While traveling along Sanborn Park Road (see here), one of the roads I tried was Turkey Plot Road, Forest Road 554. To my delight, I found what looked like a single track intersecting it, ZK Spring Trail 124.
Here it is, all marked and legal. It sure looked like a nice single-track, though in truth ATVs are allowed too.
Well, I headed along the track, which headed fairly straight through the trees. I encountered a tree skeleton across the track. I circumvented it. I encountered another one and also circumvented it. But then the road ended at a locked gate! It looked as though people had tried riding along the fence in either direction. I picked south, but the trail petered out. I retraced my steps.
Here's a diagram of what I found--a 1.3 mile gap in the trail. Click on the image for a larger view. Use your browser's 'back' button to return. Argh! I just noticed I put ZK Spring Trail 1503. 1503 is the time I was there—3:03 p.m.
The trail, though not marked as such, seemed to continue directly across Turkey Plot Road. I followed, but the trail petered out. It looked like it had been a Jeep road many years before, now abandoned. ZK Spring Trail doesn’t show up in DeLorme.
Well, disappointed, I returned to Sanborn Park Road and continued east. My next side road was FR 530 1A. Lo an behold, here was the other end of ZK Spring Trail! But the trees across the road didn’t fall there—they’ve been put there deliberately. One would think that if the Forest Service had wanted to close the trail, it would be so marked. I suspect a rancher thinks the trail crosses his land; I wonder if the Forest Service disagrees.
Here's the sign at the east end of the ZK Spring Trail. All looks perfectly in order, with no sign saying the trail is closed. Yet someone has dumped several logs across the trail, seen in the image.
I rode down to the logs to confirm my suspicion that they were placed there deliberately. They were. I could have circumvented them (I suspect ranchers really don’t know how well dirt bikes can get around things), but opted to turn around and continue my Sanborn Park Road side road survey.
Interestingly, this is the only trail I found in my explorations. I wish there were more—the area is so beautiful. On the main road you’re in a slot between the trees. On the single track, you’re in the forest, with the canopy closing over you. Oh, well, there are several good single tracks further north on the Uncompahgre Plateau around where Divide Road intersects Road 90.