Poughkeepsie Gulch

Rating: 8/10

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Poughkeepsie Gulch is the hardest trail in the San Juans and among the more difficult in the state of Colorado due to one particular section. Not for a stock vehicle to attempt. A mild lift and bigger tires will help. A locker, big lift, and big tires will make it that much easier. The trail starts up from Engineer Pass road and connects up with the the Corkscrew Gulch trail near California Pass at beautiful Lake Como.

Heading out of Ouray, head south on Highway 550 towards Silverton for almost 4 miles and turn left, heading up the road to Engineer Pass. After another 2.5 miles you reach the turnoff to Poughkeepsie Gulch which is well marked on the right.

From here you can take Corkscrew Gulch back to Highway 550 and back to Ouray.

Trail Story by Michael Shimniok

Toby and I didn't actually travel along this trail; however, after arriving at Lake Como from California Gulch concluding our Alpine Loop tour in 1999, we encountered a white-knuckled, saucer-eyed chap in his Wrangler. Alone. He had just come up Poughkeepsie. In three hours of waiting, he was the only vehicle we saw from that direction. He explained that others had turned back. He didn't, and had a bent main spring to prove it. Ouch.

Another Trail Story by Michael Shimniok

At the trail's major obstacles, three paths offer a choice of impossible, pretty difficult, and difficult. The first is a loose, wet, very steep dirt climb. Ethan was bold enough to make the attempt in his 85 Grand Wagoneer but the 33" tires and 3" lift didn't help, so he tried the second approach. The flat slab of rock is misleading and rigs that lose traction slide into a vehicle-wide notch next to the rock. That's what happened and we spent some time trying to spot Ethan while video taping and taking photos. The result was we got him hung up pretty well. As the tow straps came out, I scrambled down the ledge to my truck to make an attempt at the third path.

This approach looked worse behind the wheel. Lynn and David made it up but even their fully locked, very lifted Cherokees with big knobby tires required a few tries. Likewise, Backhoe couldn't find a foothold at first, surging upward, losing traction, sliding around, but finally with just enough momentum, throttle, and tire spin, the truck grabbed hold and climbed up the rutted, uneven rocks and onto the ledge above. The secret weapon? My rear locker. The 31" tires and 2" add-a-leaf lift didn't hurt, either.

Meanwhile Ethan was able to make it up with a little assistance after some stalls and a drained battery, and we carried on to Lake Como. After a relaxing lunch we headed up some steep climbs towards California Pass. Sadly, Backhoe's bumper took a pounding, cracking and bending it at an awkward angle. In all, Poughkeepsie was not as hard as its legend would have us believe, but this trail is definitely not recommended for mild or stock trucks.

Michael and Ethan at the hard spot, photo by Amy Tobiasson