RM (Rocky
Mountain) Off Road Series (ORS) #9: Swan River/SOB
Hill
A series by: RocketMan,
n0wae,
Grand
High Pobah, zoltig,
taylorsgeotracker,
Joe
Friday, Red
Ruby, Mountain
Roamer, DaToad
and
Team
Teman
This is the second bonus cache and is the
last of nine caches (7 plus two bonus caches) in the #9 series of
Rocky Mountain off-road caches located along the Swan River Loop
and SOB Hill. The Swan River Loop starts out from Tiger Road
just outside of Breckenridge and is approximately 14 miles
long. SOB Hill is another 6 miles plus the return trip
distance that will vary depending on which way you go (see full
trail description below).
Cache
Information
After going up the difficult SOB
Hill, you will climb out of the forest above the tree line and be
treated to expansive views everywhere you look. This cache is
placed along the section of road where you can enjoy these
views. You will reach Georgia Pass a couple of miles past
this point.
RM Off Road Series #9
Complete Cache Listing (Doing the Loop
Clockwise)
1.
Grand Meadow
2.
Amelia's Cache
3.
Home Sweet Home
4.
Red Cone View
5.
Mountain Village
6.
Over The River
7.
Here's the Beaver
8.
Got Winch?
9.
Colorado
Panorama
Trail Information
Rating/Description
The Swan River Loop consists of the North Fork Swan River trail
and the Middle Fork Swan River Trail. The Swan River Loop is
rated moderate. It is rated a 3 (easiest routes) to 4 (most
difficult routes) out of 10 on the traildamage
website. When the trail is dry, it can be done in most high
clearance stock SUV's with low range 4WD. If the trail is wet
or has snow, the difficulty rating can go up
significantly.
Six of the caches
in this series are located along the Swan River Loop.
Disclaimer: You need to decide for yourself if it is safe to make
the trip in your vehicle.
The two bonus caches are located along
the SOB Hill trail which connects the Middle Fork Swan River trail
to the top of Georgia Pass.
This trail is rated difficult and make no mistake about it, it is
difficult. It
is rated a 6 (easiest routes) to 8 (most difficult routes) out of
10 on the traildamage
website.
You will
definitely need a capable off road vehicle with a minimum of a
lift, large tires and skid plates. To get over some of the
obstacles, you may need lockers or a winch assist.
Disclaimer: You need to decide for yourself if it is safe to make
the trip in your vehicle.
This area is one of the more beautiful
areas in the Front Range region. You will be traveling in
areas that are over 12,000 feet in elevation with great views of
the surrounding area. Mountain Goats are often seen at the
higher elevations on this trail, so keep your eyes peeled for
them.
The trailhead for the Swan River loop can
be accessed from Tiger Road out of Breckenridge. To do the
Swan River Loop in the clockwise direction, take Tiger Road to the
North Fork Swan River trailhead at N39 30.792 W105 56.815.
When you reach the top of the hill climb at N39 30.792 W105 54.166
you will be at Wise Mountain. Take a right at this
intersection to check out the Wise Mountain cabin. From the
cabin, return to the intersection and go straight to continue the
loop. You will climb up a steep hill with the far left route
being the easiest. At the top of the hill, you will come to
one of the caches that is part of
RM Off Road Series #4. At N39 31.376 W105 52.925, stay
straight. If you go left, it will take you up Glacier
Mountain and eventually down into Saints John Creek area.
When you get to N39 31.251 W105 52.142, take a right to continue
the loop. At N39 30.806 W105 51.748, take a right to head
down the Middle Fork Swan River. When you come to N39 30.154
W105 54.076, a left will take you up SOB Hill. If you stay
straight, you can complete the Swan River Loop, returning to Tiger
Road at N39 30.383 W105 56.789. Taking a right here will take
back on Tiger Road the way you started.
If you do take the side trip up SOB Hill
to do the bonus caches, you will end up at the top of Georgia Pass
at N39 27.478 W105 55.013. From there, you can either head
South on the easy dirt road back to US 285, or you can head north
down a moderate trail that will end up back on Tiger Road where you
started.
Note: All coordinates in the above description
are included on the waypoint list below.
Winter
Months
This route is closed in the winter months and often will not be
accessible until mid to late July. There is a section of the
Middle Swan River trail that often is impassable until late in the
summer season due to snow. You should call the Dillon Ranger
District to ask about trail conditions.
Time/Distance
The Swan River Loop is approximately 14 miles and should take
about 2 to 2.5 hours driving time. You will also need to
include time for finding the caches, exploring, sight seeing,
lunch, etc. If you add in the SOB Hill route, it will be
about another 6 to 10 miles and will add another 2 to 2.5 hours
driving time.
Trail
Waypoints
See the waypoint list on the first cache
here. (Running the Swan River Loop in a clockwise
direction)