Engineer Pass (Mineral Creek) Improvements/Closure

[Dan_Suitor]

I just saw this:

Notification.jpg

More information here: Ouray Road and Bridge

I’ve been on that road a few times, and it’s really rough. High clearance 4X4 is definitely needed. I wonder if they are doing this to make travel between Ouray and Lake City a more viable option.

[cottonmountaineering]

i also been on that and remember it being super rough, hopefully they will blast away some of the big boulders

[9patrickmurphy]

Hopefully they don't make it too nice, that road is one of the few actually challenging trails in the immediate area, along with Poughkeepsie. So many of the "trails" between Silverton and Ouray are little more than dirt roads.

[Kiefer]

Hopefully they don't make it too nice, that road is one of the few actually challenging trails in the immediate area, along with Poughkeepsie. So many of the "trails" between Silverton and Ouray are little more than dirt roads.

Agreed. Driven every road in the area (inc. some unnamed off-shoots) except Black Bear, Poughkeepsie & unfortunately, Mineral Creek. Thanks for the update, Dan. Think you might have given me plans for next Sunday.

[two lunches]

honestly i don't hate this. there are still plenty of places to wheel around in the area, and it would be super dope to have a slightly less time consuming option to get between lake city and ouray. it'll still be tedious but no one will miss the steps-- especially since traffic goes both ways, unlike black bear.

[Skimo95]

That’s gonna ruffle some elite feathers. I’m for it, love all those trails.

[IntrepidXJ]

That road really needs the repairs. It used to be a relatively easy drive in a stock Jeep from the Million Dollar Highway to Engineer Pass, but it has really gotten torn up by UTVs over the past decade- so much so that I don't drive it anymore. It will be nice to check it out again when they are done.

[IntrepidXJ]

that road is one of the few actually challenging trails in the immediate area, along with Poughkeepsie.

It didn't used to be. That's a relatively recent development. I say return it to it's former state for a while until it gets torn up and more difficult again- which it will without continued maintenance.

[Boggy B]

Meh. From what I recall (from like 12 years ago) all the roughness above Poughkeepsie is outsloping rock ledges. Guessing if the safety improvements involve "rock grinding" they'll be leveling those sections. Can't imagine anything they do will have much impact on drive time, and unless they neuter the one rock ledge down on the shelf road, and move a lot of gravel (until the next seasonal washouts), it will still require high clearance 4x4.

[cottonmountaineering]

That road really needs the repairs. It used to be a relatively easy drive in a stock Jeep from the Million Dollar Highway to Engineer Pass, but it has really gotten torn up by UTVs over the past decade- so much so that I don't drive it anymore. It will be nice to check it out again when they are done.

UTVs have really torn up every road around there, been crazy to see the difference in the road conditions between before UTV popularity and now

[two lunches]

It used to be a relatively easy drive in a stock Jeep from the Million Dollar Highway to Engineer Pass, but it has really gotten torn up by UTVs over the past decade- so much so that I don't drive it anymore.

UTVs have really torn up every road around there, been crazy to see the difference in the road conditions between before UTV popularity and now

i went on a jeep tour with my parents back in 2019 and the guide told us they can't even offer some of their original tours anymore because what used to be a half-day trip has now turned into 12+ hours due to the deteriorating condition of the roads.

UTV rentals need to be banned.

[XterraRob]

UTV rentals need to be banned.

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