The Ophir Pass road, winding up the valley along Mineral Creek, is clearly visible from this vantage point, as is the legendary OPUS hut. I think I'd have rather seen this shot more to the right eliminating the plank dock from the scene. Ophir Pass is located at 11,114 feet near Telluride, Colorado, and is officially known as Forest Service Road #630. Heads up that the drive to the trailhead is NOT for the faint of heart, and probably best with high clearance vehicles. Shafer Trail to Musselman Arch- Canyonlands N.P. 11,114’), officially known as Forest Service Road #630, is one of the easiest of the high alpine trails in the San Juan mountains, but still can provide trouble to the inexperienced or when bad weather is present, particularly on the western/Ophir downhill side. Dogs are also able to use this trail. We went on to the top of the peak directly behind the lake and it was a lot of scree and scramble. We mostly just enjoyed a relaxing evening and afternoon around the hut though, which was very nice! Crystal Lake, 12,055' Upon completing the climb, consider visiting Crystal Lake on the south side of Ophir Pass. The trail continues through the well-preserved ghost towns of the Saratoga and Brooklyn mining camps, of which relics from the past are nestled in pockets of ferns and fall asters. White or transparent. The road traverses over 11,814 foot Ophir Pass, offering alpine views of the upper Ophir Valley and neighboring peaks. Length 0.6 miElevation gain 288 ftRoute type Out & back The first 0.2 miles of this is straight up a bunch of talus/loose medium sized rocks - trail can be hard to find but there is one to follow, and I wasn't worried about slipping even with very strong winds (definitely need good shoes though, and I wouldn't try it if it was wet). Reliable, treaded shoes and strong physical fitness is required. Walk to the pass and admire everyone's favorite sign. But if you come up from the west, across the pass, you would need a high clearance 4x4. So, the short 1.2 mile roundtrip hike to Crystal Lake from the summit of Ophir Pass was the perfect option! Dead Horse Point State Park. The hut itself is located 1/2 mile east of OPhir Pass, just off San Juan County Road 8. ... great for an afternoon dip or fishing at Crystal lake, Clear lake or Island lake. Water was turquoise/blue and was definitely worth the views! There were no people near the trailhead and we only met a cou Worth it for the time it takes to get to the lake. Alta Ghost Town & Lakes. Les chiens sont les bienvenus sur ce sentier. If it were not for the scrambling and the elevation, the hike up to the saddle would be rated as easy. I did rate it solely based on the hike to the lake. The lake is fantastic, nearly as blue as Island Lake, & the views all around plus on the drive in are great. A group of local sledders parked at the rock spires above Crystal Lake Basin above Ophir Pass in December 2014. Wow, one of great views around. Heading out of Silverton, take Forest Road 679 for 4 miles to Ophir Pass. Ophir Pass is close to Crystal Lake. From the Lookout trailhead it adds one mile and 400 feet of elevation gain. A high clea Mt. The Ophir Pass road, winding up the valley along Mineral Creek, is clearly visible from this vantage point, as is the legendary OPUS hut. I would recommend not going on particularly windy or wet days, since any precarious weather will be accentuated along this hike. Ophir Pass is a saddle in Coloradoand has an elevation of 11,831 feet. Its color is clear, deep blue, and early in the season there are still some small icebergs floating along the edges. 4-5 yoga/meditations. I’m sure the lake is lovely though! The trail to the lake is very short steep ascent. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from June until October. Drive to the top of the pass and when you see the Ophir Pass sign, park and look for subtle paths in the scree/rock...start scrambling. Ophir Pass to Crystal Lake is a 0.6 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Ophir, Colorado that offers scenic views and is rated as moderate. It was just us and the host, so we had the place to ourselves. Ophir Pass Road is a 9.8 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Ophir, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. If it were not for the scrambling and the elevation, the hike up to the saddle would be rated as easy. Will Marshal February 6, 2018. A regular car can easily make it to the trailhead, but don’t be tempted to continue on to Ophir. Lot of snow once you pass the steep ascent into the bowl. The road is unpaved and narrow and a little hairy in places, but then I don't have a great head for heights. We parked the car a mile from the pass (there is a small track that forks to the left and room for a couple of