This thread will stay up here with links to threads on the local Colorado 4x4 message board with information that may impact GOX.

Schofield may be impassable.
Schofield Rock Slide and 15 foot drifts on Pearl Pass

This will impact our trip somewhat if it is indeed impassable. If it is, we will skip Schofield, Devil's Punchbowl and Lead King Basin and head to Ouray a day early. To make up for it we would probably head to Avalanche Ranch (which we still may do).
The rocks don't look too bad, but rolling off a shelf road is never fun. It's actually the second smaller rock further down that seems to be the showstopper due to clearance, but the owner of the full-size says there is room to the uphill side.
If we can get down it, we may avoid coming back up it (almost a pointless return trip anyway) and take a more scenic route over Ohio and Kebler Passes back toward Ouray.

Well, an RMXC member took a stock Xterra over it during the weekend, so I don't see any problems unless more rocks come down.

Pearl Pass is most definiately impassable, so we will run my orginal plan of up it as far as we can on the Aspen side, then back down to camp, which will still be a full day of wheeling.

That will also allow us to run Italian Creek uphill, which I have never done (only downhill). Should be entertaining.

Didn't see that you had any plans for the short side trip up to the scenic Montezuma Basin, but this parking area at the top would make for a cool picture with a bunch of rigs, should time allow. Plus, Castle and Conundrum Peaks make for a pretty cool backdrop looking back the other way, and along the road.

I just went through all of your shots on mycolorado.org of the area last night and spotted that one. I wasn't sure how much room there was up there.

We will be doing the Aspen side as far up as we can go with room to turn, I'm guessing into the boulder field.

Is there just more snowpack this year than normal? Sure wouldn't know it from the Colorado River flow....It's apparently at about 50% of normal into Arizona this year.

Didn't you hear? We're shutting the river down at the border.

Project Big Straw as the Gov says nowadays.

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Time for Arizonians to buck up and realize that they've been in a drought for the last 9 years!

No offense...

But, some snowpacks tend to stay around for a bit. Hell, we had a snowstorm in the foothills just about 3-4 weeks ago. So, Colorado just keeps throwing curves.

East of the Divide it's a drought, the West got a lot more snow... 130% of normal I believe in the San Juans.

What month did you run Pearl ?

There's quite a bit of room. I would say even if you had 20+ rigs that you'd be fine. There's even a second parking area from where that picture was taken. Shouldn't be too many other folks already up there. Probably a few trucks from those bagging Castle, as this is the TH, but this spur doesn't seem to have too much traffic. It's definitely a cool spot.

We ran it in early august, 2001 and the trail was totally clear.

Wow, those Big Straw articles are something else!

I agree. Arizona and especially Nevada wastes the precious water we have. Lake Mead is down 60 feet and is about 2/3 the size it was 4 years ago. Go down the strip in Vegas and look at the ridiculous water usage. Our drought down here is getting worse every year, as evidenced by the fires, etc., yet they keep building golf courses for the yuppies and retirees that are coming here in droves.

Ok, back on the topic of GOX.....

Not trying to hijack a thread, but Nevada is hardly sucking the river dry.

Nevada's Colorado river allotment of 300,000 acre feet hasn't changed in 70 years. We here aren't taking any more out, there is just less to draw from.

Arizona's allotment is over 1 million acre feet and California's is 3 times that of Arizona.

Nevada does need to do something to slow the greedy developers however.

It's very simple... if the vegetation doesn't grow naturally then it shouldn't be allowed in the area. That's how one would successfully reduce the amount of water consumption.

Community parks and recreation areas would be okay but resisdential zones should be mandated to follow xerascaping guidelines. It's ironinc here in Colorado, we have watering restrictions but the HOAs write warning letters when your lawn turns brown. WTF?! It's either one or the other, water or water restrictions. We can't have both.

I just watched an article on the news about water in Las Vegas, and it's not the Strip and hotels causing a shortage (they recycle like 98% or something), but people moving to the area from other parts of the country who want grass yards.

You'd be amazed to know how big a business sod farming is here. It's the livelihood of several of my friends, but boy, does it ever use up water. And you figure all that sod sold gets watered.

Oh well, I'm a hypocrite. I have grass in my yard....but I have a small yard with other landscaping too.

Legislation prohibiting grass as residential landscaping has passed and is in effect in the Vegas valley. Any new construction can not have turf. Local nurseries can not even sell sod.

We are also on mandatory watering schedules, which limit outside watering as well as prohibiting vehicle washing unless it is done at a commercial car wash.

Water features on the strip and golf courses do use reclaimed waste water which doesn't get treated like our drinking water. However, they do get preferential treatment.

So, no swimming in the water exhibits?

Damn!