Williams Pass
Williams Pass was the second and last trail of the day after having a great time on Hancock Pass. The 4x4 trail is only open for a month every year. Since we saw it 17 years ago, there have been improvements to the West Portal area and on the road leading to it. We were all very happy to see that the Williams Pass trail was open.
Turning from the West Portal area onto Williams Pass is a bit challenging and requires a three- or five-point maneuver to make it around the 320-degree turn to the left, up a narrow, very rocky climb. After two or three of us made the turn onto Williams Pass and started up, a side-by-side and a four-wheeler were coming down. It was nearly impossible to back out of Williams Pass again, and there was now a small traffic jam at the intersection, with some people working on the multi-point turn on their way up and others wanting to pass through on the Southpark Rail grade trail. The side-by-side driver did not seem experienced nor skilled in passing oncoming traffic in a difficult area, and this was a tricky, single vehicle area with a lot of rocks. Matt helped the side-by-side driver get up the side a bit in an area so vehicles could pass each other.
After the first three vehicles in our group passed the side-by-side and ATV, we went up the trail to a bit of a camping area to wait for the rest of the group. The rest of the group had waited at the bottom and start of Williams Pass for the side-by-side and ATV to finish coming down the trail before going up on the trail to meet us.
Williams Pass was very scenic, wet and muddy, interspersed with big rocks and water running down the trail or crossing it. We didn't have any significant issues with the muddy and rocky trail, though a few spots were a little tricky. The view from the top of Williams Pass with all the fall colors below us in the valley around the ghost town of St. Elmo was worth the trip over Williams Pass.
Going down the pass on the other side was much easier, and it wasn't muddy or rocky like going up the pass. We went to the same parking lot where we aired down earlier to air back up. It was a long day, but we all had a great time enjoying all the fall colors.
Report from a Different Day
