Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Clifton

Scales Glade

Scales GladePhoto: Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.1 mi
distance
20 ft
climb
10,822 ft
high point
Easy
difficulty
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Scales Glade open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. It doesn't name Scales Glade, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Scales Glade is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Colorado's Grand Valley Ranger District, part of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route lies about a mile from the Traverse hike and Forest Service Road 118. The trip is nearly flat, with a low point of 10,790 feet and a high of 10,822 feet, a total climb of about 20 feet. The steepest stretch comes early, at around 4% grade for a short distance, and the route ends with a small loss of about 94 feet. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 26°F in December and January to about 27°F in February, with lows near 5°F. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet lower than the glade, so temperatures on the ski route run cooler. Island Lake Campground is about a mile away, and Little Bear Campground is a little farther out. Grand Mesa, a fishing spot, is about 2 miles off, and Ward Creek, a canoeing route, is roughly 6 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Island Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.1 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Slopeside cafe

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 7 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in Clifton

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Scales Glade

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      26° / 6°

    2. Feb

      27° / 4°

    3. Mar

      34° / 12°

    4. Apr

      40° / 17°

    5. May

      49° / 27°

    6. Jun

      62° / 37°

    7. Jul

      68° / 42°

    8. Aug

      64° / 40°

    9. Sep

      57° / 34°

    10. Oct

      45° / 24°

    11. Nov

      34° / 14°

    12. Dec

      26° / 5°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bonham Rsvr, CO, 8.2 mi away at 9,852 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Forest Service Road 118Photo: Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors