Finally we got organized for our first ride of the season. Last week we drove two hours only to find Rollings Pass West at Winter Park was still closed. We don't know why it was, maybe snow.

This week my buddies took me to Red Cone - Webster Pass. They said I needed my Red Cone merit badge. Great. Red Cone Mountain is rather famous around here as it is a narrow trail along the ridge of the mountain with very steep drop off in both directions. Ride the "hogback". And then there is a very steep downhill trail off the mountain that has a lot of loose gravel on it. They guaranteed me I will slide some and I need to tickle the throttle to keep the wheels turning for better control less me and my and my Can Am roll down the mountain. So after instilling some nightmares in me, we took off for Red Cone last Friday.

I grates on me to have to drive a "low maintenance" Forest Service road to the staging area that would be much better suited for an ATV. But the government says no. I beat the heck out of my pickup and ATV trailer up these rough roads to the spot where someone says ATVs are now legal. Stupid in my view. I just don't get it.

We road about 45 minutes up a "moderate" trail only to see a big, black cloud appear over the mountain. We put our rain gear on and pressed on regardless. First rain, then hail, and then lightening. We decided to turn around as the lightening is dangerous, and the trail was slick with wet. Temps dropped to 40f. We were wet and cold. I could see my buddy's machine in front of me slip down on rain slick rocks. Mountain weather can turn for the worse quickly.

So no Red Cone merit badge for me this trip. I'm not sure a "black diamond" trail is wise for this rookie on his first ride of the season. A guy has to get acclimated to the dynamics of his machine with some practice it seems to me. But my buddies are "jump in the deep end" type of guys. I can't wimp out on them.

David

 

I could wimp out. I gave away my Gore-Tex rain suit but I think I still have an old yellow raincoat in the closet. I doubt it would still fit me. If it rains I get wet. This time of year if I got caught in a storm it might get down to 60, but not 40. It really sucks getting caught in hail. It's hard to hide from it too.

 

We use to do Red Cone on a regular basis when we lived in Thornton back in the late 80s.

The "face" was steeper back then than it is now. Its been worn down quite a bit. We would climb up the face in the truck - t was exhilarating to say the least.

Past Red Cone is Radical Hill. This is us coming up it in 1991. We made a trip there from Utah with a few of our friends.

Holy Cross City was awesome too. Not sure what its like these days either.

 

dbj, did you get the Outlander Max, or the regular Outlander? I couldn't remember. The extra long wheelbase is fantastic for going up and down steep grades.

 

Hi Moose: I have the exact machine you have. It is a Max 2up long wheelbase. I purchased the machine due to the inclines like Red Cone that I plan on riding.

Specta: Wow, what a good picture of the Radical Hill "shelf trail". I bet it was exhilarating in that full sized pickup to say the least. I think if I take it slow and steady I'll be okay. I do fret a bit about the steep descent from Red Cone into Webster's Pass. Any words of wisdom for a safe decent. I'm told the trail is quite full of loose gravel and traction isn't the best.

David

 

Don't go too slow - and if you start to slide give it some throttle and stay ahead of the slide. Once you lock up your brakes your doomed.

in that picture I had to climb up onto a big boulder because I couldn't go around it.

Red Cone has always been one of my favorites.

Going across the top ridge was one of the few places that ever spooked my wife. You couldn't see down either side or right in front of the truck because of its size. All our friends drove Jeeps and their visibility was better than ours.

Sure wish they had digital camera's back them.

We went up to the peak of Red Cone, the sign says 12,201' a coupe of times before we ever went down the face. The first time we went down it I turned around and went back up - that was exhilarating. LOL



This was going up to Holy Cross City that same year. That was a lot more challenging than Red Cone.

 

That doesn't even look like a trail, except maybe where the right front tire is about to go.

 

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It gets rough in spots.

The road is 3.8 miles long. It would take about 2 hrs to go from Gold Park to Holy Cross City. It was an awesome ride. 4-low all the way.

 

As Specta said, don't go too slow. If you feel slippage going down a steep grade with the engine braking give it a little bit of gas to straighten it out. I think the engine braking on the Outlander is fantastic but not everyone likes it. It can make you go too slow in gravel, ice, or snow. It seems counter-intuitive to tap the throttle going down a hill but it works.

 

Thanks for the advice Moose and Specta: My buddies told me the same thing. Engine brake but don't let the wheels slide in the gravel. Tickle the throttle to keep the wheels turning so you have steering control. I do think my Can Am had good engine braking. It is great on the trails as I seldom need brakes (we ride pretty slow, see Specta photos of the "rock fields" we have to pick our way round. Dang rocks are banging up my pretty aluminum wheels.)

No trail rides planned this week, but we are planning for early next week.

David