Bright Trail

[Java]

anyone familiar with this trail? looks like a good camping spot, might want to go check it out.

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=243

could combine it with this one:

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=360

[Rob]

I ran up there one day in early December to check it out, since it's close to me. It was during a major logging operation up there, with lots of heavy machinery and piles of downed trees. Much of the main trail (330.1), which I think was probably originally on a par with the section of West Magnolia we did Sunday, had been graded and pea-graveled. I ran up the short 330.2C spur, which hadn't been graded and it was a little bumpier. I recall seeing a nice area to camp at the end of it, kind of up a hill and to the right. I also tried to go up the 330.B spur, which had a couple of mild rocky spots, but only made a few hundred yards before the trail was blocked by a huge pile of downed trees. I walked to the other side but didn't walk far down the rest of the trail to see what it was like.

I haven't been on Dry St. Vrain.

Seems like a nice place to camp, but not a great wheeling trip. However, just down the road is Rock Creek (just south of Allenspark), which would combine well with Bright (also called, I think, Taylor Mountain trail) and Dry St. Vrain.

We did a snow run to Rock Creek earlier in the year, so I don't know what it's like when not covered in a foot of snow, plus we didn't make it all the way to the end. But it looks like fun, based on the TD report and pics. And it was a blast in the snow.

Here's some pics of what Bright looked like last summer during the logging work.
1) Logging operation
2) Graded and pea-graveled section
3) 330.2C
4) The largest obstacle I encountered.
5) The FJ40 struggling up that obstacle. :)
6) trees blocking 330.2B

[Java]

Thanks for the info, Rob! looks like a good solo trip to check out the camping and hiking, maybe a little too mild for a run here if that's the hardest part of the trail. I'll save it for a boring weekend...