Beta / Maps of Corona Pass Area?

[Cruiser]

Some friends just booked rentals with Grand Adventures in Winter Park for this Thursday. They're getting 2 sleds for a 4 hour unguided rental. I'm planning to ride with them, but I don't know that area at all since the bulk of my riding is done at Jones Pass. Can anyone direct me to some good resources about the best place to park the truck/trailer as well as info about the trail system that we'll be riding on? I hunted around the web for quite a while but I can't seem to find any good maps of the trail system. I'm sure they'll get maps when they show up for the rental, but I'd like to do a bit of homework before hand so that we can make the most of the 4 hour rental. Any info on current conditions or good places to play is appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[SledsWest]

what kind of riding are you planning to do? Trail or backcountry? Corona has both....and it depends on what you want so we can point you in the right direction.

 

[Cruiser]

Trail riding primarily. I'll be the only one in the group with avy gear / knowledge so that will limit us to trail riding and some meadow skipping. This trip is all about taking a couple of friends from the flatlands up to the highcountry for some mellow playtime.

Sorry, I should probably have mentioned that in the OP.

 

[SledsWest]

Trail riding primarily. I'll be the only one in the group with avy gear / knowledge so that will limit us to trail riding and some meadow skipping. This trip is all about taking a couple of friends from the flatlands up to the highcountry for some mellow playtime.

Sorry, I should probably have mentioned that in the OP.

The trails up there are groomed by Grand Adventures Guided tours. They pretty much just follow the Corona Pass/Rollins Pass road. If you just go up to the Lakota parking lot and stage there, you can ride the roads from there. I'd be careful about the meadow skipping because the meadows are all at the base of some hills that have the potential to slide.

Heres a map with the green point at the parking area:

39.908866,-105.764394 (or copy and paste these coordinates into google maps and then do a 'direction to' search from where ever you are coming in from)

 

[SledsWest]

This is the groomed trail you can ride. Park at letter A and ride to letter B

 

[silvester]

I'm sure grand adventures will give your friends with rentals maps. IMO Corona is not the best place for four hours of trail riding. Probably get up and down the divide and play in a few groomed meadows and be happy with a two hour trail ride. Not trying to be rude, I'm just not sure what I would do for four hours on a trail, and it's kind of and out and back at corona pass. Trails are marked well up there and they follow the roads that you can see on google maps. Off trail is a different story and the terrain there is pretty serious, avy gear does no good by yourself. Just saying, but there is allot there to ride off trail below the old railroad trellis if you are with some mountain riders.

 

[Cruiser]

Thanks for the info guys. That helps a lot, especially the maps. Not trying to get into much agressive terrain on this trip though. I have logged a lot of days in the backcountry, but my friends haven't. So we'll be keeping things safe and mellow for this trip. In reality, this little ride is all for one of the guys who is a gear head. He loves anything with a motor so riding a sled is his idea of a great way to spend some time on snow. I honestly think he could entertain himself for the full four hours by riding the same mile or two of trails.

Gonna be chilly up there tomorrow too. It should give them a nice little taste of Colorado in the winter time.

 

[silvester]

Should be fun then, there will be even be some fresh stuff for you. Keep those 550 trail RMK's out of the deep stuff!

 

[Tec]

Your not limited to Corona pass either from Grand adventures, you can ride 128/Denver water board road all the way to meadow creek reservoir behind devils thumb ranch, There are a bunch of meadows to play in on the way as well as fun single track riding.

 

[Cruiser]

silverstar: Got that right! These guys get winded just walking up the stairs at 6000ft where I live. Digging sleds out of the mire at 10k would more than likely cause some chest pains...

tec: Thanks for that! Is that 128 road groomed? That might be a good way to get some more sightseeing in than just the trip up to the pass and back.

 

[Tec]

silverstar: Got that right! These guys get winded just walking up the stairs at 6000ft where I live. Digging sleds out of the mire at 10k would more than likely cause some chest pains...

tec: Thanks for that! Is that 128 road groomed? That might be a good way to get some more sightseeing in than just the trip up to the pass and back.

yes it is

 

[Cruiser]

Perfect. Thanks again. Should be a nice afternoon of riding.

 

[WC]

where on that map do the rental sleds start from?

 

[backcountryislife]

You'll have a good day up there bro, you know what those 550's can get in & out of, they're just a ways capable than your machine (sure lighter to dig though!!!)

between going up top, the meadows you can skip from down low, and the 128 road that tec mentioned, you'll kill 4 hrs Very easily.

btw, there's some decent access riding up there, look around when you're there, it's worth coming back to.

Enjoy!

the rental sled come from just off the map & spur near the A point. There's signs all over so you can find your way back to GA to get the sleds back


OH... they will not allow you to ride your sled from where they're renting from, it's a weird deal. You'll have to drop your buddies, then head to the parking area & meet them at the intersection. Maybe see if you can talk to chip & pull a favor, but I dont think they usually allow it.

 

[Cruiser]

A fine time was had by all. The folks at the rental counter gave me good directions to a little pullout off 40 between the office and Lakota that had a nice spur trail put in to get to the main trail system. We did manage to find some fun little play areas on the way up to Corona Bowl. Started snowing had by the time we came back down around 3:30. The one minor issue was when my buddy's wife somehow managed to run her sled off the trail and into a tree. Knocked her helmet off, tore off the windshield, broke the throttle assembly on the handlebar. She survived though, and now she has a good story to tell the folks back in New Orleans.

Hah, K I'm off that old RX1 ton and into a nice light Polaris 800. Lexan hood, SLP intake/exhaust, ported track, etc... It's a whole different animal. Now if I can just find some time to actually go riding.