Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Unit 82 Colorado - Deadman Access

First post here, but enjoy reading your forums. I have a question on Unit 82 in Colorado, in particular, the Deadman Lake area. Has anybody brought animals in there? I'm headed out this fall and would like to know how you get mules in from the east. Hard to tell if there's a ture saddle up from Little Sand Creek and if the mules can handle that. I'm not sure the west would be the way to go due to the lack of mainteance on the trail, but i've only heard that's the case. Any information would be great. Thanks!!!!

Not familiar with Deadman lake area,but there are two ways to get in the general area from the east.

One is you go to the Music Pass trailhead south of Silvercliff CO. Park at the trailhead,and then there is a nasty 4WD road up almost to Music Pass. From there, you ride over Music Pass, down into a big meadow, before you start up the trail to the Sand Lakes. A trail goes down the canyon and eventually you can go up and over to Sand Creek.That looks shorter on the topo maps than coming in from the Sand Dunes.

You can go to Medano Pass,further south. An access road goes thru Wolf Springs Ranch to NF. That is about due west of Gardner, CO and a little north. That is a pretty decent road. After it hits NF,there is 4wd road that even pick ups can go up and over and it eventualy dumps into the Great Sand Dunes National Mounument along Medano Creek. That looks south of where you want to go,but there is trail that cuts north right at the divide( I have not been on that.) Before the road starts up to Medano Pass,there is no water close for livestock, but another road turns off to the north and water can usually be found in North Muddy Creek,maybe two miles in.Could be dry this year because of the drought.( That road is all mud when wet)

Either way is more than negotiable with mules or horses and unless you get realy high,I have not encounted any area that was really bad.Such as the upper reaches of the trail into Crestone lake.Once you reach timberline, things get dicey. That is a lot of big rock country and you had best have borium on the mule shoes.
Generally the east side of the divide is steeper and rougher than the west side.

Lot'sa ATVs there as the Rainbow trail running north and south along the east side of the Sangres is open to them and a lot of non open trails are use by ATV's.

There is fairly heavy hunting pressure all over 82. Some good bulls are in there. We have taken a few right along the fence of Wolf Creek ranch, although I have not hunted it for a few years. If I was hauling all the way from MO, there are better places to elk hunt. If you have mules or horses avialable,look into wilderness areas.

Further edited to include:

After searching Google Earth,I could find no Deadman lake in that area. Up and down the divide there are several hundred lakes and it has been my experience that almost all of them are pretty close to the top of the divide.If this particular lake is oneof them,you are goingto be way too high for elk hunting. If you have some GPS coordinates I can plug into Google Earth,I might be able to help further.

I don't think you can get a horse trailer up the last couple miles of Music Pass. Rigs often park below and ride up.

If you don't have to come from the east you could look into Sand Creek trail or Liberty.

Deadman Lakes area is very high and will be steep and rocky from nearly any direction. Might be worth the climb for a bighorn but pretty costly admission for an elk hunt.

Casey,The parking area below is what I meant at Music Pass.

Even at the saddle at Music Pass ,I have seen sheep.

I have been down to the mouth of Little Sand only once. That was a backpacking trip. Tough trail, but that was 25 years ago. Bear sign everywhere. The only practical access is from Music Pass and that is a very busy place in the warmer months with hordes of fisherfolk & campers----but I never met anyone downstream in the canyon more than a mile or two below the pass. Most users go up to the Sand Creek lakes and not downstream towards the dunes and Little Sand Creek. The whole area is part of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, but hunting is still allowed in the Preserve where Little Sand is located. Lots of Bighorn Sheep.

I have never been into Deadman but I'm certain that the only access is from the west. When the National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife acquired the Baca Grant they muddied the waters for access into Deadman. The lower part of the area is a mix of Forest Service, Private & USFW. Everyone is still "studying" use patterns and access. The private folks don't want any at all and the Park Service & USFW can't make up their mind.

I would call the Rio Grande National Forest Office in Monte Vista for the latest, best information.

You do not want to be hunting on the National Forest adjoining Wolf Springs Ranch unless you like large crowds of frustrated hunters. And you will not be hunting on Wolf Springs Ranch if you are a non-resident as that is a Ranching For Wildlife unit with only two bull licenses that take.....I think...a minimum of 18 points. The cow hunting there is in January and you cannot take Horses or Mules or ATV's onto the ranch.

You can hunt Wolf Springs as a paying client though.

We usually hunted ML season.Not too bad then except for the arrow slingers.

Notice in my reply above thatI suggested there are better places to hunt in CO if mule or horses are available.

I forgot about the bears. Sure are a passle of them in the whole area.

We're set on hunting Deadman for various reasons. We've kicked around the idea of not bringing animals and hiking in from the west, i'll call the office in Monta Vista and find out more info.

Also, i've heard through some calling around that there are a group of Men of Knights that pack in animals from Music Pass and into Deadman quite often, but who knows if that's true.

Thanks!!!!

If someone does pack in from the east the only practical route I can think is what plainview referenced - over Music pass, down Sand Cr. trail, then up Little Sand Cr trail. That would leave you with a 13,000ft ridge of talus to traverse.

There is an outfitter out of Westcliffe that packs in to Sand Creek lakes more often than anyone else I know. My memory is shot (like everything else) but maybe the name will come to me. Perhaps he's familiar with the group you mentioned.

Deadman Lakes is a desolate high altitude pool surrounded by rock. If a storm catches you there you will get punished (don't ask me how I know). It catches weather like someplace that is another 5K higher. I had a shot opportunity at a bighorn there some years back. I am grateful still today that I took one over closer to Sand Creek Lakes instead. The reason those sand dunes were formed is from the wind dropping it payload at that exact spot.

From the west there is a trail up Deadman Cr. or Pole Cr., I forget which. Possible access from Liberty or Duncan?
Vince or plainview might be able to fill in more of the gaps that my memory can't.

Brain cells finally kicked in - Bear Basin is the outfit that rides dudes into Sand Creek lakes from the east.

Brayirish.

Have you actually looked at that area on Google Earth or?

Don't want to discourage you and saw your post that you are commited to hunting there,but I have ridden thru quite a bit of that country and up that high is not elk country for sure. Maybe drop down 1000-1500 ft in elvation.
As an example,here is a 7x6 bull my buddy took several years ago on the east side,probably less than 9000 ft elevation.



Usually you are snowed out until mid July, early August and can get locked out by snow in early October.I can't remember a time that we got into Sand lakes much bfeore mid June and they are a lot lower.
Just trying to save you some grief.

The area is full of bears. Lots times they come thru camp at night. The elk run to private land in the valleys along the highway when the hunting starts. There are a few elk in the upper deep valleys between ridges but even with a mule I don't know if you could get them out. With a several guys and a week you could backpack them out. Valleys are very steep between the ridges. It is easier to travel the ridges. The talus slopes are steep too. Watch for rock slides and rough weather. Great place to hunt sheep in September but October the snow starts.