This is a relatively easy trail, but there are a few climbs and a few small rocky areas that make 4-wheel drive necessary if you are in a stock vehicle. I only put my vehicle in low-range for the gearing but didn't need 4-wheel drive on the main road.
I did take a spur that increased the rating to a 3.5 due to a steep, loose climb.
Location
Near Silverton, CO
Trailhead
The trail starts right in Silverton, CO. If you follow Greene St (the main street) through Silverton and if you stay on the main paved road it will take you up toward California Pass and Hurricane Pass. Follow the signs to the Ski Area. Coordinates are 37.818210, -107.658357.
The trail ends at Animas Fork. Follow the directions to Animas Fork, once there if you stay to the left (west) you will end up on the road that takes you to Hurricane Pass and California Pass. Coordinates of this turn-off are 37.931924, -107.571134.
Description
Traildamage.com has this road listed as two separate roads, Hurricane Pass and California Gulch. Technically, these trails start once you are higher up the mountain. You follow Cement Creek for quite a way then you cross Hurricane Pass and then can cross California Pass to get to Animas Fork. This is an easy road without any significant challenge. There may be a few areas that 4-wheel drive is needed and low-range is nice due to some steep climbs, but a stock SUV should have no difficulties.
Near the top by Hurricane Pass we took a small spur that had a fun, loose climb that I would rate a little harder than a 3 but not quite a 4. I spun a few tires in my Cherokee (no lockers), but I wasn't worried about getting stuck. This spur ended with a great view over the road that you will be on after you cross Hurricane Pass.
The actual road for Hurricane Pass is short and connects Corckskrew Gulch (which I haven't done yet but it is on my list) with Poughkepsie Gulch and California Pass. The elevation of this pass is 12,730 ft.
Once you cross over Hurricane Pass you will be at the intersection of California Gulch and Poughkepsie Gulch. Taking California Gulch will take you over the pass and into Animas Fork. Taking Poughkepsie (a moderately difficult trail, one of the hardest in the San Juan Mountains) will come out near Ouray, CO.
This is where California Gulch starts and will take you over the pass and then down into Animas Fork. The road is similar in difficulty to Hurricane Pass but is a little less steep if memory serves me well.
California Pass connects Poughkepsie Gulch and Hurricane Pass to Animas Fork and the Alpine Loop (Cinammon Pass and Engineer Pass). The elevation of the pass is 12,960 ft.
Once you come out at Animas Fork you can either go to Cinammon Pass, Engineer Pass, or head downhill to Silverton.
Here is the KML track.
This is the site where the EPA caused a huge mining spill contaminating millions and millions of gallons of water. We went on this a week after the spill and the river downstream wasn't too contaminated but there was a lot of standing water that was opaque and yellow from the flooding when the spill ran downstream.
This is the spur I took, sorry I don't have any pictures of the loose climb.
This picture is the view from the top of the spur.
From the top of the spur you can look down on the road that you will drive on after you cross Hurricane Pass. Hurricane Pass is just left off the picture.
We always pick a great lunch spot with a fantastic view!
This is the hardest section of the road.
This is Lake Como, a beautiful little lake. I believe the road below is Poughkepsie Gulch.
Molly was really excited to see the sheep.
This is the spot where I fell in love with the San Juan Mountains when I was a kid. These rolling, green, alpine tundra areas stuck with me that when it was time to find a job I found one out here!
These are just above Animas Fork.
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