Ohio Pass

For the most part, Ohio Pass is a civilized gentle dirt road, crossing the the Ruby Range, an outlier of the Elk mountains. I have never seen it in anything else, except very good bicycling condition. Even though it does not quite reach treeline, there are a number of great vantage points overlooking the West Elk wilderness and its Castle Peak, (not Castle Peak in the Elk mtns).


click on profile for more detail
1. (mile00,8914ft) START/END-NORTH: Crested Butte
2. (mile07,9894ft)  turnoff to Kebler Pass is on right, stay left
3. (mile09,10093ft) TOP: Ohio Pass
4. (mile16,8603ft) START/END-SOUTH:  turnoff to Baldwin mine is on left
5. (mile35,7703ft) START/END-SOUTH ALTERNATE: Gunnison

Approaches

From North. When you approach Ohio Pass from Kebler Pass you get two passes for the price of one. However, that's not the approach shown in this profile. First, let me describe the two for one route. A dirt road leaves the valley of the North Gunnison (between McLure Pass and  Paonia) and first climbs over Kebler Pass. After this high point, the road descends a minute amount and crests again on Ohio Pass. The saddle between the two passes is hardly noticeable. There is really no effort involved in the climb after the top of Kebler.

Here is another suggestion that involves a different climb, leading straight to Ohio Pass. It does not involve crossing another pass first. Start in Crested Butte. From there a gentle steady-as-they-come climbing dirt road makes as a nice approach to Ohio pass. 

From South. Gunnison makes a convenient starting point, even though the gradient doesn't become "passlike" until many miles later. The turnoff to the Baldwin mine makes an alternate starting or finishing point, providing a shorter approach. This otherwise gentle wooded pass has a few steep sections near the top. Further down the southern approach, the old railroad grade is in proximity of the pass road. Near the top, the road switches back and forth like a disposed shoestring a few times, while the railroad grade remains far down in the valley. However it's hardly visible through the dense forest.

Tours

Dayrides. A nice circle ride could be done, leading from Crested Butte over Ohio Pass to Gunnison and back to Crested Butte along Rte 135.

Three Day Tour consisting of jeep trails, dirt road and pavement. This pass can be part of a  three day circle of pass exploration in the Elk, West Elk and Sawatch Ranges. The route is as follows: Aspen, Pearl Pass, Crested Butte, Ohio Pass, Gunnison, Pitkin, Cumberland Pass, Taylor Pass, Aspen. The day over Ohio Pass started in Crested Butte, ended in Pitkin and measured 75 miles (m1:86.09.14). Ohio Pass can also be bypassed in favor of Rte 135, making for an easier second day. Endpoints for each day are Narrative

History

This pass predates Colorado mining history. Both Ohio and Kebler were crossed by Ute trails. The current road however is the result of  discovering gold near the adjacent top of Kebler pass. A stage and freight road was built to haul up supplies from Gunnison. The grade along the valley was gentle enough that a railline was built by the Denver Rio Grande. The railline terminated short of the pass.


Connecting Routes
Crested Butte
  MTB   - Gunsight Pass
(northern approach)
-   MTB   - Pearl Pass
-   MTB    - Schofield Pass
-   MTB   - Gunsight Pass
(southern approach)
  MTB   - Marcellina Pass
-   MTB   - Kebler Pass
TOP
Gunnison

also in the area
South
-   MTB  - Reno Divide

 

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Copyright (C) by Michael Fiebach 2003-2010
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