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Colorado Hiking 
Using back-country "access" roads              

Most hikes in Colorado involve at least a little driving on roads that are unpaved. Many of these are in good shape, some are a little rough and some are very rough and not passable by all types of common use vehicles.

One thing to keep in mind is that back-country roads are more subject to change from their descriptions than are "city roads". Dirt roads generally get worse over time and can occasionally get washed out, or avalanched onto. On the other hand, some of the government agencies owning the land do maintenance work and occasionally bad roads get improved.

Here's a brief rundown to get you acquainted with some of the factors involved so you can use these roads with a minimum of trouble. 

Your vehicle

First of all, don't take a mechanically unreliable vehicle into the back-country. If it breaks down, you'll have to cell phone, hitch a ride, or hike out to get somebody to come tow you - and it will be expensive. 

If it's mechanically reliable, be aware of your vehicle's limitations and make it good to go in terms of:

• Fuel - make sure you have plenty, gas stations are often few and far between in hiking areas.

• Coolant - you'll be doing some driving at relatively slow speeds on access roads, which tends to make an engine run hotter.

• Tires - worn tires can fail when hitting the kind of bumps and rocks encountered on typical hike access roads. If you do have to change a tire, you don't want the spare to be one of those ridiculous mini tires they put in passenger cars nowadays - traction and clearance may not be good enough to get you out.

• Clearance - how high off the ground is the lowest part of your vehicle? This is important in a couple ways: getting gas tank, muffler etc. raked by rocks lying or embedded on the road; getting hung up or "high centered" when going over deep ruts or pot holes.

• 2WD or 4WD? If it's 2WD, is it front wheel drive with the engine over the front axel which gives good traction?

• Take a shovel along just in case you have to dig out.

Occasionally people take vehicles into the back country, get them stuck, and just leave them. They can lose a lot more than just the vehicle. Whatever government agency or person owns the property may have the vehicle removed and then use the plates or VIN to find the owner, and charge them for the removal. If the vehicle is in a prohibited area, that means fines. If the vehicle can't be towed out, it might be lifted out with a big cargo helicopter, and then the owner charged thousands of dollars for the expense.

Driving practices

Here's a little something to keep in mind. Out in remote areas, the drivers and other people you encounter will usually be the only sources of help you will have if you get into any kind of trouble. In other words, be courteous and be willing to cooperate with and help others. 

Many back-country hike access roads are single or double lane dirt roads that originated from mining or logging operations many decades ago.  Some of these get maintained, some don't. Before you leave the house, get maps and directions together and work out your driving route.  These roads often won't have any signs, or the signs might have gotten knocked down or covered by tree growth. You need to be aware of mileage, direction of travel, landmarks, stream crossings etc. Note your odometer readings as you pass points of known location. In other words, you need a note pad and pencil.

• Driving back-country roads at night just increases the odds of having a problem. Try to schedule things so that you go in and out during daylight hours.

• Watch out for weather. Dirt roads that are easy to use when dry might be a real problem when wet or snowy, especially any steep stretches. Remember, you might drive in easily, and then have a rainstorm louse up the road conditions until it dries a bit. Bringing chains along "just in case" is a good idea. 

• Rocks lying on, or jutting up from, the road can rake the underside of vehicle. If you rip open your gas tank you'll be screwed unless you can drive out to a gas station faster then it's leaking - which you probably can't.

• On corners and road turns stay to the right and slow down - drive as though an oncoming vehicle is probably approaching on the blind.

• Look for dust ahead of you, indicating possible oncoming traffic. Mountain roads are very windy. Sometimes you can see part of the road far ahead, even when you can’t see around the next corner. 

• Consider driving with your headlights on. In dusty conditions this may make the difference between being seen or not. During normal conditions it makes you more visible from a distance.
  However - check out if your vehicle shuts off the headlights when the ignition is turned off. If you forget to turn them off when parking,  you don't want to come off a hike only to find your battery dead.

• Turnouts or wide spots often occur at varying intervals along the side of a road. When two vehicles headed oppositely meet, one uses the nearest wide spot and lets the other go by. Make a mental note of the last wide spot as you drive along.

• If you encounter an oncoming vehicle and you just passed a wide spot that you can easily back up into, do so and let the other guy go by.

• If no wide spots are nearby for either vehicle, the downhill traffic normally has right-of-way on narrow roads. 

• If you encounter a large vehicle or one that's towing something and you're in a smaller more maneuverable one, accommodate the other guy by moving enough to let him get by.

• Recreation traffic is usually heaviest on weekends and holidays.

• Construction or maintenance work in remote areas usually involves heavy trucks that can't stop and maneuver as easily as regular vehicles.

• If you use a 4WD, consider using only 2WD until you have a problem, then go to 4WD only to get you out of it. In other words, use the 4WD as a backup.

• Don't leaved a parked vehicle in front of a gate.

• Pebbles kicked up by other vehicles can crack your windshield or cause dents. Don't follow other vehicles too closely, and learn to look for mud flaps on the vehicle ahead of you - if it doesn't have them, give it some extra distance.

• Avoid the edges of roads - sometimes they are soft and unstable. This is especially true in the spring or after rains.

• Slow down and avoid roadside branches that will scratch paint or hit your exterior mirrors.

• Use lower gears going downhill (includes automatic transmissions) to save your brakes and cool your engine. 

• If you get stuck on a dirt high, rock or log, and the thing can be moved, jack up the vehicle and move it or dig it out.
  If the obstacle can’t be moved, jack up the vehicle and fill in under the tires so that you can drive over it. This is why you should carry a shovel. Fill the space under the tires with dirt, rocks, logs, brush, packed snow etc. Use a piece of wood as a base if the jack sinks into the ground. Never crawl under a vehicle that is supported by a jack.

• Existing tire tracks don't necessarily mean it’s OK to keep going further up a bad road.  You don't know what he was driving or whether he had a winch, for instance. For all you know, the vehicle is still up ahead - stuck.

• Be prepared to get through a night in case you unexpectedly have to. A sleeping bag can make all the difference between a cold mountain night of inconvenience, and one of misery.

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