401 Snowplug

Every week, I'd ask around.  What's the status of 401?  Whenever people call to say they're coming to visit, the question on their lips is always: Is 401 rideable?  The answer always came back that people were riding it as an out and back, but that the summit of Schoefield was still snowpacked.

Finally, it was July 20th, it was time to go give it a look.   Here's what I found.

The road is drivable up until right before Emerald Lake.  The road is officially closed there and turning around is precarious, so if you're shuttling, park at the rock outcropping where it won't take a 15-pointed turn to turn your vehicle around.

The snowplug itself is about 50 feet long and at least 20 feet deep.  I would highly doubt that it's going to melt out this year before the snows start again in earnest.

Once past the snowplug, it's easy cruising to the summit, where surprisingly, the bugs weren't too bad on a sunny Wednesday late-morning.  The final climb up to the meadows is littered with snowbanks and deadfall though, so be ready to do a little bit of hiking. In all honesty, it's not bad.

Once to the top, it's classic 401.

There's one snowplug on the trail, but nothing to write home about.  The skunk cabbage is high and thick and the flowers are beautiful.  Since so few people have ridden the trail this year, the brake bumps are minimal and the sight lines are low.

There's a reason this trail is a classic.  There's really nothing quite like it.