Morrison Switchbacks-Wyoming Jeepers Changing 7-15-2023

Landslides and flooding damaged the Morrison Jeep Trail switchbacks as well as the road in the Clarks Fork Canyon.
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
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[@bethrichardsonhawkins2095]

AMAZING VIDEOS!!! The time and effort you guys put into this is incredible. Thank you!

[@melissacook]

It DID take a lot of time to film and edit. Thank you for recognizing and appreciating that. I'm smiling this morning. Wait until you see our next show! I landed on a glacier in Alaska in what I call a Sky Jeep (bush plane). What an amazing video to rival this one. Please check back tonight.

[@wyomingjeepers]

We are sure glad you like them! You are correct, it takes a lot of time and it is nice that you appreciate it. :-) Thanks for the comment and for watching.

[@richardh.1247]

Just FYI: I spoke with both the Forest Service and the BLM about Morrison Jeep Trail in June. Funding has been approved, and plans (along with red tape) are currently being finalized to repair both the road along the Clarks Fork River and the switchback (FSR119). They intend to start physical work on the lower road in the spring of 2024 and expect to have it done that summer/fall.

[@wyomingjeepers]

I am glad you got some information out of them. I sure hope you are correct! :-) I called them and asked for a statement to put out on KZbin, they told us not to put any information on repairing the road out on KZbin, got mad and hung up on me. Called again to talk to a PR person and they would not return my call. It seems to me they didn't want anything official out there. Who Knows? I appreciate your information. Thanks!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Boy, wouldn't that be great! I hope they come through and repair this fun road so that more people can enjoy the adventure.

[@mnhockeyone]

This is good news, with the current shape of the road I doubted it would ever reopen again.

[@OverlandPNW]

I hope the joint agency projects get the switchbacks open soon. It is such an iconic trail! Roger, Jeanne, and Ruthie will be fun additions to your channel!

[@wyomingjeepers]

I hope so to... You all would love that trail! We think Rodger, Jeanne and Ruthie are great! Thanks!

[@melissacook]

It is an excellent trail for people all over the country to drive. Other roads in the area need work, which is likely why this one hasn't been fixed yet. I agree Roger, Jeanene, and Ruthie will be wonderful additions to our show. We have been Jeeping with them for 18 months, and they have appeared in quite a few of our social media posts. Thank you for watching and leaving a comment. We love your show too!

[@gregjones2217]

An endorsement for your book. As a fellow author I found it excellent and spellbinding. It's impressive especially for a first time. Feel free to use this one. Secondly I wanted to see how the Goose Lake adventure went. Hope it was good.

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Thank you, Greg! I’m glad you enjoyed our adventurous life in Alaska. Cooke City turned out to be fabulous. Thanks for asking.

[@jennifershipp2599]

So very glad to see you growing tha Jeepers. You ate a fantastic group of people. You and your channel are an inspiration. KEEP JEEPING! Roger and Jeanne are a great people! Can't wait for the next adventure.

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Thank you so much, Jennifer. It was great spending the day with you on the fan trip in Cooke City yesterday. We are excited to film our next adventure in late August or early September. In the meantime, we still have some other videos to release from last year. 🙂

[@wyomingjeepers]

Thank you so much for the comment. We agree, they are a great addition and we are lucky to have them! Enjoyed you guys on the trip!

[@scottanderson3406]

love the landscape , so beautiful !

[@wyomingjeepers]

It is so beautiful. Not sure if you have seen it but our regular Morrison Jeep trail video shows the scenery in that area much better! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYGWk2iObqeKeqc

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Thanks for watching, Scott. This is an adventurous road, but it has been closed for two seasons. Maybe next year, it will open again for all those seeking a great ride. Thanks for watching. I'm going to be in your neck of the woods in mid-September. I can't wait.

[@rvingitup]

So beautiful

[@wyomingjeepers]

It is... If you haven't seen this video, it shows the area much better! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYGWk2iObqeKeqc

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Thank you! It is a beautiful area. Elgin is right; our other shows in the region have more scenery. Thanks for watching! Where are you two at these days?

[@charlottemarek3045]

Wow that's a lot of flood damage but looking forward to new videos!

[@wyomingjeepers]

We should have more out before too long! :-)

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

We love to put out new videos. Unfortunately, they take 40-50 hours to edit, and I just started a new full-time job. Hopefully, we can still manage a video a month. We will see. Thanks for enjoying our show and leaving us a comment. We appreciate that!

[@roberthallam6824]

Beautiful ! I guess if the USFS doesn’t blade the road there’s a chance it may be gone forever. I hope that doesn’t happen. It’s certainly an iconic 4wd trail.

