The Sheep Creek Jeep Trail

By Jerry Smith

Not long after we moved to Grand Junction, Colorado in '85, I began exploring area Jeep trails in my ’73 CJ5 (Old Blue).  As a traveling salesman at the time, my time off from work was extremely rare and valuable.

New to Grand Junction (GJT) and seldom home, I had nearly no local friends to find out about the area.  The answer was to take a map of the area and draw a 50-mile radius circle around GJT and go drive ALL Jeep trails within that circle.

It took till about 2009 to be able to say I accomplished that goal and then a little, but it’s safe to say that at one time or another, I have traveled 98% of all Jeep trails in that circle and many beyond.

During that time frame, we (Old Blue, Happy Trails [my ’06 Rubicon] and I) managed to find some trails in need of some TLC.  Trails that Mother Nature had closed for one reason or another were not to be ignored like most people do.  In my younger and healthier years, when an impassable obstacle presented on a Jeep trail, we simply removed or repaired it. 

To me, THAT is just part of the Jeeping experience.  You see a problem and remedy it.  Overcoming obstacles is part of the fun.  Opening a new trail or reopening an old trail is something few of us ever have the pleasure of… and yes, it definitely is a pleasure.  But you must find the opportunity to do it!

Exploring every sidetrack is the way of finding old and new opportunities.  They are out there.  If nothing else, look at the trails that have been closed by land management.  There ARE possibilities of reopening them if you get creative and solve the problems that caused the closure in the first place.

The first trail with that kind of show-stopping problems we worked on was the Pace Lake road.  The bottom of the road showed lots of erosion damage.  Tons of rock falls littered the road.  Some required removal to get by, so we rolled them into some of the deep “V” channels cut into the lower side of the road to slow the erosion.

Happy Trails on Pace Lake

Part of the trail goes through an old burn and several of the old dead snags had blown down over the road.  The tracks in the trail were common.  People would drive up to the first tree blocking the road and turn around.  Between a hand saw and the winch, we moved several trees to get to the first main obstacle.

This obstacle turned out to be a 3-foot wide gash snaking its way down the road about 3-feet deep and 75-yards long.  Trying to straddle the trench only resulted in the first body damage to Happy Trails.  Now it was a working Jeep… not a pleasure Jeep.

Before I worked on the ditch, there was a short walk up the trail to make sure all that work would be worth the effort.  From that walk, I knew there was a big rock fall not far up the trail, but it looked like something we could get around.

So… for the next few hours, I threw everything I could find in that ditch.  Trees, limbs, rocks, dirt, and sweat mostly filled it in.  There was some REAL satisfaction when we drove the full length of that thing!

At the big rock fall, taking a turn around the first kitchen table-size rock, we started to climb the high-side bank of the road to evade another large boulder.  That would have worked well except the rear slid over into the boulder we were trying to avoid and broke the plastic wheel cap (the second damage to Happy Trails) on the right rear.

After a few more trees, we finally reached the top and end of the Pace Lake trail.  The lake is on the Utah side of the border, which is on the wrong side of the fence to the JB Ranch.  The JB Ranch has an agreement with the Fish and Wildlife as a private hunting preserve and they are adamant about trespassers.

** As a side note, we are working with the USFS, BLM, and a private landowner to connect the top of the Pace Lake trail to another trail to make a loop trail.  This is going through the Manti-La Sal Forest Planning presently. See – opportunities!!  ** 

Next came the Calamity Mesa Loop Trail.  This one had been closed for an estimated 25+ years.  Calamity Mesa took some help from two Jeep Clubs to officially open the first half of the trail.  The second half was mostly just myself again.  The Calamity Mesa Loop Trail is a 19-mile loop from the trailhead to the end.  If you count the mile from the end to the trailhead, it’s 20-miles.

The Twisted Drop obstacle winds up your suspension.

Calamity Mesa also has one other smaller 5-mile loop and another trail on top of the mesa from the airstrip to an intersection with the big loop that we reopened.  There is a library full of uranium mining history in the area and some drop dead beautiful scenery.

Narrow shelf roads sometimes scare people.

