{"id":2446115,"date":"2019-07-08T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=309108"},"modified":"2019-07-09T08:22:16","modified_gmt":"2019-07-09T14:22:16","slug":"avalanche-debris-keeps-upper-lincoln-creek-road-closed-to-vehicles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/avalanche-debris-keeps-upper-lincoln-creek-road-closed-to-vehicles\/","title":{"rendered":"Avalanche debris keeps upper Lincoln Creek Road closed to vehicles"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.7246596066566\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-309108-647\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | Tree limbs and a wide snow field from a massive avalanche still cover upper Lincoln Creek Road. This view looks south, about 2..5 miles south of Grizzly Reservoir.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>Tree limbs and a wide snow field from a massive avalanche still cover upper Lincoln Creek Road. This view looks south, about 2..5 miles south of Grizzly Reservoir.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919.jpg\" alt=\"Tree limbs and a wide snow field from a massive avalanche still cover upper Lincoln Creek Road. This view looks south, about 2..5 miles south of Grizzly Reservoir.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | Slides in upper Lincoln Gulch ripped up scores of mature spruce trees. The road is under that pile.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Slides in upper Lincoln Gulch ripped up scores of mature spruce trees. The road is under that pile.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-1.jpg\" alt=\"Slides in upper Lincoln Gulch ripped up scores of mature spruce trees. The road is under that pile.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | This stump demonstrates the power of the avalanches that struck upper Lincoln Creek Valley. The diameter of the sheered tree exceeded two feet.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>This stump demonstrates the power of the avalanches that struck upper Lincoln Creek Valley. The diameter of the sheered tree exceeded two feet.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-2.jpg\" alt=\"This stump demonstrates the power of the avalanches that struck upper Lincoln Creek Valley. The diameter of the sheered tree exceeded two feet.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times | Lincoln Creek runs high but has several choke points where logs fells by avalanches last winter are piling up.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Lincoln Creek runs high but has several choke points where logs fells by avalanches last winter are piling up.<\/strong><br \/>Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/upthecreek-atd-070919-3.jpg\" alt=\"Lincoln Creek runs high but has several choke points where logs fells by avalanches last winter are piling up.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/avalanche-debris-keeps-upper-lincoln-creek-road-closed-to-vehicles\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/avalanche-debris-keeps-upper-lincoln-creek-road-closed-to-vehicles\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">The ghosts might rest a little easier in Ruby this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The ghost town at the head of Lincoln Gulch is even more secluded than usual due to three avalanche debris piles that choke the road south of Grizzly Reservoir. Hundreds of mature Engelmann spruce trees were swept from the hillside and strewn by landscape-changing slides that probably occurred during the active cycle in the first week of March. A snow field approximately 100 yards wide covers the road from one of the slides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The road between Grizzly Reservoir and Ruby remains closed to motorized vehicles. Pitkin County opened the road between Highway 82 and Grizzly Reservoir on July 3. The caretaker at the reservoir <a id=\"N0x2836620N0x27e6b10:N0x2836620N0x27dbe48\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/caretakers-at-grizzly-reservoir-outside-of-aspen-had-memorable-winter-in-avalanche-country\/\">bulldozed his way<\/a> through multiple slides on the lower stretch of the road.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Pitkin County Road and Bridge probably won\u2019t be able to expend the time and resources needed to open the upper road this summer, Public Works Director Brian Pettet said. The county commissioners don\u2019t want to spend a lot of money simply to get people farther into the backcountry, he said. They are focused on opening stretches of road necessary for services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAs for upper Lincoln Creek Road, it\u2019s not a priority right now,\u201d Pettet said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A higher priority is to get <a id=\"N0x2836620N0x27e6b70:N0x2836620N0x27dc088\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/popular-pearl-pass-road-between-aspen-and-crested-butte-wont-open-this-year-because-of-massive-avalanche-debris\/\">upper Castle Creek Road<\/a> open so that hut tenders can reach the Tagert Hut, he said. Pearl Pass Road isn\u2019t expected to open this summer between Aspen and Crested Butte.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The U.S. Forest Service gate at the southern end of Grizzly Reservoir remains closed. That\u2019s roughly 6 miles from Highway 82. The gate will remain closed as long as the road is not navigable, said Shelly Grail, recreation manager for the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">When she heard from a reporter about the carnage in upper Lincoln Creek, Grail said that\u2019s par for many areas of the Aspen backcountry this summer. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported that 26 avalanches fell in the \u201cvery large to historic\u201d category in the Aspen zone last winter. The Forest Service is dealing with the aftermath of the big slides on roads and trails in the national forest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI feel like every turn I take I see something remarkable,\u201d Grail said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The gate closes upper Lincoln Creek Road to motorized vehicles but the road is open to hikers and bikers. Grail noted the road is now a viable option for backpackers because of the lack of traffic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Crossing the debris piles can be challenging, particularly while lugging a mountain bike. Each of the debris piles covers several yards of the road and the road is sometimes buried under material.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">All three debris piles have spruce trunks and limbs, suggesting the avalanche paths were carved out wider than they have historically run. The three paths that covered the road are confined along about 1.5 miles of the road, starting about 1.5 miles south of Grizzly Reservoir.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The biggest slide was triggered from the ridge running from Grizzly Peak to Garfield Peak. It roared down a scree field, widened its path by taking out scores of spruce trees, deposited several feet of snow on the road and ran to the creek several hundred yards away. Even on a July 6 visit the snow remained deep.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The ghost town, which consists of several dilapidated cabins and mine dumps, appeared untouched by slides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Clearing the road will require using heavy equipment and work with chainsaws, Pettet said. The county uses a track hoe with a claw-like mechanism called a thumb to pick up trunks and move them off the ride of the road.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Given the amount of work required, Pettet said he couldn\u2019t make any promises about the road being cleared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI don\u2019t see that being a priority this year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Grail said the Forest Service would keep the gate closed as long as the road remains covered with debris. That will require a longer hike to popular areas such as Anderson and Petroleum lakes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The lower section of Lincoln Gulch also has trees strewn in several slide paths. It will alter the appearance of the area for years to come, said Independence Pass Foundation executive director Karin Teague.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAll those new openings create opportunity for other plants and probably for animals,\u201d Teague said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Grasses and new trees will sprout where there was formerly dense cover.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAmidst the tree cemetery there is new life,\u201d Teague said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Grail urged forest visitors to be patient and realize some of their favorite destinations might be difficult or impossible to access throughout the forest. To find the latest information on roads and trails, go to the White River National Forest homepage and click on the link for the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District Conditions Report, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/Internet\/FSE_DOCUMENTS\/fse%E2%80%8Bprd554376.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/Internet\/FSE_DOCUMENTS\/fse\u200bprd554376.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The district also welcomes updated information on road and trail conditions, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:scondon@aspentimes.com\">scondon@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/avalanche-debris-keeps-upper-lincoln-creek-road-closed-to-vehicles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tree limbs and a wide snow field from a massive avalanche still cover upper Lincoln Creek Road. This view looks south, about 2..5 miles south of Grizzly Reservoir.Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times Slides in upper Lincoln Gulch ripped up scores of mature spruce trees. The road is under that pile.Scott Condon\/The Aspen Times This stump demonstrates [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2446115","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-21 01:36:08","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2446115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2446131,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446115\/revisions\/2446131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2446115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2446115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2446115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}