How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

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Snow_Dog_frassati
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How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by Snow_Dog_frassati »

Last time I was up in the Huerfano/Gash Ridge/Lilly Lake area I had a much more capable car than my current Subaru Forester. Mainly concerned about the non-agressive tires. I honestly can't remember what that road was like and my research is turning up mixed reviews.

I haven't been there since 2020. What's the consensus? Can/should the subie do it or am I better off hitching a ride?
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by yaktoleft13 »

100% no problem. Made it last November without thinking in one. Didn't remember any part of the road being difficult. Cruz of the road for the longest time (not sure if it still is) was that if you took the 14ers trailhead location into Google maps, you were still 5 miles short of the actual trailhead and that was mentally rough.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by zrsimpson »

Totally doable. I have a 2010 Forester, and drove it last August no problem. You may not enjoy the ride, but it should be fine.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by CarpeDM »

I did it in my 2014 Forester last weekend. I didn't really have any problems, although two things:

1) I support yaktoleft when he says the Google map point is short of the TH. I'd forgotten how long that drive is!
2) On the drive back north, I did develop a wobble in the front driver's side that I'm getting checked out. The drive in and back out to Gardner went without a hitch - but the timing is suspicious.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by SnowAlien »

Was there couple years ago and the upper road got much worse from I remember (~2014). I left my Subi at the lower TH (about a mile from the upper TH) and hitched a ride. Was very happy about that. Just not worth it, imo.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by BillMiddlebrook »

yaktoleft13 wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 8:53 am 100% no problem. Made it last November without thinking in one. Didn't remember any part of the road being difficult. Cruz of the road for the longest time (not sure if it still is) was that if you took the 14ers trailhead location into Google maps, you were still 5 miles short of the actual trailhead and that was mentally rough.
Are you still seeing the misplaced th pin somewhere? When I click on it fro th site or mobile apps the positioning is correct.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by yaktoleft13 »

BillMiddlebrook wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 2:01 pm
yaktoleft13 wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 8:53 am 100% no problem. Made it last November without thinking in one. Didn't remember any part of the road being difficult. Cruz of the road for the longest time (not sure if it still is) was that if you took the 14ers trailhead location into Google maps, you were still 5 miles short of the actual trailhead and that was mentally rough.
Are you still seeing the misplaced th pin somewhere? When I click on it fro th site or mobile apps the positioning is correct.
It looks correct now. Haven't driven it since fall of last year and can't remember exactly where it was displaying on the map, but I think it's okay now
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by CarpeDM »

yaktoleft13 wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 2:16 pm
BillMiddlebrook wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 2:01 pm
yaktoleft13 wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 8:53 am 100% no problem. Made it last November without thinking in one. Didn't remember any part of the road being difficult. Cruz of the road for the longest time (not sure if it still is) was that if you took the 14ers trailhead location into Google maps, you were still 5 miles short of the actual trailhead and that was mentally rough.
Are you still seeing the misplaced th pin somewhere? When I click on it fro th site or mobile apps the positioning is correct.
It looks correct now. Haven't driven it since fall of last year and can't remember exactly where it was displaying on the map, but I think it's okay now
It looks correct to me on both the 14ers.com map and on Google maps. I just recall that I had Google maps going but by that point wasn't paying attention. I hadn't been to that TH in years, but knew that I just needed to keep driving until I got there. And at some point I glanced down and saw that it showed me as having arrived even though I was not there.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by hellmanm »

Y'all are wild :lol: . No chance I'd take my Subi up there. I was proud of myself for making it 1 mile from the TH a few years back. Everything depends on conditions, of course, but I wouldn't try unless someone was there waiting to both tow me out and throw money at me to repair any damages resulting from my attempt.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by jsf80238 »

Similar question, sorry for hijacking this thread ...

My goal is to get within 5 miles of the Huerfano/Lily Lake TH. I'm driving a Subaru Outback and I would not want to tackle anything much harder than the road to the Shavano trailhead (East slopes). Will I be able to reach a parking spot within 5 miles of the Huerfano/Lily Lake TH?
Last edited by jsf80238 on Tue Sep 13, 2022 6:51 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by 123tqb »

I made it up there two years ago in my Honda Civic, so anything is possible if you put your mind to it! :lol: And yes, the spot I stopped for the night (37.6436067, -105.4693193) before any of the difficult sections of road was definitely within 5mi of the actual trailhead.
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Re: How "Subaruable" is the Huerfano/Lilly Lake TH

Post by JChitwood »

Two years ago my old Outback with crappy tires made it to the top but I wasn’t concerned about damage and didn’t sustain any. Plenty easy to park before the last steep rutted incline and you only end up walking an extra two hundred yards.
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