My uncle and I have been using Cherry Creek rd quite often for the past year.
We have been tackling the Salado Indian Ruin sites one by one.
Thought I should post some pictures of the trickier spots on the trail,
now that the monsoons of 2017 have changed the entire landscape
of
Upper cherry creek road.
the (2) two giant boulders are still there - maybe ten miles apart...
(and aren't going anywhere),
but you can pass by both of them hugging the mountain side.
the entire road was passable as of 04/13/18 (pics taken).
we came in from the north side on this trip. and it got ugly quick.
It's been almost a year since the upper portion changed dramatically.
When it first happened, only dirt bikes, hikers, and some side by sides could get by.
the worst parts being about 15 miles from the top.
but after a year, people have made a "
new way" through.
which involves dropping into the creek a couple times to get around washouts.
i'm not sure what i would rate it (because i have become so familiar with it),
but it's definitely more challenging than (2.0).
of course pictures wont do justice,
but i tried to get the right angle to tell the best story.
we had to move some fallin trees, and boulders at this washout to get by.

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on this next picture, I am standing on the (old) part of FR203,
and to the left is where you go in & out of the creek, to a sharp left up,
then slow & steady over this loose hump on the right (maxed the angle gauge in the FJ)

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look close at this last picture toward the middle (background),
the road was all but gone here. we had to walk it to see if there
was anything left to drive on. there was... barely..
People familiar with the area will notice the changes right away
just from these few pictures. I have been out in the Anchas during storms,
and I still can not imagine what kind of force must have come through here to change everything.
from boulder placement, to cherry creek road washouts, and the actual shape of cherry creek is now different.
its always been a rocky/crumbly area, but our prediction is FR203 will not be passable after this monsoon.
it will then be UPPER/LOWER cherry road.