Yesterday after work I took a quick trip up to Yankee Boy Basin. I’ll put up a more thorough post soon, but here are some preliminary points:
- The road has recently been graded, so there’s lots of loose pebbles
- A passenger car can easily make it as far as the Weehauken Trailhead–the trail is a popular destination
- With some skill, an ordinary passenger car can make it as far as Camp Bird, but I do not recommend it beyond that
- There’s lots of water on the road–be careful
- Even in a 4WD vehicle, be careful during the last, steep uphills toward the basin
- The road is open as far as the Forest Service bathroom. That means you can get to Twin Falls
- There’s very little in the way of flowers. In fact, much of the ground looks as though it were scraped over via snow movement or something similar. There are little shoots coming up, so we may yet have wildflowers
- Twin Falls is spectacular–very full of water, but hard to get close to because the view area is still snow-covered
- The snow is melting fast and further accessibility will come soon.
Do please watch your safety. There are no guard rails. A wrong move can rip out your car’s oil pan. Be sure you’re certain where the road is–don’t ever drive where you are unable to see the road–get out and look. Remember, your safety is entirely your responsibility. Cell phone coverage is limited or non-existent. I found Amateur Radio APRS coverage to be non-existent.
ATVs are allowed on graveled Ouray county roads, but not on paved ones. My motorcycle, which is street legal, had no problem going up and down the road.