 Next, we found Flat Top Mesa closed due to two monstrous rocks blocking the road.  This one took some extreme nerve to drive past the second rock.  Your paint was less than 1” from being removed by the rock because you tipped into the rock as you passed it.  Those were some intense moments the first few times we drove this trail alone. 

People have elected to pass driving their pretty paint jobs through this on the two trips we have lead up this trail.

Next was the Coon Hollow Jeep Trail.  This was marked on BLM maps as a “Jeep trail”, but it had not been used by full-size vehicles for many years and had grown in tight to ATV width with four-foot tall sagebrush on both sides and had some deep washes to deal with.  It took a lot of work to reopen Coon Hollow.

Coon Hollow has some difficult crawls

 When we did the work, the area was still managed as “open” to cross country travel, so what we did was legal for you who are touchy about such things.  We created bypasses of two washouts of the trail and trimmed and trampled miles of the tall sagebrush to reestablish a full-width trail again.

Coon Hollow has become another “highlight” trail for our annual Rock Junction event.

The Coon Hollow wash can be tricky

 South Beaver Mesa was next.  This one is a steep, narrow, heavily eroded shelf road down to an old cowboy camp.  The trail is a great Jeep experience for seasoned drivers.  Others may find it frightening.

In 2018 I was contacted by the Paonia Forest Service office and asked it we would come and widen a Jeep trail by cutting miles of heavy overgrown brush back.  It took two trips, but we got it done.

So. Beaver Mesa is steep, rocky, and eroded.

 Just counting these trails, that is over 100-miles of Jeep trails that we have been responsible for reopening.  Some we must work on nearly every year just to maintain them.  Sheep Creek is a prime example.

In the fall of 2018, a nasty storm hit the upper region of the Sheep Creek Jeep Trail.  It brought down tons of debris off the mountainside onto the road and severely eroded the road surface.  This is a common occurrence on Sheep Creek.  Once or twice each year this trail is subject to closure by Mother Nature. 

Sometime during the winter of ‘18/’19, more storm damage added to the previous carnage and added a humungous rock (15’ tall and the width of the road) to our problems.  Sheep Creek is part of one of the favorite trips we lead people on for our Rock Junction event.  Having it closed was not going to make some people happy.

Steep and winding is Sheep Cr.

 Because of all the damage and the huge rock, we met with the BLM to discuss what could be done to reopen the trail “legally”.  Our club has a very strong working relationship with the local BLM.  They gave us some parameters to work within to reopen the trail.

Sunday, May 19^th began as a workday to reopen the Sheep Creek trail.  We started out with a good-size crew of eager beavers ready to move the world if necessary.  In reality, they turned out to be a worthless bunch that never moved a rock all day.  Not even one shovel full of dirt turned.  It wasn’t their entire fault, though. 

While airing down at the Sheep Creek trailhead, a phone call from Keri informed us that a crawler tractor had already been up the trail and had removed all obstacles.  Work party disaster!

With that news, we lost Jeff and his buggy.  The rest of us decided to run the trail through to Glade Park.  On our way to the top, over the radio comes word that Luke will be riding through Granite Creek where the word is there are “rock falls” near the “homestead”.

The exit from Granite Cr. is a steep, narrow, rocky shelf road

 After a brief stop at the cabin near the top of the Sheep Creek trail, Roger’s freshly “repaired” LS powered JKU shot another code and became questionable, so the Bartons turned around with Dick following and left the mountain (we hope).

Topping the trail, we elected to head for a meeting with Keri somewhere along the trail toward Glade Park.  She couldn’t explain her location, so we were on a search and find mission.  On the radio, we were still hearing bits and pieces of what had been found down on Granite Creek.  The broken radio reception didn’t sound all that bad, so we did a quick turnaround and headed down Lost Horse Canyon on the way to Granite Creek Canyon.

After about 8-miles of travel, we stopped at the “homestead” and glassed a pickup that could be seen on the shelf road exit from the canyon bottom.  Even with drone flyover pictures, the overall predicament with the truck could not be determined, so up the road we went.

