The breathtaking road to Quail Mountain in Colorado
Quail Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 4.006m (13,143ft) above the sea level, located in Chaffee County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. This is truly a breathtaking trail. It’sone of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.
Set high in the Sawatch Range, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called Forest Service Road 398 (Lost Canyon Road). It’s impassable in winters. 4x4 vehicles with high clearance required. This road has humbled many egos. It’s not for the sissies and shouldn’t be attempted by novice drivers. The first half of the trail is fairly easy and possible in almost any vehicle. The second half of the trail climbs above timberline and is rocky and rough.
The road is brutally steep, hitting a 20% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at FR398 A road, the ascent is 3.8 km (2.36 miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 393 meters. The average percentage is 10.34%. The summit is crowned with two old cabins from the mining era. There are a few overlooks at the top that offer some spectacular views of the area. Lost Canyon is below you to the northeast, Clear Creek Reservoir is fully visible below you to the east, and you can see mountains all around.
Pic&video: 4D Enduro trails