Episode V
Welcome to the weekly blog that reports my adventures throughout the general area of the Vail Valley. I am recently new to Vail and have a passion for exploring the beautiful nature while also informing anyone planning to visit the Valley, or even current locals, of the incredible activities the Valley has to offer. Every week I plan on going somewhere remote to experience the Rocky Mountains by participating in activities including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, tubing, cliff diving, and whatever else I can think of. During these activities I will be capturing the nature around me with my camera to produce breathtaking photos and informative videos if possible.
Over the last few weeks, I finally obtained a vehicle after four months without transportation. Sadly my previous vehicle, a 2004 Ford Focus was totaled by someone I do not know and will never know because they fled the scene. I thank you stranger, not that I don’t miss my Focus, but now I am a proud owner of a Jeep Cherokee! The excitement that went through my body when I purchased this beauty was off the charts. Having a jeep in the Rocky Mountains will be a blessing when the snow finally gets here, but for now it’s just extra fun!
There were a few things that needed to be fixed, such as my rusty shocks, so I brought my new friend to get a check up and get her roadworthy. The next day when Emmi (yes, I named my Jeep) was feeling healthy, I couldn’t say no to my building temptation to take her on some dirt roads. My roommate and I took her to Edwards to tackle Berry Creek Road. This road is located off the Edwards exit; take a right once off the exit then another right at Moon Ridge Road. Berry Creek Road will be an immediate left onto a dirt road, and you’re there!
This road is ideal for mountain bikes, dirt bikes, or any other motorized toys because there are a lot of smaller trails that become quite precipitous. Berry Creek starts out as an easy climb with a lot of rocks gradually starting to appear on the ground. I listened to Emmi’s tires rip through the dirt was proud she climbed the rocks with no problem.
“When should we stop?” my roommate asked.
“When we can’t go any further,” I replied, joking at the time.
When we got about six miles into Berry Creek Road, the road rapidly became steeper. Emmi was doing better than I thought she would, until we got to a part in the road that made all three of us very skeptical. We pulled the E-brake and stared at the road as if it was a dragon we needed to slay, but unfortunately the dragon won this round. The road was way too steep and too many gigantic rocks lay in the way and I was afraid of breaking Emmi.
We knew we lost the battle so we had to turn around. This turned out not to be an easy process, but after about twenty minutes of great driving skills and communication between my roommate and I, we finally got Emmi facing down the mountain. The entire time down Berry Creek Road, I had my breaks slammed to the floor; not a fun experience for me. We made it back to the paved road before it got dark, and headed home with no injuries!
This road was tons of fun, but gets intense after the fifth mile, so only certain vehicles will be able to continue forward. If you’re planning to conquer this road in your sedan, as a friendly, knowledgeable local, I highly discourage the idea. Call 1-888-866-2305 to book your trip through Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals if you are planning on visiting the Vail area . Who knows, I might even let you borrow my jeep!