Just a short walk around a corner from the pickup was a serious rockfall blocking forward progress.  A quick look and some thoughts about it made me think we “could” move the big rocks enough to pass, but taking the walk around the corner made the effort fade into oblivion.  Not only was there another large rock partially blocking the road, but also a disabled pickup with unbelievable body damage and what appeared to be a broken front axle sat smack in the middle of the road.  Game over!

Back out through Granite Creek Canyon and Lost Horse Canyon to the road to Glade Park.

Overall, it was a good (long) day of Jeeping.  Many in the group saw some new country and trails they had never traveled, so all was not lost.  One of the Rock Junction favorite trails is again useable and we only had one and a half casualties.  I forgot to mention that Dick aired down two tires TOTALLY.  Whoops!!

This should give you some ideas of what can be done for motorized trail access “IF” someone takes the lead and follows through.  Of course, having support from other people makes this happen easier, but that all-important “point man” is VITAL to things like this!  Are YOU that person?

One of the first things you must do is get on a first name basis with local land managers.  Being on their speed dial is even better.  You’ll get better cooperation if they know and trust you.

One last thing… always remember when you come to a fork in the road, Yogi said; “Take it!”  That is the first step to finding opportunities.  

Jeeping the Dolores River

By Jerry Smith

Today, Sunday 11, 2018, seven Grand Mesa Jeep Club members and two guests had a superb day of Jeeping.

After leaving Fruita, we headed for Cisco, UT and Fish Ford on the Colorado River.  This was the end of the trail from last week’s trip where we ran the back roads from 16 Road to Rabbit Valley along the BookCliffs.  From Rabbit Valley we followed the Kokopelli Trail (which Is the usual Rabbit Valley spring trip) and then stayed on it to the junction at Cisco.

Due to a late day and a freshly modified Jeep on its maiden voyage that had some bad gremlins, last week’s trip was shortened.  Today we finished that trip to Hwy 128 down near the Dome Plateau trailhead.  From there, we headed to Dewey Bridge for a trip across the Dolores River.

On the lower Dolores River Crossing

Jeeping across a river for many is a first-time accomplishment.  We broke some cherries today and didn’t stop at just one crossing.

Because the Dolores River was so low, we did the lower crossing and then proceeded to the upper crossing.

Entering the upper Dolores River crossing

The lower crossing is considerably shallower than the upper crossing.  It is also a more conventional ford in that you take a direct route across the river.

The upper ford is not conventional.  From the north side of the river (that we were on), you enter the river and go upstream an estimated 120 yards to the exit on the south side.  The water is fairly slow and always murky, so “reading” the water is not easy.

Entering the upper Dolores River crossing.

Entering the water the as the first in line is always with some trepidation.  You never know what obstacle might be lurking in the bottom of a murky body of water… especially moving water. 

Sandbars shift, muddy bottoms can have deep holes and be slick.  Rocks tend to find new places to bring you to an abrupt stop.  The first guy in the water is hoping none of those little “presents” exist. 

Entering the upper Dolores River crossing.

Lucky for me, no “presents” were encountered on the way upstream to the small rocky island just below the exit and road out to the main road.  Shortly Jeep number 2 entered the water and made for the island.  Not far behind were the others that braved the brown waters of the mighty Dolores River.

Soon we were all on the island and had a need to return to the north side, so I traveled down and found a spot to face the driver side window toward the others as they came downstream.  Some of the pictures here were taken from that position in the river.

Snoopy Rock

Entering the upper Dolores River crossing.

After returning to the north side, we headed for the Coates Creek crossing for lunch and some great conversation.   There, we also decided to return by way of Cow Creek and Snoopy Rock.  Most had never seen Snoopy Rock so this would be another first.

Cow Creek Canyon begins very docilely and gains difficulty and beauty as you go up the canyon.  Snoopy Rock is best seen from the east side.  From there you can see both ears, the nose, and an eye and the outline of the head sloping down to his back as he lays down.  The size of the whole thing is enormous, but you have to be there to understand.

Entering the upper Dolores River crossing.

Not long past Snoopy, the trail becomes increasingly difficult.  There are steep climbs that gyrate your vehicle causing tires to lose traction.  Here, you may still crawl the trail in 2wd, but you will need a very flexible suspension and good momentum.  Otherwise, lockers or 4wd are a real blessing.