[@richardh.1247]

The switchbacks are the easy part. The road along the Clarks Fork washed out in the spring of 2022. A section completely disappeared so they cannot even get to the switchbacks. However, they (BLM & FS) are working on fixing it. They expect to have it done next year.

[@wyomingjeepers]

I agree, it is an iconic trail with folks coming from all around to take it.

[@wyomingjeepers]

Many have gone around the washed out areas in the canyon. There is actually a trail now that has been used enough that it is basically a new road around the washed out areas. I don't know if that part is officially open or not but there are no road closed signs at the beginning of the trail by Clark. Hope they do get if fixed!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

@@richardh.1247 Let's hope you are right. So far, it doesn't appear to have had any work done on it. That said, plenty of other areas hard hit by the flooding are used far more than this trail. Thanks for giving us an update and for watching and leaving a comment. We appreciate your time.

[@richardh.1247]

@@AuthorMelissaCook: They just got the funding earlier this year. Lots of work & red tape involved. Especially because the lower road is in a "Wild & Scenic River Act" area. It would have taken much longer but the area was part of the disaster designation after the flooding.

[@gregjones2217]

Thanks. I've been wondering about the road. I suspect it won't open unless private people do it.

[@wyomingjeepers]

I sure hope they will open it. It is a great loop road!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Quite a few areas need some work, but it looks doable. My fingers are crossed. In the meantime, I should dig out the footage I filmed on November 18, 2021. We drove it the evening right before a huge snowstorm hit the area. We came down at sunset and didn't pass anyone else, so I believe we may have been the last rig to make the trip.

[@user-qp6hn5kh7j]

First drove Morrison trail in 1978 and it was much different then. The trail was narrower and flatter and all switch backs required backing up even with a 75 Scout. The Morrison really serves no purpose other than recreation so it is very doubtful that it will ever open again

[@wyomingjeepers]

That would have been neat to take the trail back then.

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Yikes! That sounds like it was more difficult in 1978. They are making all the roads easier to access. Sometimes I like that, and sometimes I don't; it depends on the road. My fingers are crossed that they open this one again. Time will tell.

[@user-qp6hn5kh7j]

It really was scary, the Scout was manual so negotiating the switch backs was white knuckle time also at that time there was very little brush along the road so you could see right off the edge. If any one is interested in the history of the trail there is a letter telling some of it in the Cody library

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

@@user-qp6hn5kh7j I didn't know that. Thanks for giving us the details. Yes, it can be scary up there. I lost sleep the night before we drove it and wasn't sure we should do it right up until we passed the gate. Haha

[@cg62262]

WOO HOOO...I am thrilled y'all finally released a new video! 😁 How long has it been, BTW? I can't gt enough of Wyoming. I wish I could explore every square mile of it! Thank you for the great work you do.

[@wyomingjeepers]

You are welcome! Sorry it isn't a full video. The next one should be. Another one up near Cooke City. Should be fun!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Just about a month since our last video. We try to release one per month. The edit time is a killer because we like to put out a solid video with a storyline and incredible scenery. Typically, we spend about 40-50 hours per 30-minute episode. It's crazy how long it takes, but having a record of all the fun trips we have taken over the years is worth it. We have a couple more filmed and then a couple of fan trips. In the meantime, we plan to film more shows soon.

[@johnduke3215]

I'd say it's still closed!

[@wyomingjeepers]

yep... :-(

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Yes. I agree. I don't think you could safely drive a vehicle up that road if your life depended on it. Thanks for watching. We appreciate it.

[@user-wy4cl8yb6l]

If the state doesn’t step up is it possible a private contractor could step in?

[@wyomingjeepers]

I have come to the belief the BLM and Forest Service love nothing more than shutting down roads.

[@melissacook]

Who knows? The road has one spot that will be tricky to fix. We will soon see what they decide to do.

[@jerrystephensen9486]

Kind of a mess hu hope they open it

[@wyomingjeepers]

Yep... Hope so...

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

Me too. It's an exciting road to travel. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@debtodd007]

Joint BLM/Forest Service Project. Most of Clarks Fork Canyon is BLM land, the switchbacks are forest service. The two agencies have set funds aside, and plan to issue contracts for repair in the summer/fall of 2023. Expect the canyon and switchbacks to open towards the end of summer 2024.

[@wyomingjeepers]

Thank you for the update! I appreciate it. We could not get information from them and they wouldn't return our call. We appreciate your information. Thanks!

[@AuthorMelissaCook]

This is excellent information. I wonder why the Forest Service seems so closed lip about sharing information on the road. All the Jeepers want to know is when it will open and if there is anything we can do to help. Thanks for sharing what you know. We appreciate it.