cars to park there) and hiked to the top. Extremely good teal-blue lake with a short hike, though I would call it more of a rock scramble than a hike. Now I have to admit we did not make it to Crystal Lake. But located right at treeline, the hiking is world-class from there into the mighty San Juans surrounding Ophir Pass with destinations like Crystal Lake … A high mountain pass with an altitude of 3,593 m (11,789ft) above the sea level can be reached by the Forest Road #630 also called Ophir Pass Road. If you decide to venture around the lake there is some scramble & scree to the left on occasion. Ophir Pass is nestled in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Pass the sparkling Crystal Lake and then exit onto a little-known 4×4 trail that winds through a trellis of thick Aspen foliage, ferns and other Rocky Mountain flora. I would recommend this hike based on the views leading up to the pass and cannot comment on Crystal Lake itself. The road should be no problem for any SUV. Description Coming from the east, off of Route 550, you would not need a high clearance 4x4 vehicle to access the trailhead. Complete scramble to the top. Travel Advisory: Ophir Pass. It is generally an easy 4-wheel drive road, but is rated as moderate difficulty due to a narrow one-half mile section (on the Ophir side of the Pass) where it is difficult for two vehicles to pass each other. Ophir Pass (11,789′) Crystal Lake. Beautiful views. Ophir Pass to Crystal Lake est un sentier aller-retour de 0.6 miles peu fréquenté situé près de Ophir, Colorado. The weather had changed from bleak and dreary to nearly perfect, and we were looking forward to a mellow and scenic drive. Telluride. No membership needed. We had completed Bullion King Lake and Red Mountain Pass, and Ophir Pass was only a short jaunt down Highway 550. You can’t see the trail, you actually climb a very loose Rocky Mountain, but once you clear the top you will be amazed by the view on the lake. k32117097 Fotosearch Stock Photography and Stock Footage helps you find the perfect photo or footage, fast! Lake at the top is spectacular! Crystal Lake - Ophir Pass, Co. The wild flowers were amazing and we heard and saw pica. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until November. The trail is fairly easy to pick out at the pass, on the south side of the road, but it can be hard to find when you are ready to head back down. The employees at Crystal Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram look forward to your visit. A regular car can easily make it to the trailhead, but don’t be tempted to continue on to Ophir. From the Traffic light in Ridgway, drive 28 miles south on Highway 550 over Red Mountain Pass to the Ophir Pass road turnoff. #2 - Lupine on Sneffels Highline Trail Yogi magee swag. We look forward to your visit! The way up was mostly fine, and the lake was the perfect reward. Sign in Sign up for FREE Prices and download plans This is a scramble up the talus slopes that are found up on Ophir Pass. The animals traveling through this area definitely know how to deal with scree slopes and have established several tracks at an efficient and comfortable angle going up to the saddle. Ophir Pass Road Road on Crystal Lake , Middle Fork Mineral Creek , Mineral Creek , and Howard Fork in Uncompahgre National Forest , San Juan National Forest Get Here crystal lake. And Receive a Chance to Win a $25 Gift Card ; Jan 26 Tier 1 Mitigations and Crystal Lake Park District Operations ; Jan 19 Tier 2 Announcement Means that We Can Welcome You Back to Programs! Drive 4 miles on the road to the summit of Ophir Pass. Crystal Lake is a .5 mile scramble from the top of the pass and highly recommended for the views and prevalent wildflowers. Not much of a trail, more a goat trail. Crystal Lake at Ophir Pass is a 0.9 mile round trip lasso loop hike with 320 feet accumulated elevation gain. We had 4wd (but not high clearance) and had to turn around long before we reached the trail. This is not a hike, this is a scree scramble. The views along this track are extraordinary - we were fortunate to have sunshine and clear skies. Potash Road/Long Canyon Road- Canyonlands N.P. ... We decided to return back to the top of Ophir Pass to hike up to Crystal Lake, which I’ll have another post about. July and the lake still semi frozen. The hike is on loose talus the whole way. The scramble up scree from the pass was beyond our capabilities - I would certainly not view this as a moderate hike... quite challenging due to the terrain and steepness, albeit quite short. Hike based on the loose rocks and falling, especially since the picked... Fotosearch Stock Photography and Stock Footage helps you find the perfect reward and narrow a! 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