10 Mile Dirt Road, Out/Back 8200-9200 Elevation

Emerald is a narrow valley south of Gold Camp Road with towering peaks on all sides and tall trees on the bottom. The forest, creek and steep walls make a long narrow picnic and camping area, similar to North Cheyenne Canyon but without the crowds.

The Emerald Valley road starts where Old Stage Road and Gold Camp Road meet. To get there drive south on Old Stage Road. After 6.6 miles is FR 371 with a sign that says Emerald Valley Ranch. The best parking is 1/2 mile west on Old Stage at the closed part of Gold Camp Road. Or you can park two miles in on E.V.R. and save yourself a steep two mile return.

In its first two miles, this road drops 500 feet from Old Stage Road down to the turn off for the Emerald Valley Ranch, a horse outfitter. This part is a beatup dirt road running through the forest, but only average scenic.

The road passes Emerald Ranch at its lowest point, where it makes a bend to the right and turns into a jeep road, a little more bumpy and narrow than before. This part of the road follows the creek upstream through a tall forest of mossy rocks and grass. The numerous hiding spots in the trees and the pretty creek make this valley a popular (but not busy) picnic and camping area. Towering 2000 feet overhead is San Luis Peak and jagged Mt Vigil. The tall trees provide only occasional glimpses but the sight is majestic when it's there.

Farther down the road, the track narrows and closely follows the creek, crossing it eight times. This part of the ride is a little greener, with several beaver ponds along side the road. Some of these creek crossings are deep and quite long, actually running down the road in places. Also running down the road is the pipeline for Rosemont Reservoir. This ten inch iron pipe is buried under the road and frequently pokes through the worn spots.

The road ends in a small clearing 2.5 miles past Emerald Valley Ranch. The pipeline trail continues straight up the hill to the northwest, climbing 500 feet in a quarter mile - far too steep for a bike, so we'll turn around here. The ride back is a lot of fun, weaving downhill through the forest and creek crossings. Save some energy for the final two miles - the access road and Old Stage are abnormally steep.