Calvary 4-Wheelers

Well the trip was billed as a snow ‘wheeling trip and it lived up to its billing. Five rigs gathered at the ranger station in Idaho Springs to prepare for our winter assault on Yankee Hill. We headed up Fall River Road and made a right turn onto York Gulch. York Gulch had been plowed but was snow-packed and slick. Most of us shifted into 4h for a little extra traction. At the top of York Gulch we connected with Bald Mountain Road which becomes Pisgah Lake Road (which becomes Yankee Hill Road).

About a half mile before the actual trail head we came to a place where the locals had plowed straight into their private driveway leaving a 3-foot high dyke of snow and ice across the public road. Since there was a large area to park just before the private gate, we decided to go ahead and chain up there. While we worked at getting the chains on, Missy and Leona took a shovel to the snow dyke and had it mostly out of the way by the time we were ready to proceed.

We headed over to the trail and started up. Once we got past where the plows had been we were struggling through a foot to two feet of thick, heavy snow. I broke trail and Charlie followed, giving me plenty of room to back and bash as I worked my way up a gentle incline. It wasn’t long before Charlie, at stock height, couldn’t make it even where I had already broken trail. He backed down to the trail head and Matt started up behind me. About a quarter mile in it got to where I wasn’t making any progress. It was already well after noon so we decide to back down to the trail head and have lunch.

As most of us were finishing lunch, Richard headed up the trail to see if he could get any farther. He made it past the first little hill and reported back over the radio that it was easier for stretch beyond that. Matt headed up and, after a couple of attempts, made it past the first hill and into the easier section. Steve took a couple tries but just couldn’t quite make it over the top. Charlie decided that, without tow points, it didn’t make sense for him to bury his Jeep in the deep snow so he jumped in with me.

As I headed up Richard announced he was giving up and coming back down. He found a wide spot to turn around and Matt went on up. With momentum on his side Matt made it a couple hundred feet past where Richard had gotten before burying himself hopelessly in the snow. I churned my way past Richard and on up to where Matt was stuck. We hooked up a strap and pulled him out.

We debated briefly about attempting to go on but it was getting late and the snow was only getting deeper so we decided to call it a day. We headed down to Idaho Springs for dinner at Beau Jo’s. The goal had been to see how far toward St. Mary’s we could get before the snow got too deep and the answer was just over half a mile. It wasn’t far but it sure was fun.
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