Morrison Jeep Trail Landslide Damage - 2022

Landslides damaged the Morrison Jeep Trail switchbacks. Wyoming Jeepers Elgin and Melissa Cook checked out the damage to each switchback and the Clark's Fork Canyon road using a drone.
A few Yellowstone, northwestern Wyoming and south central Montana roads are closed due to flooding damage, mainly back roads but a couple of main ones too. Check the road conditions before heading out to avoid an unpleasant "Road Closed" surprise in the summer of 2022.
Shoshone Forest Service Info: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/shosho...
Amazon affiliate link to Melissa Cook's memoir, "The Call of the Last Frontier" - amzn.to/3muWoXv. You can also learn more about her story on www.MelissaCook.us.
Music - On the Road by Black Room
taketones.com/tags/banjo​
Jeep Jeeping Adventure Back Country Off Road Offroad trail Shoshone National Forest excursion Mountain overland jeeping in Wyoming River absorka
#jeep #wyoming #adventure #jeeplife #yellowstone #itsajeepthing

[@touchnova]

Woowww, what a bummer. Invaluable information, Wyoming Jeepers, thank you for sharing this update.

[@MelissaLCook]

Yes! Huge bummer. We were going to take a group of locals over the trail this summer. Dang! Happy to provide a good look at the trail for our viewers. Thanks for watching and commenting. - Melissa

[@touchnova]

@@MelissaLCook My invitation to MT for a visit to the old mine still stands, but I'll be going on a recon trip here in the next few to see if that road, too, is blown out. As you likely know, we've have really bad flooding and flash floods here in this region recently, so as of right now I'd say it's up in the air. I'll follow up by email to Elgin.

[@wyomingjeepers]

It is a bummer... We wanted to take the trip again this year. Not sure if we will be able to.

[@wyomingjeepers]

@@touchnova Great to hear... Will keep in touch. Hopefully we can make it up that way this summer and the flooding didn't affect it too much.

[@MelissaLCook]

@@touchnova We are planning on that trip. Please let us know what the road conditions are up there. Early August is likely best for us. Thank you for the invite! - Melissa

[@johntrotter3512]

Thank you.

[@MelissaLCook]

You are welcome. Thanks for watching our show. - Melissa

[@wyomingjeepers]

You are welcome!

[@janetmitchell1053]

Wow....I just love that drone footage! I'm so glad you guys did your jeep trip when you did because your video of that trip was amazing!

[@MelissaLCook]

Thank you! We are SO glad we did that trip last year. In fact, Elgin and I drove up and down it on November 18th right before a big snowstorm. We may have been the last vehicle to travel that road in 2021. Thank you for commenting. - Melissa

[@wyomingjeepers]

Glad you liked the footage of that trip! It was a very fun trip. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@janetmitchell1053]

@@MelissaLCook You're welcome! OMG....I can't believe you guys did it twice! I was on the edge of my seat just watching it on my laptop & then to think you guys did it again! I believe Elgin loves a challenge! But, I get it.....the scenery is just so gorgeous!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

@@janetmitchell1053 I need to put the video together for the second trip we did. That would make four Morrison videos, though. Hmm. Thanks for commenting.

[@Sheerahboom87]

Amazing looking forward on more of your travel vlogs . Here to support and follower. Hey that looks like Black Bear pass in Colorado. You guys nailed it!

[@wyomingjeepers]

Sorry we missed your comment on this video. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Hey, thanks for watching and commenting! We appreciate it. We’ve been busy filming new shows all summer, so we haven’t edited anything new but never fear, more shows are coming throughout the winter. 😊 subscribe and click the bell to receive notification when they are released. ❤

[@wyldeadventures9975]

Awesome detailed video of the trail. Had plans for a group trip the middle of August coming from Boise which is being pushed back until 2023. Can’t wait to do the trail again!

[@wyomingjeepers]

Thank you for watching and for your comment. We were hoping to do the trail again this year too.. Hopefully, we can get to it next year as well!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Thank you! We wanted travelers to know exactly what the situation is on the Morrison Jeep Trail at this time so that they can plan for their summer Jeeping trips. We hope it is back up and ready for action next summer. Thanks for commenting and watching! I checked out your show. Nice Jeep and great video!

[@PaulWellner]

Wow! That is a lot of terrible damage. I hope they fix that back up again for you and everyone else that saw you do it and want to give it a go. It was fun watching when you guys went up it. BTW, My wife is loving your book!! Thank you!

