Lead King Basin

[Cygnus X1]

I have a Geneva Lake camping permit for next Friday and Saturday (8/23-24). I've never been to LKB. Two days ago I drove up to the S. Colony Lakes upper trailhead and it was in much worse condition than what I remember from 2018 and recent TH reports are right, it's pretty rough. I went up in a stock Silverado crew cab w/ short bed. I'm not the greatest 4x4 driver but do a pretty fair job. I lost both running boards, one on the way up and one on the way down (cheapy aluminum boards tore away from the steel brackets). Nothing except the running boards hit the ground.

I've searched the TH reports for LKB info and from what I gather, the upper road is better than the lower road to the Mill. My concerns are this site rates the upper road worse than SCL and says the tight switchbacks may be an issue for longer vehicles. Has anyone here done SCL this year and LKB in the last year or two that can give me a comparison? Or if the lower road would be a better option for a full size truck, how might that road compare with SCL? I understand parking is limited near the mill so that would be a concern too.

[yaktoleft13]

Haven't been up SCL in a minute sans snow, but the upper road certainly would require some 3 point turns. I had to do one in a 4runner. I'd say the upper road is a 4/6. Primary obstacles are one billion berms and right turns. Not super obstacle-y.

The lower road is bumpier, but AWD friendly until the parking area past crystal. The last 1.7 miles to the trailhead had more obstacles, to my recollection, and is probably a 5/6. Both are a step up from my prior experiences on SCL.

[daway8]

Just did SCL this weekend in a stock 4Runner with KO2 tires. Seemed a little worse than previous times but I only scraped slightly once or twice. I'm an ok 4WD driver but certainly not top notch.

LKB is significantly more challenging. Haven't been on that one since Oct 2020 but I can't imagine it having improved since then. You can find my trailhead status update linked below.

If you managed to lose both running boards on SCL I would seriously reconsider trying to drive LKB. Consider backpacking in or find a friend who can get you there.

https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/threport ... 6&start=25

[Wentzl]

Hey Cygnus. Just to clear something up, when you say the upper road is better than the lower road to the mill, that is an odd comment. Upper road is relatively east to the trailhead for Lake Geneva and Snowmass. From there to the mill is the worst part of the lower road, the reason people try to park near the mill.

I have been back there many times and done the loop clockwise and counter. After all that, my preferred is the upper road, in and out. While it does have a couple sharp switchbacks, and some off camber rutting, it is far easier than either SCL or the lower LKB roads. I have an older Tacoma, and make the switchbacks without any reverse maneuvering. Your bigger truck may have to do a couple three point pivots, but nothing that will tear more pieces off your truck! Two way traffic can be problematic, but backing up to yield a right of way will be inconvenient, but not necessarily dangerous.

[Cygnus X1]

Hey Cygnus. Just to clear something up, when you say the upper road is better than the lower road to the mill, that is an odd comment. Upper road is relatively east to the trailhead for Lake Geneva and Snowmass. From there to the mill is the worst part of the lower road, the reason people try to park near the mill.

I have been back there many times and done the loop clockwise and counter. After all that, my preferred is the upper road, in and out. While it does have a couple sharp switchbacks, and some off camber rutting, it is far easier than either SCL or the lower LKB roads. I have an older Tacoma, and make the switchbacks without any reverse maneuvering. Your bigger truck may have to do a couple three point pivots, but nothing that will tear more pieces off your truck! Two way traffic can be problematic, but backing up to yield a right of way will be inconvenient, but not necessarily dangerous.

What I should have said is I've read the upper road to the LKB trailhead is less rough than the lower road to Crystal Mill, not including the section from Crystal up to LKB. Do you agree with that assessment?

[Wentzl]

Yes, I think that is correct. The upper road is really more a test of nerves, with exposure and potential for a long fall if you drive off the road. It has none of the brutal rocks, stumps and ruts that make the lower road unpleasant.

