Anyone ridden up & down Mt Evans, with a trailer?

[Wmoater]

I will be outside Denver next July and wife and I are looking at a couple options. We’re thinking of pulling the toyhauler to the three wheeled rally at black hills. Get there around the 3rd of July and stay till the 14th. I need to be in Denver on the 19th for 3 days. We’re thinking of leaving the toyhauler and truck at storage unit in Sturgess and run down to Denver with the spyder and pull my mini motorcycle trailer behind. Take care of business and then run around for a week after. I’ve never been up Mt. Evans. I see now you need reservations with 2 hour window and six hour travel times. Same now at Estes Rocky Mountain national park, pikes peak and many others. I found a campsite just west of Mt. Evans We’re staying at. I was told to really watch trailer due to squatters now. Has anyone pulled a motorcycle trailer up and down Mt. Evans? Can’t find anything on site saying I can’t. I pulled my mini trailer behind spyder through the dragon, up beartooth and Indian chief pass so this should be nothing. Just higher. Anyone pull a motorcycle trailer up and down Mt Evans?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I will be outside Denver next July and wife and I are looking at a couple options. We’re thinking of pulling the toyhauler to the three wheeled rally at black hills. Get there around the 3rd of July and stay till the 14th. I need to be in Denver on the 19th for 3 days. We’re thinking of leaving the toyhauler and truck at storage unit in Sturgess and run down to Denver with the spyder and pull my mini motorcycle trailer behind. Take care of business and then run around for a week after. I’ve never been up Mt. Evans. I see now you need reservations with 2 hour window and six hour travel times. Same now at Estes Rocky Mountain national park, pikes peak and many others. I found a campsite just west of Mt. Evans We’re staying at. I was told to really watch trailer due to squatters now. Has anyone pulled a motorcycle trailer up and down Mt. Evans? Can’t find anything on site saying I can’t. I pulled my mini trailer behind spyder through the dragon, up beartooth and Indian chief pass so this should be nothing. Just higher. Anyone pull a motorcycle trailer up and down Mt Evans?

Sorry No I haven't .... IMHO pulling it UP Mt. Evans is not going to be a problem ..... Coming DOWN could be, I don't know the length or the grade, and that could make a difference ..... Years ago, I once followed a car down the Toll road at Stowe Vermont (from top of Mt Mansfield) .... about 1/2 way down that cars Brakes were cherry red .... When they got to the bottom at the Toll booth the Brakes were toast and they couldn't stop.... Lucky for them the road to the highway was a bit steep up-hill and they managed to pull off to the side of the road. I think the problem was an in-experienced driver, either not using a Low gear (on an auto trans) or not downshifting a manual ..... Mike

[Steve W.]

According to this article, you will probably be OK:

https://rvlife.com/rv-mount-evans-scenic-byway/

I did not see any mention of motorcycles with trailers, but it says that RVs under 30 feet long are fine.

.

[Wmoater]

Steve I read the same article. Can’t find anything saying yes or no. I think I’ll call the park service next just to make sure. The campsite, even though it’s state run and patrol enforced, recommended “not” leave the trailer even chained to a tree anywhere in northern colorado. They won’t steal the trailer but bust it open and take everything out. Colorado now has “free drop” zones in the national and state parks that anyone first come first serve can pull in and camp for 24 hours for free but no access to water, electric etc. it’s starting to turn into a homeless, drifter situation that they move site to site every two days. They are calling them “squatters.” Heard of it years ago, but now with all the reservations and checking the state increased these free drop sites and it’s getting worse. From what I read, the incline is just constant no major steep long inline. Also read that you will never be over 25 at tops. So 1st or second all the way down. Wife and I would pull off every so often if it got hot but engine brake should be fine at 25mph. Couldn’t find any info if they shoot the brakes at bottom for temps. It says they still do at pikes peak. Honestly, with all the hype of going up Mt. Evans, even on this site as in recommendations on past posts, there’s very little information. Thanks Steve, and I agree mike with your position. This part of trip is just a small part. We might just scrap it if I find it’s just a huge tourist trap. We’ll head up 40 to RMNP and stay there a few days which we have done some 15 years ago. I will honestly say, I’m glad we did what we did when my kids were young. We hit almost every national forest and park in the country. We put 8700 + miles a summer on our first 5th wheel and toyhauler. We started running into this reservation and check in thing in glacier 2 years ago. I understand why they’re doing it. Colorado seems to be the leader, but if every national park and state run park starts this, it’s going to be impossible to travel. Then again we went through Yellowstone 2 years ago, which we’ve been through 10 times or so and it was so crowded wife said we’ll never go back. So I see reason but what a bummer. Personally if it was old younger days we’d just have left tent up and out, chained the trailer and off we go. If it’s the toyhauler, put everything inside, lock up and drive away. Weather was bad, find another thing to do and hit it the next day. Now that we are pulling little trailer vs a toyhauler I need to think and plan more which really should be the opposite.

[Copperman]

I've not ridden up Mt.Evans but I have ridden up Pikes Peak a few times on my Spyder. Each time I had to leave my RT622 trailer (locked) at the base of Pikes Peak because they don't allow trailers of any kind. If it were me, I'd call their offices and ask them.

[fatboy]

there is a nice parking lot at the base also a restaurant very good eats i would not be afraid to leave a trailer there

[JayBros]

Having ridden both Pikes Peak and Mt. Evans on consecutive days in 2019 without a trailer, I strongly recommend finding a place to secure the trailer and doing them both on the Spyder alone. It's just so much fun both ways, don't spoil it pulling a trailer unless you absolutely have to do so. Coming down Pikes, don't get stuck behind a cage driver who doesn't know how to use an automatic transmission on long, steep downhills as he will hold you up when he has to have his brakes checked, then pull off to let them cool.

[vondalyn]

As far as vehicle length, you should be fine with the trailer, but there are some really bad spots where the asphalt has huge frost heaves and towing a trailer up and over those could be interesting. Every spring when the road opens up again, they don't know what they're going to find. I would recommend leaving the trailer locked at the base if you can. I believe that the gift shop mentioned has just closed "permanently" but I suppose things could change next season. Depending on how you get there, you can consider leaving the trailer in a parking lot in the Evergreen or Idaho Springs areas. Also when the spyder is working harder at that altitude, you can risk overheating and/or vapor lock. My 2012 (different engine, I know) RT LTD would overheat with 2 up going up to the top of Mt Evans. I had to pull over twice to let it cool down enough to move on. Haven't had that issue with the 2015 F3's but we each have our own so no 2-up or trailer situation, so not really comparing apples to apples there. I also don't know if spyders can get vapor lock, but I see it in cars all the time on the high altitude roads here in CO.