On: 1/14/2022 By: supranihilest Info: Dry to the trailhead. There's a little bit of snow in the trailhead's small parking area but otherwise no problem for any vehicle. | ||||
7/24/2021 Posted On: 7/24/2021 By: brauda02 Info: My Veloster easily made it to the trailhead. I pitched my tent next to my car around 7:30 and took it down at 3 when I started. Had no problems and no dreaded 'no camping' signs though it's probably not allowed. Mosquitos are HORRENDOUS! Bug spray totally worthless. Turned around at 13k in the Red Gully due to wet rock and questionable weather. | 1 |
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1/24/2021 Posted On: 1/24/2021 By: paigie_42 Info: Dirt road to trail head is open. There are a few spots of ice and snow, but it is passable. In the afternoon, the road is more slushy and muddy. | ||||
9/20/2020 Posted On: 9/21/2020 By: Cameronnix Info: left out from cottonwood canyon trailhead at 3 am. The trail is well maintained and easy to follow for the first 2.5-3.5 miles. Lots of trees fallen down on trail though. you will be doing ALOT of ducking and hoping over trees. Once you get around tree line and at the second water fall trail becomes much more difficult as far as route finding. There are Karens but are not always easy to find. Take your time and make sure you're on the right trail. Once you make it through the shrub bushes and into the meadow the trail continues up the valley walk through meadow and find train to the left. Don't go right! | 1 |
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9/5/2020 Posted On: 9/5/2020 By: Alpinefroggy Info: Chose Cottonwood for two reasons: 1) Ability to get onto the backside of the Crestones without the need to go up and over BHP 2) Low Clearance 2wd drive accessibility. Yes It is on a dirt road but Steve the Prius had no trouble getting there and there was also a Yaris there this weekend. First 3-3.5 miles easy trail through pretty aspen and pine groves. Once you pass by a knotty root that goes up the left side of the creek by a waterfull things get tough.Trail steepens and is harder to find. Involves the slick 'boilerplate' rocks followed by difficult class 2 boulder hopping then willow bushwhacking mixed with class 3 scrambling and loose ledges that take you from the main cottonwood creek gorge up on the climbers left to the cottonwood lake basin with both the crestones. This last 1.25 miles or so easily account for 50% of the diffculty and time on this route and are only complicated by most people having heavy backpacks filled with camping/climbing gear. Makes an otherwise very scenic trail and approach rather unpleasant, overly strenuous and difficult. I will need to come back to do CP but after my experience with this, I'll just use SCL and hope I can hitch a ride from some people with a 4wd from the 2wd trailhead. | 1 |
