Huron Upper 2WD Trailhead / Travel Logistics

[ECF55]

I am considering attempting Huron (Lulu Gulch) this summer when I have a week to soak in hot springs and duck away from the family for a couple big hikes. Here's hoping for favorable conditions.

The website appears to answer most of the questions, but I will just put a couple out there to ensure I'm properly planning:

1. I will have a rental car. All indications are that Chaffee County 390 Road is a high quality dirt road from US24 to Winfield and there shouldn't be any navigation issues?

2. The Huron Lulu Gulch page has a high quality annotated topo map that explicitly identifies Lower 2WD and Upper 2WD parking lots (below). Bing Maps has a decent aerial view that seems to show a large parking area at both spots (also below). Is the general assessment that this stretch between the Lower and Upper 2WD lots is fine backcountry road that a rental can navigate? And crossing the Lulu Gulch stream is nothing to worry about in August?

3. On the hike, I am inclined to gain the ridge via Middle Mountain to get those amazing views over to Missouri and Huron East Face as soon as possible. Do folks recommend descending via the Standard Route and then roadwalk/hitchhike back, or hike down via the Brown Peak/Lulu Gulch path? Either seems plausible.


Sure looks gorgeous out there. Thanks.

[justiner]

The easiest day with the least approach drama, park where it says, "Winfield". I wouldn't risk the rental off the easy track. Chaffee County 390 is pretty straightforward. If you take Lulu up, take the standard route down.

[PJ88]

The easiest day with the least approach drama, park where it says, "Winfield". I wouldn't risk the rental off the easy track. Chaffee County 390 is pretty straightforward. If you take Lulu up, take the standard route down.

+1

[ECF55]

The easiest day with the least approach drama, park where it says, "Winfield". I wouldn't risk the rental off the easy track. Chaffee County 390 is pretty straightforward. If you take Lulu up, take the standard route down.

I was able to hit Lulu Gulch yesterday. What a great hike! It has amazing views all throughout the day, a fun solidly Class 2 connector ridge between Browns an Huron, and that East Face of Huron—wow. I didn’t see anyone else on the non-standard either, although the standard route was a zoo. And that summit push section has taken an incredible beating.

Concur with your roads assessment. CR-390 was a great forest road (wide, unpaved, lots of washboard with some ruts and potholes but definitely passable at reasonable speeds). The section above the Lulu Gulch stream had a couple horrible sections and was single car width. Thanks!

[Ptglhs]

If you go up via Lulu I highly recommend hiking down the standard. Don't do the Brown's cut off as a way to descend as it is fairly steep and loose in parts. If you're going to go down Lulu, then I would hike back all the way over the unnamed 13er and skirt the old mining road down the slopes of middle mountain.

And I agree with other recommendations to just park at Winfield or the straightaway thereafter.

[ECF55]

+1 on standard route return. It’s endless switches but very efficient in getting to the bottom.