[@wyomingjeepers]

You put a smile on my face. Thank you so much for watching our show and tell your wife I appreciate her reading my book. I would greatly appreciate if she could rate it on Amazon when she is done reading it. :-) We lived an adventurous life before we retired and moved back to Wyoming. Now we seek out adventure on the back roads like the Morrison Jeep Trail. We hope this road gets fixed soon but there are so many roads and bridges in need of repair due to severe flooding in the area that I think it is going to be at the bottom of the priority list this summer. Thanks again for watching! We have three more videos recorded. They take quite a bit of time to edit so stay tuned - another funny one is coming. :-)

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

I’m so glad you enjoy our show and I’m thrilled your wife is enjoying my book. We appreciate your comment. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@richardh.1247]

Just another FYI: The small rock slides on the switchbacks are not the reason for the closure. The flood washed out the lower road (FSR119) along the Clarks Fork. The forest service had intended to have those cleared and the trail open on time...then the massive flooding happened and washed out part of the access road. I spoke with the Shoshone NF about a month ago and they are trying to work with the BLM (parts that washed out are FS and part BLM) and to find funding to repair the road.

[@wyomingjeepers]

Thank you for the update... We did see the road washed out. It seems that they may just have to relocate the road more away from the river. Luckily it is washed out where there seems to be room to just move the road over. Thanks again...

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

We did see the damage to the road leading up to the switchbacks. Those switchbacks appear to need some work too. Thanks for giving us more details on the closure. We sure hope to get our tires on that trail this summer. Catch you on the trail. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@krashnpa]

We were just at Dead Indian Hill and got some shots of the trail from there. Thanks for the videos, very helpful since we're visiting

[@MelissaLCook]

You are welcome. We appreciate your comments. Thanks for watching. Where are you visiting from? - Melissa

[@krashnpa]

@@MelissaLCook Hey Melissa, we're from Lancaster, PA. Currently in Ten Sleep and heading up into the Bighorns tomorrow. Stopped into the CW Trading Post today to get a couple of shirts for the family. Let them know we saw the shop on your vlog. Appreciate the tip!

[@wyomingjeepers]

Glad you found the video helpful... Have a great time while you are here! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@MelissaLCook]

@@krashnpa Hey, guess what? We are heading up to the Big Horns with visitors from NY. Darn, it's not the same road or we might have seen you out there. Thanks for stopping at Crazy Woman Store in Greybull. That is our favorite shop. Have a great time in the mountains. Where are you headed next? Elaine and I were in your neck of the woods last fall. - Melissa

[@richardh.1247]

A few days before the flooding damaged the road along the river, the FS told me they intended to clear the switchbacks and reopen the road by July 16th. Of course, I doubt that will happen now for a number of reasons but they "WERE" planning on reopening it. I don't think that has changed but I suspect the timing will change as bigger priorities came up due to flooding.

[@wyomingjeepers]

Thank you for your comment and informing others on what you were told. It is appreciated!

[@MelissaLCook]

Thank you for the information. We appreciate your comment. - Melissa

[@touchnova]

I'm grateful to hear this, thank you for sharing. I've seen so many permanent closures at this point that I was, admittedly, pessimistic.

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

@@touchnova Fingers cross for a 2023 season on the Morrison.

[@gabecrockett6574]

Do you think they’ll repair and reopen the trail?

[@touchnova]

I hate to be the pessimist, but it seems in the last 15 years the USFS has been more inclined to find reasons to shut roads rather than use our tax dollars to keep them open. Being said, I genuinely hope they repair this route - it is historic and special.

[@wyomingjeepers]

I had heard rumors that they were going to fix it. There was not any workers there when we checked it out. Hopefully, they fix it soon! I agree with touchnova... They seem to look for reasons to shut down roads.

[@MelissaLCook]

I hope so but there is one spot in the road that looks terrible and I don't know how they would fix it. It makes the road extremely narrow. My guess is that was where there was a hole in the road last year and it blew out. Darn. - Melissa

[@MelissaLCook]

@@touchnova I hope they find a way to repair the switchbacks. The main road in leads to other things besides the switchbacks so it will likely get fixed soon. - Melissa

[@CplSkiUSMC]

We may have to blast...

[@wyomingjeepers]

Maybe so... Just hope they get it fixed!

[@CplSkiUSMC]

@@wyomingjeepers I don't think "they" will do anything. The Forest Circus doesn't grade anything anymore. It's gonna be up to us locals to fix it and I think a little dynamite would go a long way :-)

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

@@CplSkiUSMC I don't think you want me handling dynamite. Who knows where it might land? I'm all for locals helping to fix it, though. :-)

[@CplSkiUSMC]

@@AuthorMelissaCook Oh I don't know Melissa, Elgin is crazier than you. For that matter, so am I. You're probably the safest person I could think of to light the fuse and run. Just don't run in circles and you'll be fine.

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

@@CplSkiUSMC I'm pretty calm under pressure as an EMT, but there are times... With a stick of dynamite, I might just throw it any which way. I think I'll pass on lighting the fuse too. Haha

[@OverlandPNW]

Wow! Is there any maintenance on that trail? It is one of those iconic trails that I hope will be around for many years.

[@wyomingjeepers]

Going up to check today. I hope they open it up as it is an iconic trail. It would be a shame to lose it.

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

I heard they will be working on it but it is not a priority this summer. Fingers crossed for a 2023 season.