China Wall
Six of us met at the Conifer Loaf 'N Jug, and we headed out to meet Matt and Steve at the trailhead as they were coming from Colorado Springs. We were all at the trailhead at 10:00AM as planned, but we weren't all in agreement about where the trailhead actually was. We waited at forest service road 212, while Matt and Steve waited at 212A!
After airing down, disconnecting, and waiting for Matt and Steve to show up, we soon opted to try for them on the CB radio. That's when we found out where they were, and we were soon all in one group and headed up the trail.
There was no snow, which was disappointing. The weather forecast had included a chance of snow, which would have made the trail more interesting. Still, we were having a good time.
When we came to the first pile of rocks, everyone opted to play on them and we all made it over with no issues. The tippy section was fun but not a real challenge for anyone.
When we got to the rock slab, Mike tried the far right line. He couldn't make it up this line because the front end of his Jeep kept lifting. Mike set over to the left and climbed up the slab without an issue. Everyone else made it up the left line with Walt remarking that this was probably the most that he could expect out of his Blazer. Jeffrey opted to come back around and try the right line for his second time on the obstacle. After lining up a couple times, his longer wheel base allowed him to walk right up the slab. Well done!
We cruised down to the creek for lunch and a light snow began to fall. We didn't hang around long, although it was good to get out and stretch our legs.
We were soon back to the turn-off for forest service road 204 and we followed it to the rocky hill section. A couple on foot pointed out that Mike's front tire was low on air, so he aired up that tire a bit before trying the hill. Several of us had already made it down the hill without issues, but then Walt had a moment of inattention and got the first trail damage of the year. His line was slightly off as he turned between the tight rocks and he managed to break his window on the passenger's side and dent his vehicle's body. Bummer!
After that, we all headed out to the end of the trail at County Road 77. Once on the pavement, we all headed off to check out Goose Creek Road and views of the Hayman Fire area.
Reports from Other Days: 9
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