There are large granite-like boulders that protrude from the road surface and other places that have a white granite-like rock that has large quantities of mica that create flashes of light that make you wonder what is ahead.

Entering the upper Dolores River crossing.

The cliffs on the north side of the canyon rise in varying outcroppings that make your imagination wander to out-of-the-world realms.  Some of the small canyons in those cliffs make you wonder where they go and “how can I go there?”

Upon topping the trail we soon come to the road normally taken from Glade Park to Gateway.  This is a popular summer trail run.  There are some options along with it that can enhance the day of Jeeping into a “Wow”-like trip.  One of the favorites is to drive down Lost Horse Creek to the junction with Granite Creek.

On the island in the Dolores River

 The road down Granite Creek Canyon is often overgrown with brush and has some light duty obstacles, but the deep canyon walls are spectacular.  The tops are a craggy rock formation that hold threatening possibilities of giant rock falls if you sneeze too hard.  You also cross the Colorado/Utah border along the way.  Sightings of wild turkeys and bears are fairly common.

The way out of the Granite Creek Canyon is a steep shelf road that once had dozens of well placed large rocks that caused folks dread of driving this road.  The BLM did their 10 to 15 year maintenance in 2017 so those rocks were dozed over the steep mountainside.  As the years go by, they will be replaced, so not all is lost.  Good challenges are hard enough to come by without the land management ruining things.

People think I’m nuts when I complain that the USFS or BLM actually maintain a Jeep trail.  I would rather the users maintain what actually needs maintenance to OUR standards than to have a perfectly good Jeep trail butchered by a man on a bulldozer who doesn’t care.  Of course “our” standards must meet their minimums, but basically, we only want a “passable” 4-wheel drive trail, not some highway.

Special Jeep trails with good obstacles are treasures that aren’t found just anywhere.  I am thinking of creating more obstacles on a trail or two that have diminished in difficulty since I reopened them years ago.  Some of us enjoy a tough trail that doesn’t stray toward the extreme but scares the pants off of others.

Even today’s river crossing raises the pulse of most until the first in line shows it can be done.  I could see the doubt in quite a few eyes before I dove in and ran that second crossing today.  BTW, I have driven that crossing with about 20” deeper water.  Today, my front bumper barely got wet.  In other crossings, the water was up on the hood and fenders.

Any way you do it, a good day of Jeeping is better than any other I can think of, so go out on your next opportunity and MAKE IT an unforgettable day.

The Granite Creek Trail

In the Lower Delores River Drainage

By Jerry Smith

April 5, 2014

The Granite Creek trail is one that has had little use by full-size vehicles for several years.  Gamble Oak and Juniper trees had grown into the trail leaving little room for full-size vehicle access.  Even the overhead is grown over in places.

The Granite Creek trail takes you through some spectacular Colorado and Utah Canyon Country.  Deep within the canyon, one has no idea when you cross from one state to the other unless you closely watch your GPS.  That requires a great deal of concentration as the scenic values of this deep canyon and the trail keep your eyes quite busy.

For years, the Grand Mesa Jeep Club (Colorado's Club of the Year - 2013) has been discussing this as an opportunity for a “club project”.  Reopening trails closed by Mother Nature has been an annual endeavor by a few club members.  Last year they reopened the Coon Hollow Jeep Trail after Mom Nature had physically closed it for years.

Shortly after the 8 AM meeting time, we struck out for adventure with a side dish of work from the Albertson’s on Broadway in Grand Junction, CO.  In no time we were weaving our way through the east entrance to the Colorado National Monument.  What a way to open your sleepy eyes on a cool Saturday morning.

Passing through Glade Park, we picked up the last member of our group – totaling 11- vehicles.  A great turnout considering we intended to begin what was billed as a two-day work project.

Roy proved to be "the workhorse" on this trip

At the Colorado/Utah border, those who desired to do so, aired down.  Most members elected not to drop air pressure for the short roughly thirty-mile drive to Granite Creek.  Some lived to regret that decision.

