Battlement Mesa Overnight September 10-11

[jonharis]

Everyone knows about the Grand Mesa but what about Battlement Mesa, now I'm not talking about the Boom/Bust oilfield town but the mesa of it's namesake. This trip is scheduled for September 10-11. We will travel up to the top of the battlements and camp near the reservoirs. This will be a moderately difficult run. Save the date we will have more details at the September meeting.

 

[GJCruiser]

I'm looking for a definition of "moderately difficult" from someone who has been where we are proposed to go on this trip. I've a geared, lifted, winched, 40; but with open axles both.

Am I good to go or not?

Thanks,

 

[jonharis]

I'm looking for a definition of "moderately difficult" from someone who has been where we are proposed to go on this trip. I've a geared, lifted, winched, 40; but with open axles both.

Am I good to go or not?

Thanks,

Hey if I go I'm in the 100. Worst case scenario I'll pull you out.


Alan?

 

[GJCruiser]

I'm just worried about the lack of trees. You may need to be an anchor point if I have to winch up.

 

[jonharis]

Lord knows I'm (my truck that is) heavy enough. Here is my situation, My company has adopted a section of highway between Parachute and Rifle. I am going to be headed up there at 9am on Saturday to help with the clean-up. It should last 2-3 hours. So depending on when people decide to leave, I will be joining you up there or on the way up there. We will have a dialed in schedule after tomorrows meeting.

 

[GJCruiser]

Tomorrow? "What chu talkin 'bout Willis?" Are you referring to the club meeting? I thought that was next week.

Regarding the trip, I pulled some internet research. I assume we're talking about FR 847 heading up to the reservoirs at the bases of the Mamms Peaks. Appears it's a series of rocky, hilly sections through the trees-the first of which is called the "Rock Garden". It has a by-pass, the rest do not. Water and mud is frequent partner. Then, higher up there's some large mud holes near marshes that cannot be avoided. Sounds like a mud run or winch across?

This is all old info. The FS is up there rebuilding reservoirs so I have no clue what that effect is upon the trail-could be much worse.

The camping looks good, but mosquitoes sound horrible.

Again, if anyone has current info, love to hear it.

 

[jonharis]

Tomorrow? "What chu talkin 'bout Willis?" Are you referring to the club meeting? I thought that was next week.

Regarding the trip, I pulled some internet research. I assume we're talking about FR 847 heading up to the reservoirs at the bases of the Mamms Peaks. Appears it's a series of rocky, hilly sections through the trees-the first of which is called the "Rock Garden". It has a by-pass, the rest do not. Water and mud is frequent partner. Then, higher up there's some large mud holes near marshes that cannot be avoided. Sounds like a mud run or winch across?

This is all old info. The FS is up there rebuilding reservoirs so I have no clue what that effect is upon the trail-could be much worse.

The camping looks good, but mosquitoes sound horrible.

Again, if anyone has current info, love to hear it.

Yes sorry to incite panic. The meeting is next week! I had a lapse in consciousness while typing that post.

I was up at 10K feet a week ago and most of the mosquitoes were gone, hope we have the same luck.

 

[Alan "Ace" Brown]

I did this trip last August and it was pretty much as already described. I did it with a Bill Burke run and we had no difficulty with a 4-Runner, Rubicon, LR 110, Defender and my FJ Cruiser. There are steep sections and lots of rocks. A few mud holes but all seem to have a good bottom. No one needed a strap or winch. However if there is construction going on up there who knows what we might find now, but it is very unlikely the trail will be any worse than what I saw last year.

I have been camping up on Grand Mesa the past 3-4 weeks and the mosquitos are pretty much gone by now. The Battlement Reservoir probably is good fishing but may be drained low if being worked on.

It will be a fun run!

Ace

 

[jonharis]

The meeting time and place is set.

We will meet at Noon on Saturday at the Parachute Shell gas station on the NORTH side of I-70. We will leave at 12:30 sharp!

 

[GJCruiser]

I'm having trouble getting coverage for a shift at work. I will have to go up and back without camping.

Jonathan, I'll follow you back out Saturday if that's OK. I need to be back in cell phone range on I-70 as close as I can to 6PM.

 

[jonharis]

I'm having trouble getting coverage for a shift at work. I will have to go up and back without camping.

Jonathan, I'll follow you back out Saturday if that's OK. I need to be back in cell phone range on I-70 as close as I can to 6PM.

That should be fine. It will be good to have a trail buddy on the way out. We will also have cell service most if not all of the day. It's pretty good till you get way up there.

 

[Alan "Ace" Brown]

The trip went off quite well. Attending were Gaylon and Linda in their 40, Gerri and Nancy also in a 40, Jonathon in his 100 and Kyla and I in my FJC. The trail was a bit rougher than last year, probably due the the construction traffic, or all the rain lately, but we made it to the top w/o incident. We were amazed to see the big construction equipment that was brought in to rebuild the dam. It seemed impossible to drive that stuff up the trail but it is the only way in there. The lake will be a lot bigger when all is finished. Gaylon, Linda and I stayed and camped while the rest drove out. Next day we hung around camp for several hours not in any hurry to leave this place. Gaylon and Linda were succesful in landing several nice trout. I absentmindedly forgot my fishing gear. But worse I forgot raingear so naturally we had a few showers to contend with.

Looking forward now to the Cruiser-Q coming up next weekend.

Alan