Trail Log · Thursday, June 25, 2026
Red Cone
- 1Red Cone6.0 mi
- 2Webster Pass1.0 mi
- 3Radical Hill2.8 mi
- 4Deer Creek3.6 mi
Trails in order, from Hall Valley
On the Continental Divide between Hall Valley and Montezuma, Colorado. Point to point from Hall Valley, on trail 10:17 AM to 1:18 PM in Sucia, a 2021 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sport.
Trail review
From our run, the track, and the published guides
The trail
Red Cone climbs from Hall Valley through treeline to its 12,800 ft summit, then drops off the far side on a steep, one-way descent to Webster Pass on the Continental Divide. Trails Offroad gives it 4.9 stars from 232 reviews and calls that descent “a unique feature of this trail”; FunTreks rates it difficult and calls it “incredibly steep.” From Webster, this run went down the west side of the pass to Radical Hill, which climbs past a cabin and up narrow switchbacks on Teller Mountain to 12,602 ft, then out Deer Creek, which Trails Offroad calls the easiest of the trails heading out of Montezuma.
Our run
Thursday, June 25, and our first time wheeling in rain and fog. We streamed the whole run live over Starlink on two cameras, with the handoff at the top of Webster. The track topped Red Cone at 11:54 AM, 12,797 ft on the elevation model, and the first stretch of the descent is the steepest ground of the day, 36% over 100 m. Radical Hill dropped to 11,400 ft before its climb and topped out at 12:46 PM after a 27% pitch just below the top, and the run ended down Deer Creek at 1:18 PM.
“Wheeling that knife-edge Red Cone descent with the divide socked in and visibility dropping is a different kind of pucker factor.”
Good to know
- Red Cone is one-way: up from Hall Valley, down to Webster Pass. FunTreks warns not to start down if both sides of Webster Pass are blocked by snow: “You’ll be boxed in with no place to go.”
- FunTreks rates Radical Hill difficult, “very tippy, narrow and steep,” and its reviewers warn against running it wet.
- Webster Pass and Deer Creek are rated beginner on Trails Offroad, with 4.7 and 4.8 stars.
- Starlink held signal the whole way for our livestreams, through the weather and from the top of the cone.
Elevation
Feet along the track, from the USGS 10 m elevation model
- Red Cone
- Hall Valley road and Webster Pass
- Radical Hill
- Deer Creek
The day
10:17 AM–1:18 PM · moving 2h 36m, stopped 25 min across 9 stops
- Red Cone
- Hall Valley road, Webster Pass
- Radical Hill
- Deer Creek
- Stopped
Leg by leg
| Leg | Road | Time | Distance | Moving | Stopped | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hall Valley to Red Cone | Hall Valley road | 10:17–10:28 AM | 1.07 mi | 6 min | 5 min | 9,706 → 9,987 ft |
| Red Cone, up to the summit | Red Cone, FS 565 | 10:28–11:54 AM | 5.24 mi | 1h 12m | 13 min | 9,987 → 12,797 ft |
| Red Cone descent to Webster Pass | One-way descent | 11:54 AM–12:03 PM | 0.79 mi | 9 min | 0 | 12,797 → 12,100 ft, 36% pitch |
| Top of Webster Pass | 12:03–12:07 PM | 5 min | 12,100 ft | |||
| Down Webster Pass | Webster Pass road, west side | 12:07–12:16 PM | 1.03 mi | 9 min | 0 | 12,096 → 11,588 ft |
| Radical Hill | Radical Hill, FS 286.1 | 12:16–12:50 PM | 2.76 mi | 34 min | 0 | low 11,400 ft, top 12,604 ft |
| Down Deer Creek | Deer Creek road | 12:50–1:18 PM | 3.60 mi | 26 min | 2 min | 12,433 → 10,553 ft |
| Total | 10:17 AM–1:18 PM | 14.5 mi | 2h 36m | 25 min | +4,600 ft |