Colorado GMu 81 Road & Trail Conditions

[windymtnman]

I just got back from a pack trip into the Adams Fork drainage in the South San Juan Wilderness, which is Unit 81.
The majority of people heading into this wilderness will be coming in there on Forest Rd. 250. I entered on the Northeastern route, which is where FR250 starts from State Hwy. 15. This road is in horrible shape. In the 25 yrs. I've driven it, it's never been a smooth easy drive, but right now, it's beyond pathetic. Full of endless potholes, rocks, washboard and the list goes on. I was hoping that when I popped over Stunner Pass the road would improve, but it didn't very much. When my pack trip was over, I opted to drive out of my way, and take the South route out of there going down to Horca, and hitting State Hwy. 17. This was a bit better shape. Nevermind that I got a flat tire in this. Ave. speeds are 15-20 mph.
Then, there's the pack trip itself. I have never ventured into the Adams Fork area, and figured it's time. I packed in with my two horses & two mules. The first 1 1/2 miles were pretty okay, because the blowdown trees aren't bad to detour around. But then the fun starts. The trail has a great many trees over the trail. About half of them are massive 24" diameter trees, that fall so high, a loaded pack animal can't safely get over them. Thing is, just a single tree isn't down. They're like matchsticks, so you are looking for a route to baja off trail to get around them. About the time, you succeed, you go a few hundred yards and the same scenarios play out over and over. I had an electric chainsaw packed, so I exhausted two batteries sawing the smaller trees up.

Here's what really ticks me off. I can tell that the vast majority of these trees have been there awhile. They didn't all fall this past year. So where is the USFS in this doing trail maintenance? I live near one of their so called "work centers" and it's an impressive amount of culverts, and other typical forest use stuff, but the big attraction is the vast number of pickup trucks. When I talk to these people, they're all about having meeting, after meeting, after meeting. I say get your lazy ass out of the office and go cut the trees off the trails. You want to avoid new trails in the forest? Well then cut the trees off the old trails. Around here, they recruit seasonal parttime employees to ride motorcycles with chainsaws to do this. I want to know why they don't get their own full time people out there? Being a horse person, I think it would be almost fun for a couple young employees to saddle up, lead a mule down the trail and have a custom built chainsaw mount on the packsaddle. It would be a snap to hop off the horse, lift the saw off the pack mount, and saw the tree off. A couple guys could get a lot down in a days time, and spend a nice day in the mountains.
As it is, it's beyond horrible. I have 13 yrs. experience packing in, and yet I broke a packsaddle and in another scenario, got a horse pinched between two trees where his panniers wouldn't quite make it and got wedged. Yeah, it sounds like bad judgment on my behalf, but when you're out there facing this stuff, you don't get multiple options to keep going.
It's a shame that Colorado's forest are either already dead, or on their way because of the Spruce Beetle kills. It's made the situation worse for blowdowns, and yet I don't see the USFS responding to any of this stuff around here.
It's bound to effect hunters wanting to hunt this area, and while I don't know for sure, I'll bet there isn't an Outfitter in this area anymore, because if there were, the amount of traffic he'd put on the trail would be evident.
Okay, vent over. But I get hit up all the time from you readers about hunting in this area.

 

[coelk81]

Beetle kill is seriously bad up the Conejos canyon, even in the backcountry. I believe Conejos Canyon Outfitters have Adams Fork in their boundaries and run a camp up there, at least they used to. Not sure where your seeing guys on Motorcycles in the wilderness cutting trees but wheeled vehicles aren't allowed in the wilderness. Last year a friend and I rode into blue lake and the forest service had some folks backpacking in, keeping the trails open with crosscut saws. They were going to blue lake following the trail to Green Lake ending at south fork trailhead on fr 250, and that was in sept. The beetle kill has been horrible for the last 10 years at least. Hasn't slowed the hunters down any.
Fr 250 has been full of potholes and crappy to drive on for awhile, the Alamosa canyon side and the Conejos canyon side. The forest service covers it with gravel every spring and that is the only time they seem to do anything with it. 20-30 years ago it was a decent drive. Now it'll rattle your vehicle to pieces.

 

[marksjeep]

A quick call to the lazy ass USFS workers before a pack trip on a trail I've never been on is usually how I play it. The page for the trail lists status as "not cleared", although that could refer to snow as well I suppose.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/riogrande/recreation/recarea/?recid=29474&actid=104

The chainsaw (electric or not) in a designated wilderness area is a whole other hot mess.

Glad it was just a saddle and no stock were injured. Packing in deadfall sucks.

 

[kiwi hunter]

It's OK to rant, most govt employees feel entitled.

