Georgia Pass / Glacier Ridge 4WD Trails

by The Flatlander for

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Summary: Georgia Pass is a moderate (4 rated on the Colorado Assn. of 4WD Clubs scale of 1-10) but scenic old wagon road that used to be used to transport supplies from the South Park area to the miners around Breckenridge. Glacier Ridge is much more difficult (8 rated on the Colorado Assn. of 4WD Clubs scale of 1-10) that provides a rough and difficult descent back to the Middle Fork of the Swan. It follows a ridge along the Continental Divide providing splendid vistas along the way. 4-wheelers out for more moderate 4-wheeling can return back down Georgia Pass or go on over Georgia Pass on a 2WD road to Jefferson to the south.

Location: These trails are just East of Breckenridge, Colorado.

Scenery: On the way in on Tiger Road, don't miss seeing the old gold dredge boat on the left side about 2.6 miles from Highway 9. This is what's left of nine similar machines that left all the huge piles of rock along all the streams in the Breckenridge area. They dredged for gold from 1898 to 1942 and even went through the town of Breckenridge.

The heavily forested old wagon road up Georgia Pass is picturesque. Georgia Pass itself is near timber line with long views to the south and back to the north over the old wagon trail. But the best views are from a viewpoint on the Continental Divide on the Glacier Ridge trail about 1.3 miles east of the Georgia Pass summit. It's worth the trip even if you plan to go back to Georgia Pass to go down. Georgia Pass and part of the Glacier Ridge trail leaving it can be seen in the left center of the photo.

The Trail: Take Tiger Road east off Highway 9 about 3 miles north of Breckenridge or about 6 miles south of Frisco. The Breckenridge Golf Club soon comes into view on the right. About 6.4 miles from Highway 9 turn right on a road that crosses the creek. Take a left just on the other side of the creek. About 0.9 miles from where you turned off of Tiger Road there is a Y where you will need to go left. The trail splits in places and usually rejoins the main trail. Take the most heavily traveled and better Tread Lightly alternative at these points. About 3.6 miles in you will pass a seasonal Forest Service gate. Another tenth of a mile beyond that you will come to another Y where you need to take a hard left. The top of Georgia Pass is about 4.8 miles from where you turned off Tiger Road. From there you may return the way you came up, go down to the south on the 2WD road, or take the rough and difficult Glacier Ridge trail back to the Middle Fork of the Swan.

The Glacier Ridge trail turns east off the top of Georgia Pass and follows a ridge just below the Continental Divide for a few of miles with a hill on the Continental Divide 1.3 miles in affording spectacular views . The trail along the ridge includes some long side hill slope sections, which if icy or muddy could be of much greater concern. Somewhere around 3 miles from Georgia Pass the trail begins dropping down toward the Middle Fork of the Swan. It descends through a beautiful green valley with ruins of miner's cabins and crosses the stream a few times before starting the rough and difficult descent know as S.O.B. Hill a little over 4 miles from Georgia Pass. The trail rejoins the Middle Fork Swan trail about 4.4 miles from the top of Georgia Pass. This trail leads back to Tiger Road.

Flatlander's Trail Report, Monday, July 1, 1996:

Georgia Pass still had spots of snow on it as I neared the top. It had been a very nice, scenic and uneventful trip up but that would all change before the day was over. There were a few vehicles at the top that looked as if they might have come up the 2WD road on the south side of the pass. I headed east on the Glacier Ridge trail and was soon encountering more and more snow. I was enjoying the views off the Continental Divide ridge trail but getting more and more worried about the snow drifts. I had already had to winch out of one of them and I was thinking it was probably not a good idea to continue alone. But I thought that since I was going downhill things HAD to get better.

WRONG! This drift wasn't very long but it was very deep. I thought I'd made it as the truck slowly came to a stop with all 4 tires digging deep but finding nothing but more and more snow and leaving the undercarriage floating on the stuff. There were no trees in front but I thought I could winch out by strapping to the end of the fallen tree on the right of picture. I took this picture just after rigging the winch cable. It was two hours latter before I was free. It was looking like I would be there for the night. When I tried to winch the tree just pulled across the road but did wedge in against the road bank. But the winch didn't have enough power to move the truck. Time to take a break and come up with a new plan. I decided to use a snatch block and cable back to the truck to double my winch power and dig out in front of the front axle too. With all the recovery gear and tools I bring I'd left my shovel home this time. I was cursing as I broke dead sticks cleaning the snow out! I rigged the snatch block and gave it another try. The tree was moving again but not the truck. So I tried jacking up the back with my high lift. There sure was a lot of snow in front of that rear diff. I tried the winch again and the truck moved. Push the button, whir... and the truck moved- again and again. I was mesmerized with it all and forgot the gear box was in neutral. The truck broke free and took off like a shot. Good thing I had winched the tree across the road because there is no way I could have jumped back in and stopped it. The tree did without any damage to the truck. Then I had to rig the snatch block to a tree off to the side and winch the fallen tree back off the road. I was on may way two hours latter, none the worse for wear, but wiser (I hope).

The rest of the trip down was scenic and uneventful (at least until S.O.B. hill near the bottom). It included several stream crossings. The far side of this one was slick enough that I would hate to have to try it under any wetter conditions. A good mountain afternoon thundershower could make this real challenging!

S.O.B. Hill. No picture can do it justice. Photos just can't capture how rugged and steep it is. It is so rugged you can get stuck going down. To minimize body damage and avoid getting stuck you really should have a ground guide because you can't see much over your hood. I walked it, memorized it and made it down OK. The picture is a shot back up. Once down it's just a short way to the Middle Fork Swan trail which provides an easy but scenic drive back to Tiger Road.

4X4NOW Editor's note: Georgia Pass and Glacier Ridge is in The [Colorado] 4X4 Trail Book Number 2

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