| Difficulty: | Number: | Miles: | Altitude: | Obstacles: | Time: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy 1 | FR152, FR897 | 7.23 | 9,600 ft. | NA | 1-2 hours |
Sulphur Ranger District
Granby, Colorado 80446
Closure:
July - Best
August - Best
September - Best
October - Early snows possible
Accessed:
Upper Cherokee, FT92 - Hike, Horseback, Mountain Bike
Chickadee, FT89 - Hike, Horseback, Mountain Bike
Blue Sky, FT86 - Hike, Horseback, Mountain Bike
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Road with covered water diversion on the left photo by: Adam M |
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After climbing into the forest the road will narrow up as the water diversion system goes underground here. On your right the Lower Cherokee trail heads into the forest. On the left the Upper Cherokee trail heads into the trees. From here the road heads into a more open area and runs along the side of a ridge. At a haripin turn you will cross a small saddle and head down into the Little Vasquez Creek drainage. The road will pass into some pine forest and aspen groves. The road will get a bit steeper and drop down through two short switchbacks. At the second one is a spur road to the left, FR152.3, that runs parallel with the main road. Stay to the right heading down hill. As you drop down and come to Little Vasquez Creek you will cross an intersection. The road on the left is the other end of FR152.3. To the right is FR156 which heads down the Little Vasquez Creek valley. A bit further down you will pass FR156 on the left, which heads up the valley. After crossing Little Vasquez Creek you will head up the other side of the valley and pass a water diversion building on the right where the diversion system runs a pipe down and across the valley to the other side and into a tunnel that connects to the point earlier along the road where the diversion system went underground. Just a bit past this building, on the left, is another with a tunnel down to the Little Vasquez Creek. The covered diversion system will once again be along the side of the road.
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Road with water diversion system on the left photo by: Adam M |
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After making a curve to the left you will pass a campsite on the right and then pass the Chickadee Trail also on the right. Shortly you will come to a large open area with a campsite on the right and an intersection ahead. The road to the right FR897, heads down to Vasquez Creek passing the Blue Sky Trail and a campsite. Further you will come to another intersection. The road on the right passes a campsite, crosses Vasquez Creek and ends at FR148. Back at the second intersection the left will head back up hill, passes a campsite and connects back into FR152.
Back at the first intersection the road to the left is the main FR152 route. It will run through the forest passing the reconnection of FR897. The road will head south above and along Vasquez Creek through the forest for a long distance. You will come to a wide area along the right side of the road, and then you will come to the water diversion system that sends Vasquez Creek into the system and then cross the creek, pass a campsite on the right, and end at FR148.