Red = Difficult / Red Cone = Very Difficult

The trail today was very scenic as well as fairly difficult but then it got very difficult!  

We started out in Montezuma and drove along the road to Webster Pass which topped out at 12,096 ft.  The assent up Webster Pass was very narrow and, in places, rocky but the scenery was beautiful. Along the way we passed a motorcyclist who had seen two moose along our route.  Unfortunately the only moose we saw were in the picture the motorcyclist showed us.

But that is not what made this route a Red run. Webster Pass circles around Red Cone Mountain.  We traveled on a very narrow road, at times driving over the roots of the many pine and aspens on either side of the trail.  

But that is not what made this route a Red run.  The trail then ascends Red Cone back up to the 13,000 ft mark along the ridge line of the mountain. As we are about to climb past the tree line the road got very rocky.  One boulder presented us with a very big problem.  Three Jeeps traveled over this big boulder, but the fourth Jeep did not get his left wheels on top of the rock and thus slid off, landing with his axle on top of the boulder. 45 minutes later, after assessing the situation, jacking up the Jeep and piling rocks under his wheels, he was able to back up and drive over the rock.  The rest of us found a shortcut around the boulder so we did not have to worry about getting stuck. 

This is what made this route a Red run. The trail from the top was an almost 45° angel downward!  There were two separate descents, the first one was the steepest and the most treacherous due to loose rocks and gravel.  If one were to apply too much brake or any brakes at all, they might start fishtailing and sliding out of control.  So we were instructed to use the engine to slow us down.  I don’t believe anyone got down without tapping their brakes at least a couple of times.  John almost red-lined the RPMs before touching his brakes. Everyone made it down if fine fashion!  The second descent was not as steep and we all traveled down without any problems.  A lot of whooping and hollering greeted each Jeep as they reached the bottom and several drivers displayed shaking hands!