[Anima]

I've driven both roads—South Colony in 2020 and 2022, and Lead King Basin in 2021. I took the upper road to LKB. I drive a stock 4th gen 4Runner. The South Colony road is pretty simple, you just have to be careful in a few places and I never scraped on it. The LKB road is the reason I don't drive 4wd roads anymore. On the first set of switch backs, just after the avalanche path on the way down my tires kept coming off the ground because of the bank angles (I couldn't see very much as I was driving, but it felt like I was balancing on two tires and it was not an enjoyable experience). That road is meant for short wheel bases (i.e. two door jeeps and atvs). I scraped multiple times in multiple places. In the last 1/4 mile before 2wd on the way down a tacoma tried to pass me (its pretty much a one way road the whole way) and I attempted to get over and ended up with my skid plates on the ground teetering over the edge of the road as it was soft and gave way under my front passenger tire. The Tacoma who was passing me had to tow me back on the road. Never again.

[daway8]

After all that, my preferred is the upper road, in and out. While it does have a couple sharp switchbacks, and some off camber rutting, it is far easier than either SCL or the lower LKB roads....

The upper road is really more a test of nerves, with exposure and potential for a long fall if you drive off the road. It has none of the brutal rocks, stumps and ruts that make the lower road unpleasant.

Hmmm, while I realize there's some subjectivity in rating the difficulty of roads, I would 100% disagree especially about lack of ruts on the upper road. In Oct 2020 that upper road had some of the deepest ruts I've ever seen - so deep that I was left wondering how they could have even been made. I had to precariously straddle them for fear the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk I was driving at the time would get high centered and stuck.

I do agree that it doesn't have any major "obstacles" per se, (such as the road to Lake Como) but that doesn't mean it's easy sailing.

Now granted, my experience was probably colored some by the fact that I drove both in and out in the dark, but I also just drove out of SCL in the dark with little issue (though now in a 4Runner).

So I would totally disagree that LKB is "far easier" than SCL but I do very much agree that the upper road on LKB is "a test of nerves."

I hope I don't come across too negative or as condescending or such, but I'm kinda surprised that someone would actually lose parts off their vehicle on SCL. I mean, sure, really easily if you just took a straight line and gunned it, but as long as you have decent clearance and take your time you shouldn't be ripping anything off your vehicle on that road.

So if you had that kind of experience on SCL I'd be really hesitant to recommend you going for LKB.

Maybe I'm totally wrong - I mean it has been a few years since LKB and I did it in the dark, but "far easier" is not at all how that road stands out in my mind and yaktoleft13 also seems to think LKB is "a step up."

OP, if you do attempt the road, please update this thread with your impressions as I'd be very curious to know what someone who does these back to back thinks, but I'm honestly not recommending it based on how SCL went for you.

[Wentzl]

Yes, also curious to hear how it goes and which route you choose. 2020 was a while ago, and things do change with amazing speed. I drove it last September and it seemed fine, no real obstacles. I will go again next month and post an update!

[BillMiddlebrook]

Yeah, from what I’ve heard from many, the rating for LKB should be a 4 these days, not 5. Last time I was up there (many years ago), it was closer to 5.

[Wentzl]

Hey Bill. Are you talking about the upper or lower? The description here on 14ers seems confused:

Drive 5.5 miles to the center of Marble and continue through the town.
Pass a church at 5.8 mi. and Beaver Lake at 6.2 mi.
At 7.0 miles, the road becomes rough.
At 7.7 miles, there is a junction. Turn left on FR 315 for Lead King Basin.
The remaining 6+ miles is rough and narrow. 4wd vehicles only.
At 9.7 miles, there is another junction. Stay left on FR 315.
After a long drive with many switchbacks, cross a small stream to reach a corner at 13.8 miles.
Continue a bit farther south down the road and cross the creek again to reach the actual trailhead, shortly after. The trail start on the east side of the road, in the parking area.

at 7.7 turn left would be the upper road.

at 9.7 turn left again, would be the lower road.

Can't be both!

[CCU_Jim]

at 7.7 turn left would be the upper road.

at 9.7 turn left again, would be the lower road.

There is a left turn after getting onto the upper road. The road kind of appears to continue straight, but the main road actually turns left. If you look at a USFS or USGS topo, you can see another road ascending up to Sheep Mountain, which would be the right fork at 9.7 miles.