The most recent person was a really experienced off roader with NORAC who said the dirt gave way under his Xterra. That was a bummer.
Colorado plans Silverton July 22nd-26th (1 Viewer)
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The most recent person was a really experienced off roader with NORAC who said the dirt gave way under his Xterra. That was a bummer.
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Yeah, he was very lucky. His was the biggest of the 3 washouts in July for sure. When Abuck99 and I went through that section 2 weeks ago (he was tailgunning my group for me), I noticed that area was showing signs of serious underwashing/cutting. You could tell the ground on the inside of the turn was "soft" and showing all sorts of indications of scaling. I called out to everyone in my group to swing well to the left (we were going uphill, so the drop was to the right) and make sure the rear right wheel stayed WELL clear of the inside corner.....at least 6 feet and maintain forward momentum thru the section. That meant getting a little off-kilter by climbing up the left side a little. I made sure the road ahead was clear so we wouldn't get stuck in an oncoming traffic pass situation at that juncture. There were a couple of other areas along the trail that also were showing signs of impending collapse, but none as severe as that section. I'm just super glad that dude was ok. What he experienced could have been SOOOOOO much worse. Having said all that, what I've learned in all these years is that even the best of us can get caught out by these trails if the fates align to deem it so.
Mineral at the mine has been bad all year - would recommend actually walking that section if you're there first in the morning, particularly if it's been raining overnight.
The culvert there was crushed over the winter and hasn't been replaced - leading to erosion issues.
The jeep guy that went in (but got snagged before rolling thankfully) a few weeks ago I heard was also an experienced member of Mile-Hi.
The attempts to shore that section up (particularly early in the year when we did our first run) were really lacking, as I'm assuming equipment was dedicated to getting passes open. I'm thankful the San Juans have had this much precipitation this year, but hope that they do tackle that section now that BB and Imogene slides are cleared.
Which of the group was this? Getting saved by a Jeep??? What has the world come to?
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Definitely was trying to either get around an uphill vehicle here, or was being too generous in giving room for someone to pass inside.
It's almost July.....
Silverton's probably nice this time of year.
Silverton's probably nice this time of year.
