CT Segment 12 Impassable due to massive blowdown

[bearcreek]

From the CTF website:

SEG 12 IMPASSIBLE BLOW-DOWN: 'Heads up,' please inform others. Thanks. Inside
Wilderness where chainsaws are prohibited (may take years to clear the CT) the Seg 12 blow-down is
so extensive that it is impassible. PLAN YOUR DETOUR AROUND SEG 12. The CT Guidebook is
helpful.


Area that's Impassible: CT Seg 12 south of Pine Creek (CT Seg 12 mi 6.4) and north of Harvard
Lakes (CT Seg 12 mi 15.2). The blow-down areas are large, well beyond the trail corridor, and users
who have tried to navigate the steep terrain around them have reported they did not succeed.

I spoke with someone at USFS who says that the area looks like an explosion hit it, with thousands of trees down in a tangled mess.

If you are one of the people thinking of doing the Missouri / Oxford / Belford alternate hike then rejoining the CT that won't work either - the trip down Pine Creek will put you in the middle of this mess.

detour suggestions are at: www.coloradotrail.org

[moongoddess]

Thanks for posting this info. Sounds like a real mess! Given the size of the blowdown, I hope an exception can be made to allow horsepackers to bring in chainsaws to get the trail cleared in a more reasonable time frame.

[On Track]

Now IMPASSIBLE SEG 12 DETOUR OPTIONS are on ColoradoTrail.org and here is the document link:


http://www.ColoradoTrail.org/Blowdow...TSegment12.pdf

[Mags]

An FYI from Bear Creek. Thanks to Jerry Brown for making these resources avail


If you decide you want to try the CDT detour described above, I have placed a set of maps that should get you there on my website. The blue trail line from Texas Creek to where you rejoin the CT is just sketched in, so it wont have the usual high quality positioning, but it should get you there. Here is a link:
www.bearcreeksurvey.com/CTF/Pdf.zip

All of the waypoints for the CDT are available for free download here:
www.bearcreeksurvey.com

You will only need the ones from mile 332 to 363, so I would suggest getting the data and deleting the ones you don't need before loading in your gps.

[On Track]

Jerry's new detour maps mentioned above pertain to this:
Seg 12 CDT Partway Detour: CDT PARTWAY DETOUR around CT Seg 12 using CDT but returning to CT at first 'south of blowdown impasse' opportunity. Twin Lakes, CDT: Hope Pass, Lake Ann, Texas Creek; leave CDT; east on Trail 416; south on Tr 1442 Browns Pass; east on Tr 1448 Kroenke Lake & Tr 1449 North Cottonwood Creek; Rd 365 for 1.5 mi. to Silver Creek TH at CT Seg 12/13 division; resume CT Southbound. Big detour, 42 miles of detour that misses around 26 miles of CT.

[heavyfoot]

Good information, thanks, all.

Is camping allowed anywhere along the portion of Hwy 24 in the Buena Vista detour?

[dbscott]

Segment 12 is NOT impassable. I completed the segment along with segment 13 two weeks ago and passed the information to the CT Foundation. Yes, there are many trees down and the going is difficult, but it merely slows a hiker down. If you are thinking of doing the segment allow yourself additional time to get through. You don't need a detour in absence of snow on the trail.

[jbsbestfan]

Segment 12 is NOT impassable. I completed the segment along with segment 13 two weeks ago and passed the information to the CT Foundation. Yes, there are many trees down and the going is difficult, but it merely slows a hiker down. If you are thinking of doing the segment allow yourself additional time to get through. You don't need a detour in absence of snow on the trail.

Did you complete the section before the microburst or whatever knocked most of the trees down? I was under the impression that the blowdown was just last weekend.

[Cookerhiker]

Some good news just posted on the CTF's FB page:

SEG 12 NOW PASSABLE FOR SOME. Please spread the word. Volunteers Saturday cut a zillion branches and some smaller trees from the trail corridor. Hiker pass-through now possible (though arduous) involves climbing over MANY REMAINING TREES, straddling...and sap. Some hikers will want to stay on the CT through Seg 12, others will still want to detour...your choice. Still impassible for stock animals. Detour document here --> http://www.coloradotrail.org/Blowdow...TSegment12.pdf

[rastayogi]

So good to here. I was going to bring a trail saw and spend an extra few days out there doing some clearing, do my part to keep the CT up and running.

[RodentWhisperer]

That's awesome news! Thanks to the volunteers. It's been a rough, hot, dry week. The dedication is absolutely inspiring!