The road along this route is generally rated easy and recommended for stock vehicles.  Last fall, we encountered more difficulty than would be normally expected on our way to Gateway, CO.  Snow has a way of increasing the difficulty of many trails.

Melting snow and slick mud made this hill a challenge for all

This early in the spring, some snow and mud was anticipated in the higher elevations of upper Granite Creek.  That would only add to the “fun” in achieving our destination… until we learned that Jason’s Grand Cherokee was without a front driveline for the day.

One rocky hill climb proved to be too much for the 2wd vehicle and Roy came to the rescue with a tow strap.  Then we crossed upper Granite Creek and encountered a steep, rocky, muddy, and melting snow covered hillside.

Jason again hit the “automatic reject feature” button and required a tow from Roy.  It took several tries to find a line to get them up the greasy hill, but Roy made it look easy once enough traction was found.

The next one to find that same reject button was Collin in his carbureted CJ.  The incline caused the engine to cough and sputter to a halt mid-way up the hill.  Once again Roy came to the rescue.

Lost Horse canyon has some awesome scenic values as well

Not long thereafter, we turned off the main trail and entered Lost Horse canyon.  After a few miles, this canyon intersects with the main Granite Creek canyon and proceeds westerly. 

After entering Granite Creek, there were many stops for brush trimming parties.  Several trimming tools and a chainsaw were put to good use for the next few miles.  Gambel Oak and Juniper trees were trimmed back to allow for full-size vehicles to pass without fear of losing paint to the stiff branches.

Hoo Doos and arches adorn the Granite Cr. canyon rim

Last fall, on another trip to the region, several club members had walked down from the top of a steep, really rocky and narrow shelf road that drops you into Granite Cr.  They reported one rock protruding from the upper hillside that barely left room for Luke’s narrow CJ to pass by.

The rest of the trail was said to be grossly rocky, dangerously narrow in places, and quite steep.  It sounded like my kind of trail.

Upon reaching what Harley refers to as “the Homestead”, we could see the steep shelf road along the side of a steep box canyon.  This would be the end of the brush trimming for the trip.  We had done in a day what had been predicted to be a two-day project… so far!

After exploring the “Homestead”, we began ascending the lower tight switchbacks to the shelf road visible from below.  Once above the switchbacks, the road became even more narrow and very much more rocky.

Ascending the the tight switchbacks to the shelf road exit

Many of the rocks were of the size a small-tired vehicle must totally avoid.  Some caused a terrific view from the passenger side of the box canyon on the lower side of the road as the outside tires searched for something to hang on to.

To give an additional understanding of the word “steep” when describing this section of the trail, Collin’s CJ stalled again requiring Roy to back several hundred yards to provide assistance.  Roy certainly proved to be a major asset to this trip.

The narrow shelf road crawls a steep cliffside

Having attained the mesa top, we found that we had used up the majority of sunlight for the day.  No time was squandered getting back to the end of DS road at the CO/UT border where we aired up and split up into smaller groups for the drive back to town.

We offer many thanks to all participants for all their patience, cooperation, and hard work in reopening another trail.  To some, new experiences with using a tow strap and brush trimming tools were a source of learning.

The Grand Mesa Jeep Club ascending the shelf road on Granite Cr.

Reopening a trail is a joy that not many of the wheeling community have experience with.  Yes, it can be a lot of work, but it is done with the knowledge that the worker and many others will be able to enjoy these trails well into the future… barring any land managers and “Preservationists” getting in the way.

This box canyon is what you avoid while climbing the shelf road

This day was loaded with learning and working experiences for all.  It also provided for a great day of Jeeping that our memories will hang on to for a long, long time.

Hopefully, the Granite Creek trail will remain open to excite many seeking an adventure in a wonderful part of the great American BackCountry.

Note the narrowness of the road near the JK.  You get a dandy view there!

One last thought you should remember; “When you come to a fork in the road… take it!”

Happy trails.

Copyright:  Happy Trails 4wd – 2017.  All rights reserved.

Looking back down at the "Homestead"

This is a rocky trail

Steep and narrow, but oh so beautiful

Winding along the narrow shelf road