the Third Annual Run the Gulches would see the
warmest day in the event's short history.
town of Deckers, located along the banks of
the South Platte River. There is no gas station in
this tiny town, just a small general store and a
fly-fishing shop. The store is happy to have the
business that fifteen Toyota owners can bring,
especially in winter when there isn't a large
draw to the area.
road bound for FS360 and the Pike National
Forest. We were ultimately headed for Hackett
Gulch, the most difficult of the three trails that
make up The Gulches. This trail falls somewhere
in the mild to medium level of difficulty, with a
few optional areas that can push it into a dif-
ficult rating. Body armor is recommended and
lockers make life easier on the most difficult
sections. Almost every TLCA eligible vehicle
type was in attendance and we even welcomed
one Jeep along for the ride. With a group of
this size, we faced a full day in the saddle and
there would surely be a few bottlenecks where
spotters were needed.
Hayman Fire but by no means was it spared.
Evidence of this massive blaze is all around
and fallen or dead standing trees serve as stark
reminders of the power and ferocity of wildfire.
Temperatures inside the inferno burned so hot
that all the organic material in the soil was lost.
Some areas are still totally void of life. The trail,
however, is in good shape and the areas that
are regenerating give hope that things will only
get better. One member of our group had run
this exact trail nearly twenty years prior and he
commented that the fire had changed everything
so much that it wasn't even recognizable.
with CB and HAM radio chatter pointing out the
differences we noticed from the previous years.
About two miles in, we reached Hackett Rock,
the first obstacle of the day, a steep granite slab
followed by a loose hill with large boulders and
steps. Everyone made the initial climb without
trouble but the boulders and steps proved to be
where a group effort was needed.
carbureted 22R engine and open differentials,
which made the rock climb exciting. The trail
just before the steps is dug out and it's a hard
left-hand climbing turn to get there. A stall