Bunce School Road, the Ironclads, and the T-33 Crash Site
Around 8:30 AM on Sunday July 20th, members of the Larimer County Four Wheel Drive Club started gathering at the North Longmont Walmart parking lot at Highway 66 and 287 for our monthly group ride. After receiving a short briefing, we rolled out around 9 AM. The sky was mostly clear, and the forecast promised ideal conditions – temperatures in the 70s with no wind and only a few clouds drifting in later in the day.
We caravanned to the Bunce School Road trailhead, where we split into two groups. Lee and I were in the second group in our 2025 Jeep Wrangler. This was our first time on these particular trails.
Our route took us first down Bunce School Road; a relatively easy and well-traveled forest service road located just northwest of Allenspark. The road is named after the historic Bunce School, a one-room schoolhouse built in 1888 that’s still standing near the entrance. While Bunce itself was mellow, the real excitement came from its two spurs: one leading to the Ironclads and the other to the T-33 crash site.
Our group tackled the Ironclads first – a rugged and rocky spur trail with short technical climbs. The trail is mostly forested, so the views were intermittent. It didn’t take long before we encountered our first incident of the day: a club member experienced suspension damage near the beginning of the trail and had to turn back. Fortunately, no one else in our group had any mechanical issues (that I know of), and we continued through the rocky terrain.
For me (and probably others), the T-33 crash site was the highlight of the trip. In 1965, a Lockheed T-33 jet trainer crashed in the Roosevelt National Forest during a training flight. The debris field is still scattered through the forest. When we arrived, the first group was already there exploring. We found large fragments of the aircraft, including pieces of the tail section, wings, and cockpit. I even spotted a melted section of a wing control surface, likely the result of fire from the crash.
After taking time to explore and photograph the crash site, we regrouped and headed back. At the junction with Bunce School Road, the two groups split again – the first group continued south while we veered north, effectively swapping trail directions from earlier in the day.
Although Bunce School Road itself was easygoing, the two spurs challenged us with boulders, large steps, and loose rock. Stock vehicles were able to complete all sections with careful lines, and occasional spotting and minor hang-ups. Our lifted Jeep handled the terrain without any issues, but I was cautious since we haven’t yet completed a 500-mile post-regear differential service.
By the end of the ride, clouds were beginning to gather, but the weather remained dry and pleasant all day. Overall, it was a great trip!