As Mark O stated in his report, FS 9712 is closed with a locked gate due to a washout. The closure is right after you turn off onto the road from FS 9716.
I parked there and decided to make my hike a road walk up to where the actual trailhead starts. That is a little over 10 miles round trip but very pretty. You get a good view of the Stuart Range along the initial climb and then pass by a couple cool meadows.
This trail can still be done if you're up for a 19 mile hike or trail run. There are also several dispersed campsites along the way, and the Ken Wilcox Horse Camp (since the road is closed, it's probably no biggie if you camp there overnight right now), so one could hike to the trailhead, camp, then do the hike the next day.
Since I didn't hike the actual trail, this report is for the road hike.
Comments
How would that road be for a bicycle? Incline?
Posted by:
Maddy on May 24, 2021 07:55 AM
My hubby actually discovered this washout while riding his bike up this road and reported it to the Forest Service. The initial climb is what it looks like in the photo. I'm not sure the exact grade but it's definitely uphill. I haven't ridden my bike in a couple years but I feel like I could have ridden at least some of it so it's not super hard. There are some intermittent snow patches on the climb. You can ride around most of them but a couple you would have to ride or walk over.
That lasts for about 2 miles. Then it felt mostly flat, or gently rolling, on foot after that, although I am sure it feels a little more up and down than that on a bike. I thought to myself that it would be a beautiful ride.
Do beware that there are a lot of blowdowns on the road past the Ken Wilcox Horse camp.
Posted by:
HikesWithWienerDogs on May 24, 2021 08:07 AM
Thank you for those details
Posted by:
Maddy on May 24, 2021 08:42 AM
When you say dispersed camp sites along the way, did you mean along the road?
Posted by:
M&M Outdoors on Jun 10, 2021 02:16 PM
Yes, I meant along the roadway on the way to the trailhead.
Posted by:
HikesWithWienerDogs on Jun 11, 2021 08:35 AM