Rollins Pass East
We did the bottom majority of this trail on the way to the Jenny Creek trail, then we went up to the top after doing Jenny Creek. It was quite a bit more difficult than it usually is because of two snow drifts. We were the first vehicles to make it to the parking area this year, and we had a great hike.
The start of the trail was mellow and enjoyable, and there were lots of campers all the way up. The mud puddles that seem to always be there were dried up already, so that temptation wasn't there.
We left the road at the southern end of Jenny Creek, then joined it again at Yankee Doodle Lake. There were lots of campers and people fishing there, too.
We went up around the lake to find a big snow drift over the road at the highest point above Yankee Doodle Lake. There were a couple ATV tracks over it and some footprints, but no vehicle tracks yet. It was about a foot deep on one end but probably six feet deep on the other end.
Monica got through it first by driving up the drift enough to get past the rocks that stuck out on the left side, then sliding back down to where it wasn't so rocky. It was a fun trip through the snow!
Bob S. went through next, having a good time in the snow.
Dave came through next without being as dramatic as Monica and Bob S. were, making it look very easy.
Robert had a mellow time through the snow, making it look like it wasn't difficult at all.
Mike followed right behind him, not having any issues.
Daniel wanted to get his Bronco through, sporting new and bigger tires. Because of the slant to the snow drift, he was having trouble without lockers. He gave it a few tries but then had to give up.
Patrick came through next, driving right through it without much effort at all.
Ed had a good time playing in the snow on his way through, but he didn't have any issues either.
At this point we were split up, with some people who were ready to go home (or couldn't make it through). We decided to split the group up at that point. Daniel parked his Bronco and rode to the top with Ed, while Perry, Walt, Bill, and Bob R. headed down.
There was another section that was pretty narrow, with the snow pushing us very close to the edge. Then we got up to the flat, wide area past the parking area and found a snow drift we couldn't drive over.
It was a huge drift and it isn't going to melt any time soon. We parked and carefully walked across it, which was scary but we walked very carefully. Mike decided to turn around and head down, and the rest of us started our hike. Patrick's kids were a little too young to hike that far, so he ended up turning around and heading down, too.
Monica, Ed, Daniel, Bob S. and Dave all made it to the top after about 1.5 miles and we didn't see any more snow. Some people climbed through the tunnel while others went to the top. The views at the top were amazing!
We also found a well-built "house" made of stones, complete with armchairs made out of rock. It was cool, and we wondered who built it, when they built it, and why.
Our trip down was pretty uneventful, and we ended up in Boulder for dinner. It was a great day!
Reports from Other Days: 7
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