Rockies high country: Alpine Loop, Pipestone and Rampart Range this weekend

The high country is fully open right now and will not stay that way for long. The Rocky Mountain season runs from late June until the first heavy snow, and by early September the afternoons up high start to turn. If you have been waiting for a weekend to do a big alpine loop, this is the one to stop waiting on. Three places, from a classic shelf-road byway to a compact forest trail system, cover most of what the region does well.

The Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway is managed by the BLM Gunnison Field Office and is the region's signature drive. Engineer and Cinnamon passes are moderate shelf roads, rated around a 5 on the site's scale, with rock and creek crossings along the way. Side routes such as Poughkeepsie Gulch are much harder and should not be attempted casually. The passes are snowed shut most of the year, so the roughly late-June-to-September window is all you get.

There is no general permit for the Alpine Loop, but Colorado OHV registration or a non-resident permit typically applies to unlicensed vehicles, which includes most UTVs and ATVs. Confirm with the managing agency before you go, because registration rules and any temporary closures change without much notice. Shelf roads punish inattention: keep to the uphill side when passing, yield to vehicles climbing, and do not stop where another rig cannot get by you.

Rampart Range Recreation Area, in Pike National Forest on the Front Range, is the easier weekend. The Forest Service maintains over 100 miles of designated motorcycle and ATV trail, mostly easy to moderate on decomposed granite and forest trail, with a 4 rating overall. It suits a mixed group with a dirt bike or two and a quad. No fee is typically charged on the trails themselves, but Colorado OHV registration and spark arrestors are required. Confirm with the managing agency before you go.

Rampart Range normally closes for winter and the spring thaw, so late summer is peak season and the staging areas fill early on Saturdays. Decomposed granite is loose and fast, and it goes from dusty to washboarded in a single busy weekend. Check your air filter after a day here; dust is the main killer of an engine in the UTV and ATV classes, and the site's maintenance guidance shortens the filter interval considerably in these conditions.

Further north, Pipestone OHV Area east of Butte, Montana, sits in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. It is a dense network of designated trails, from sandy loops to short granite challenge sections, rated around a 4 overall. The season runs roughly May through October with a spring mud closure, so August is dependable. Montana OHV registration applies and the whole area is a designated-route system; riding off the marked trail is the quickest way to lose access for everyone. No fee is typically charged, but confirm with the managing agency before you go.

Pipestone's granite boulders are a good place to learn rock work at low stakes. The challenge sections are short, so a stuck machine is a five-minute problem rather than an overnight one, and the sandy loops give a beginner somewhere to go while the rest of the group plays. Bring a tow strap and a pair of gloves; that covers most of what goes wrong here.

Whichever you choose, pack for altitude. Afternoon thunderstorms are routine in August across all three, and on the Alpine Loop in particular there is nowhere to hide above treeline. Start early, aim to be off the high passes by early afternoon, and carry layers even if the trailhead is warm. Fuel is far apart on the Alpine Loop side, so fill up in town.

A last note on fluids and pressures. Airing down helps on loose granite and washboard, but the right pressure for your tires and load is in your service manual, not in this article. Recheck wheel and suspension fasteners after a long day on rough road; vibration walks them loose, and the torque values are also in the manual.