Current status of Mt. Harvard/Yale trailheads

[Bccrhp]

My brother and I are hoping to tackle a few more 14ers during our current Colorado trip. We greatly enjoyed Grays + Torreys today and were originally planning on attempting Mt. Harvard in a week or so, but in reading some of the Alltrails reviews, it sounds like the trailhead may not be suitable for our rental car (2WD Honda Civic). Mt. Yale was our backup plan, but it appears that the construction may complicate our plans to access that trailhead as well.

1) Is anyone familiar with the current status of the dirt road to the Mt. Harvard trailhead (CR365 in Buena Vista)? If so, how does this compare to the route up to the Grays Peak trailhead?

2) Does anyone know the government agencies who might be able to provide an update on public access to the Mt. Yale trailhead?

Thanks so much!

[dennywitte]

I live along CR365 and have been back there many times in the last few weeks. The road is driveable to the North Cottonwood trailhead with 2wd but there are some rough spots where the low clearance and 2wd folks will have to choose their route carefully. This trailhead is VERY busy and you may find the parking area full, even during the week.

[dennywitte]

The normal trailhead for Mt Yale is at Denny Creek. The CR306 Cottonwood Pass road is closed at the Avalanche Trailhead. There is no access to the Denny Creek TH during 2018. The project status web site is at: https://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/co/cottonwood/. You can climb Mt Yale via its east ridge route, accessing that from either the Avalanche TH or the Silver Creek TH, both on the Colorado Trail. The east ridge route is longer and more difficult than the standard route.

[Bccrhp]

I live along CR365 and have been back there many times in the last few weeks. The road is driveable to the North Cottonwood trailhead with 2wd but there are some rough spots where the low clearance and 2wd folks will have to choose their route carefully. This trailhead is VERY busy and you may find the parking area full, even during the week.

Thanks a bunch. As non-locals, we're very grateful for first-hand intel from the ground. It sounds like we'll give Harvard a try and hope the car can handle it.

[Hershel]

I live along CR365 and have been back there many times in the last few weeks. The road is driveable to the North Cottonwood trailhead with 2wd but there are some rough spots where the low clearance and 2wd folks will have to choose their route carefully. This trailhead is VERY busy and you may find the parking area full, even during the week.

Thanks a bunch. As non-locals, we're very grateful for first-hand intel from the ground. It sounds like we'll give Harvard a try and hope the car can handle it.

Just to add to the intel, if you can't make it to the TH, there are a good amount of pull offs. I'd say your chances are good that you can hitch a ride to the top if that happens. As previously mentioned, this is a busy TH.

[Bccrhp]

I live along CR365 and have been back there many times in the last few weeks. The road is driveable to the North Cottonwood trailhead with 2wd but there are some rough spots where the low clearance and 2wd folks will have to choose their route carefully. This trailhead is VERY busy and you may find the parking area full, even during the week.

Thanks a bunch. As non-locals, we're very grateful for first-hand intel from the ground. It sounds like we'll give Harvard a try and hope the car can handle it.

Just to add to the intel, if you can't make it to the TH, there are a good amount of pull offs. I'd say your chances are good that you can hitch a ride to the top if that happens. As previously mentioned, this is a busy TH.

Thanks. We'll definitely do so if possible - just didn't want to have to rely on it, especially on a Monday morning.

[Above_Treeline]

We went up there last year, I hiked to Kroenke lake. I don't remember having too much trouble (any?) in a Toyota avalon.

I was going to Yale a few weeks ago, and didn't know Denny Creek wasn't open. I went up from avalanche th, didnt summit, but really great. Trip report:

https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=18779

You should be able to go up from the Harvard th side, too.

Good luck!

[Bccrhp]

We went up there last year, I hiked to Kroenke lake. I don't remember having too much trouble (any?) in a Toyota avalon.

I was going to Yale a few weeks ago, and didn't know Denny Creek wasn't open. I went up from avalanche th, didnt summit, but really great. Trip report:

https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=18779

You should be able to go up from the Harvard th side, too.

Good luck!

Good to know, thanks so much!

[Bccrhp]

In case anyone else has this same question: the road to the Mt. Harvard trailhead was passable in a Honda Civic. Barely, and at 5-7 mph the whole way. The road was certainly better than the Grays/Torreys road from hell but was still pretty sketchy. One of our party had to get out and move rocks a couple of times. No issues finding a parking space at 7 AM on a Monday. Good luck to anyone else who attempts it.

[Will_E]

I did it in a lowered Miata in June. Probably averaged 20-25 mph, not fun.

[Will_E]

I think I stopped a mile or 2 short of trailhead.

[Bccrhp]

I did it in a lowered Miata in June. Probably averaged 20-25 mph, not fun.

You're a braver man than me.