Chinaman Gulch
Near Buena Vista, Colorado

by Adam Mehlberg

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For a family vacation to Colorado, a family with five Jeeps, Buena Vista, Colorado is one of the great places to spend a week. After moving to Colorado in 1982, I decided to buy a 4WD, a 1979 CJ7. My father, Dale Mehlberg, had owned a 1967 Commando when I was still a kid, so technically he was the first to own a Jeep in the family. He had to get rid of it because four kids didn't quite fit in the back seat. When I married Cindy in 1990, she already had a 1977 CJ5. My brother, Brian Mehlberg, bought a 1980 CJ7 and rebuilt it with a Ford 5.8 EFI engine. His friend Sparky Hamm also got a 1983 CJ7 and began comming out to Colorado to go on our summer trips. With all this Jeeping going on my mom and dad got a 1985 CJ7 and began making trips out as well. My sister, Paula Kratzer, had a 1981 CJ7, and with some hard work by my brother to put in a Ford 5.0 EFI, it was time to have a family Jeep vacation in Colorado.

-- from the San Isabel National Forest Map --

One of the many 4WD trips we were to take on our vacation was the Chinaman 4WD road. We began from County Road 187 off of Trout Creek Pass, above Chinaman Gulch (yellow route on Map). Normally Chinaman is run from the lower entrance just outside of Buena Vista. This lower entrance is accessed by crossing the Arkansas River east of Johnson Village on Highway 285 and taking County Road 301 south for 1.5 miles. You will find a small fence gate that marks BLM property with a small yellow sign that says, "Please Close Gate". Go through this gate and follow the two track to another gate. After going through this gate turn left and follow the marked route, it will turn right and proceed up a hill. When you reach a sandy ATV trail turn left. You will end up comming to a wash, this is Chinaman Gulch (blue route on Map). All of the challenges on Chinaman reside on BLM public lands. The 4X4Teeners Four Wheel Drive Club of Salida, Colorado has been working with the BLM to maintain this extreme 4WD road. Please stay on the main route and help us keep Chinaman open.

By doing Chinaman Gulch from the top we started by taking County Road 307 off of Highway 285 below Trout Creek Pass. County Road 307 is a loop road that ties back into Highway 285 so you will have to turn off of County Road 307 on to County Road 187. About a mile from County 307 and 187's intersection is a two track Forest Development Road, #300, that heads west off of County Road 187, take this turn to the left to begin the four wheeling. FDR#300 is a mild two track that runs down Arnold Gulch toward Bald Mountain. After passing a few side roads that go to campsites you will come to an intersection, the Bald Mountain Gulch road FDR#300.A, take the right turn and stay with Arnold Gulch. As you follow FDR#300 Arnold Gulch will widen and become a large wash with a few side roads. Just before Arnold Gulch narrows up again, a right turn will take you north toward Triad Ridge. If you continue down Arnold Gulch you will run into private property and a cable across the road. Head north up the side drainage into Arnold Gulch, you will pass one side road. Next you will find a large intersection. Continuing north on a faint two track will take you to the remains of the Triad Mine, platted on August 6th, 1894 (square with diagonal half balck on map). Two cabin frames and the shaft remain as testiments to the efforts placed here in the search for gold.

Going back to the big intersection and taking a right turn, heading west, puts you on the old Chinaman 4WD road. After passing through a fence you will come to the first obstacle, an uphill with some side boulders. Shortly after this climb is the second obstacle, a down hill made up of two "s" turns. As you continue past this challenge down along the edge of Chinaman Gulch you will come to an intersection. Take the left turn because the right takes you to Trout Creek, which you can no longer cross due to private property. Right after the intersection the road will cross Chinaman Gulch, turn left and drive up the gulch, this is new Chinaman. Follow the wash east and work your way through the boulders that get bigger and bigger and become more of a challenge to negotiate.

About a mile from where you started up Chinaman Gulch you will come to the main obstacle, you can't miss it. Before you, will be a large step that has three approaches. The most difficult route is the left side. Taking a vehicle up this way requires climbing the steepest incline of the step and negotiating a large boulder on the passenger side. To be successful at this approach will also require a teeter to the passenger side that will feel like your going over before the right front tire finds the ground again. The middle approach is a straight on that is so steep you may have to shove your front bumper up the rock face before your front tires make contact. The third route is the easiest, but requires making a tight right turn in order to start up the step. Because of the experience mixed level of my family we choose the easier route.

On top of the step are more tight boulders, then the road splits into an easier go around and a very challenging, tight, tree lined gully full of rocker panel bustin boulders. After creeping through, you are pretty much done with the hardest sections, but a few more challenges, though short, follow. Chinaman Gulch then pinches down and the 4WD road leaves the wash bottom and climbs along the side of the gulch. After passing through a fence line you will connect back in to the old Chinaman 4WD road just above the intersection where the Triad Mine is. From here our family outing took the right turn (continue across the wash) and headed east (red route on map). We found an old cabin (black hollow square on map) that was probably once used by a homesteader running cattle, possibly to feed the miners in the area. After a short break to look around and give the kids time to climb up on top of a huge rock, we followed the 4WD road out to a connection with the road in Arnold Gulch.

Remember:
Pack it in, Pack it out
Take only Pictures
Stay on the Designated 4WD road
Tread Lightly!
and Have Fun

Detailed Topographical Map with GPS coordinates.

written October 31, 1998 - by Adam Mehlberg - Trailridge Runners 4WD Club

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