Lionel Hutz
Well-Known Member
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- #1
Just over 3400 roundtrip miles from Michigan to Colorado. I set out to do some Badge of Honor trails, get away from work, and use the Jeep in a way I can't in Michigan.
I gave myself a few days to comfortably get to Telluride. The longest roundtrip drive prior to this trip was 4-500 miles. I really wasn't sure how I'd fare on such a long drive running 37s and with the interior noise. I wore these for 99% of the drive and they were the unsung hero of the trip. They cut all the wind and road noise while still allowing me to hear music and podcasts. 10-12 hour days in the Jeep would have been a lot more fatiguing if I didn't have them.
I didn't take any pictures of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, or Nebraska. I wasn't sure how to get a picture of the wind on I-80 through Nebraska.
Telluride is my new favorite place. The landscape and vibe in the area is very cool. A few shots from the balcony of my room in town. The morning would be clear and then it would rain each day in the early afternoon for 30-60 minutes.
I was solo on the trip, and with the rain, my first time being on the trails, I only completed two BoH trails. I ran Ophir and Imogene on the full days I was there. Yankee Boy Basin and Million Dollar Highway were also done because of the trail exits. Black Bear was closed and Engineer was a full day based on mileage and how long it took me to complete the two shorter trails (about 4 hours each).
Ophir was the first trail I completed and the shelf road felt worse than it really was. There wasn't anything terribly technical on the trail other than the elevation and narrow road.
The next day was Imogene. This trail was by far the high point of the trip. I would definitely run Imogene again if I went back. The morning was 57 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, I had the front panels off the top. The warmth of the sun at elevation and the open air experience made the drive really memorable. I picked up the trail in Telluride and exited on the Ouray side. I think I had a smile on my face the entire drive back from Ouray.
Lunch in Ouray. I managed to sneak in a burger and beer outside before the rain blew in for the afternoon.
Understandably, the forums for any vehicle are full of questions and complaints. For whatever it's worth to others thinking of a long road trip or buying a Jeep, I couldn't be happier with the performance of the Jeep. I didn't have a single issue on the entire trip. The Jeep was flawless on both the highway and trail driving. With the 3.6L/8-speed auto I never noticed power loss driving through the mountains, overheating, or any other issue at elevation.
From a modern engineering perspective, the capabilities from top to bottom are pretty amazing. Being able to use a single vehicle to get to a trail, remove and store part of the top, air down the tires, disconnect the front axle, run in 4Lo, and get home all in one piece is a testament to how well designed it really is. It's a far more capable vehicle than I am driver and it really did feel like a go anywhere, do anything vehicle. I wouldn't have wanted to experience the drive, scenery, and trails in anything other than a Jeep.
I gave myself a few days to comfortably get to Telluride. The longest roundtrip drive prior to this trip was 4-500 miles. I really wasn't sure how I'd fare on such a long drive running 37s and with the interior noise. I wore these for 99% of the drive and they were the unsung hero of the trip. They cut all the wind and road noise while still allowing me to hear music and podcasts. 10-12 hour days in the Jeep would have been a lot more fatiguing if I didn't have them.
I didn't take any pictures of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, or Nebraska. I wasn't sure how to get a picture of the wind on I-80 through Nebraska.
Telluride is my new favorite place. The landscape and vibe in the area is very cool. A few shots from the balcony of my room in town. The morning would be clear and then it would rain each day in the early afternoon for 30-60 minutes.
I was solo on the trip, and with the rain, my first time being on the trails, I only completed two BoH trails. I ran Ophir and Imogene on the full days I was there. Yankee Boy Basin and Million Dollar Highway were also done because of the trail exits. Black Bear was closed and Engineer was a full day based on mileage and how long it took me to complete the two shorter trails (about 4 hours each).
Ophir was the first trail I completed and the shelf road felt worse than it really was. There wasn't anything terribly technical on the trail other than the elevation and narrow road.
The next day was Imogene. This trail was by far the high point of the trip. I would definitely run Imogene again if I went back. The morning was 57 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, I had the front panels off the top. The warmth of the sun at elevation and the open air experience made the drive really memorable. I picked up the trail in Telluride and exited on the Ouray side. I think I had a smile on my face the entire drive back from Ouray.
Lunch in Ouray. I managed to sneak in a burger and beer outside before the rain blew in for the afternoon.
Understandably, the forums for any vehicle are full of questions and complaints. For whatever it's worth to others thinking of a long road trip or buying a Jeep, I couldn't be happier with the performance of the Jeep. I didn't have a single issue on the entire trip. The Jeep was flawless on both the highway and trail driving. With the 3.6L/8-speed auto I never noticed power loss driving through the mountains, overheating, or any other issue at elevation.
From a modern engineering perspective, the capabilities from top to bottom are pretty amazing. Being able to use a single vehicle to get to a trail, remove and store part of the top, air down the tires, disconnect the front axle, run in 4Lo, and get home all in one piece is a testament to how well designed it really is. It's a far more capable vehicle than I am driver and it really did feel like a go anywhere, do anything vehicle. I wouldn't have wanted to experience the drive, scenery, and trails in anything other than a Jeep.
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