This following YouTube video is from a run of the Kelly Flats off-road trail in northern Colorado in May 2026. The Larimer County Off-Road Club helped the Forest Service check the condition of Kelly Flats, confirming the trail was clear, and handling some minor trail maintenance along the way.
At the Kelly Flats trailhead, we met up with Forest Service personnel, along with several off-road vehicles, including a Forest Service UTV. A few members of the group broke off early to check a spur, then we regrouped near the split between Heart Attack Hill and Aneurysm Hill.
Two vehicles went up Heart Attack Hill, while the rest of the group went up Aneurysm Hill. No trail maintenance was needed on Heart Attack Hill. The Aneurysm Hill group handled some trail work, including water bar work.
We regrouped again before the section where the route briefly leaves the trail and passes through the neighborhood area. After getting back onto the trail, we stopped at the Chutes. I made the first attempt in my 2025 Wrangler. I had been through the Chutes in this vehicle before, but conditions were a little slicker this time. On the left line, my tires kept sliding toward the driver-side rocks, and my folded-in mirror was bumping and scraping along the side. I tried a few approaches, including starting toward the right line, but ultimately decided to back out and let someone else give it a shot.
The second vehicle started into the Chutes but unfortunately broke a rear axle after what sounded like a wheelspin-and-traction shock load. It ended up wedged against the same rock that had stopped me, and it could not back up at first. The group used a winch and snatch block, with the line anchored to the hitch, to pull the vehicle sideways away from the rock. Once clear, it was able to back out and continue off the trail under the vehicle’s own power, although limping a bit with the broken axle.
Other than the broken axle, it was a beautiful and smooth day on the trail. The weather was about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, mostly clear, with some clouds developing later in the day. We got back into Fort Collins around 4:45 p.m.