 

[windymtnman]

T

Beetle kill is seriously bad up the Conejos canyon, even in the backcountry. I believe Conejos Canyon Outfitters have Adams Fork in their boundaries and run a camp up there, at least they used to. Not sure where your seeing guys on Motorcycles in the wilderness cutting trees but wheeled vehicles aren't allowed in the wilderness. Last year a friend and I rode into blue lake and the forest service had some folks backpacking in, keeping the trails open with crosscut saws. They were going to blue lake following the trail to Green Lake ending at south fork trailhead on fr 250, and that was in sept. The beetle kill has been horrible for the last 10 years at least. Hasn't slowed the hunters down any.
Fr 250 has been full of potholes and crappy to drive on for awhile, the Alamosa canyon side and the Conejos canyon side. The forest service covers it with gravel every spring and that is the only time they seem to do anything with it. 20-30 years ago it was a decent drive. Now it'll rattle your vehicle to pieces.

As for the Adams Fork area I was in, I don't believe that is actually a designated wilderness area, but an electric chain saw with a 6" bar chain isn't going to shock my conscience much for being in a wilderness area anyway.
As for the USFS using motorcycles to access trails to cut trees, I was referring to that going on in Unit 80, in a non wilderness area out of the Divide Ranger District.

 

[coelk81]

I did NOT mention chainsaws, electric/gas etc..6" bar 18"bar whatever you want to use to cut trees. Since you quoted my post maybe you didn't notice. I mentioned motorcycles in wilderness as your post was all about 81. Adams fork wilderness begins approx 1-1.5 miles in, and according to your post you went further than 1.5 miles, just FYI. FR 250 from both sides has always been crappy for the last 15-20 years. Beetle kill has been pretty bad about the last 10+. IMO is has not deterred any hunters from hunting the units. I know that some of the outfitters do their best to clean the trails themselves as they need them for hunting season. As for the forest service doing their jobs, we can agree that they need to do a better job.

 

[Lost Arra]

I used to elk hunt (archery) the Adams Fork drainage over a dozen years ago. During those years I saw exactly one other hunter. He had been packed into an established wall tent camp by an outfitter about half way in. (Hunter was pissed because the pack horse did a rollover and smashed his whiskey supply).

Beetle kill was awful back then. One year I saw a forest service employee on horseback with a backpack sprayer hitting some specific weed. No one ever clearing deadfall on the trail.

The end of hunting there and Colorado in general, came for me when the sheep (with shepherds and dogs) and cattle drives in mid September became too much. Our entire camp was flattened by cattle a couple of miles into the wilderness area while we were out hunting. Nothing like returning at dark to flattened tents, cow poop everywhere and even our gravity water filter was on the ground and trampled. The washboard 250 wouldn't be such a pain if I had an elk in the cooler for the trip home.

 

[vagabond]

The beetle kill has ruined quite a bit of the hunting and livelihood for many. From the reports I get the guides and packers have one animal with nothing but chainsaws and fuel. It is a chore, and it can get dangerous. This old former Park Service worker I used to drink a beer with, got dead by a falling tree many years ago now! It is a mess and is only going to get taken care of by those with the time and equipment and horses to get it done, year after year!

 

[Mallardsx2]

The roads I traveled in Colorado this year were really bad as well. The road crews in Colorado must have been sitting in the shade munching on gummies all summer....

 

[Westelker - W. Colorado]

Regarding Colorado forest service road conditions, every time I call the FS office for an update on a road the answer is usually "I don't know where that road is" and it's right on her map .... off State highway 160 west of Del Norte (as an example). Ask for a conservation officer or game warden or some one with a little tiny bit of knowledge and the answer "they're in a meeting or out in their service area." No return phone calls. Very frustrating in getting simple questions, directions and conditions answered. Better off just drive up the road yourself and find the answer.

 

[Westelker - W. Colorado]

I used to elk hunt (archery) the Adams Fork drainage over a dozen years ago. During those years I saw exactly one other hunter. He had been packed into an established wall tent camp by an outfitter about half way in. (Hunter was pissed because the pack horse did a rollover and smashed his whiskey supply).

Beetle kill was awful back then. One year I saw a forest service employee on horseback with a backpack sprayer hitting some specific weed. No one ever clearing deadfall on the trail.

The end of hunting there and Colorado in general, came for me when the sheep (with shepherds and dogs) and cattle drives in mid September became too much. Our entire camp was flattened by cattle a couple of miles into the wilderness area while we were out hunting. Nothing like returning at dark to flattened tents, cow poop everywhere and even our gravity water filter was on the ground and trampled. The washboard 250 wouldn't be such a pain if I had an elk in the cooler for the trip home.

Very recently I spoke with a couple ranchers who, in the last week of September were still trying to find a "few" pair or a steer that is out harassing hunter's camps. It seems like every year the rancher gets another month of good grass before the cows come home to roost for the winter.