Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
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marksan53
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Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
Regarding the "road" to Lake Como, I've read that a standard 4WD vehicle can only get to about 8900 ft and that a specialty, higher clearance vehicle is necessary to get to at least 10,000 ft. However, I recently saw a post from someone who took their standard 4WD to about 10,000 because some of the road had been cleared or worked on. Anyone have any recent or more detailed info? Thanks.
Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
That road sucks so bad. In mid-June I made it to the switchback at 10k in my stock Ram 1500. There had been some recent work on the road but it was still very rough. I blew a tire coming down, not a fun place to be switching out tires...
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SchralpTheGnar
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Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
You could push a standard 4WD vehicle to 10k even before the road was graded, we took a Jeep Cherokee, Ford F150 and Jeep Wrangler sport all stock up to about 10k a few times. However, after doing that we always park around 8,900, the camping is way better and it takes me just as long to walk that 1000 vert as it does to drive it and it more enjoyable walking to me than bouncing up and down in a 4WD vehicle.
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mtree
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Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
Agree absolutely 100%.SchralpTheGnar wrote:You could push a standard 4WD vehicle to 10k even before the road was graded, we took a Jeep Cherokee, Ford F150 and Jeep Wrangler sport all stock up to about 10k a few times. However, after doing that we always park around 8,900, the camping is way better and it takes me just as long to walk that 1000 vert as it does to drive it and it more enjoyable walking to me than bouncing up and down in a 4WD vehicle.
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marksan53
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Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
Thanks for the info, all. Good stuff to know ahead of time. I appreciate it.
Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
The road was effectively neutered sometime in June of this year and you now can take a stock SUV up to about 10,200, which is the last switchback before the road heads up into the forest for awhile. The obstacle known as "Jaws .5" also was also largely destroyed and is now fairly easy to go over even with a stock SUV. Don't misunderstand, it's still a pretty rough road and past that last switchback you better have something pretty beefy and 10+ inches of clearance.
-Ryan
-Ryan
"Climbing mountains is the only thing I know that combines the best of the physical, spiritual, and emotional world all rolled into one." -Steve Gladbach
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mtree
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Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
Bummer. The dumbing down of yet another classic 14er approach. Pretty soon they'll all be staircases with railings.
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
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hberry
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Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
A staircase and railings might make it difficult to get a 4x4 up the road...mtree wrote:Bummer. The dumbing down of yet another classic 14er approach. Pretty soon they'll all be staircases with railings.
Re: Road conditions to Lake Como TH (Blanca Pk)
Speaking from last weekends experience. 5.5 miles from the start is about the limit for a stock 4wd. After that there is very loose switchback with ball bearing river rock and a rock obstacle in the middle that youll need a spotter for. You can negotiate this but it isnt worth it, because right after that is a mud pit and then jaws 1. So my advice is to pull off before the the right hand switchback 5.5 miles up. Theres room for about 3-4 vehicles there. The lake isnt very far away.
