100 mile radius of Fairplay, CO (Basecamp) with 3 generations of boys

[j_stew762]

As the title reads, we just returned from a week long trip (July 19 - July 26) to Colorado, where we used a cabin in Fairplay as our basecamp.

It was 3 generations of boys on both sides between myself and my in-laws (Brother in law and I are close to 40, with our boys 8yo and only 3 months apart, with both our dads close in age).

Between his JK, his 4 dr razor, and my JL we cruised Browns/Breckneck Pass behind the cabin. We took Boreas Pass to Breckenridge, then down to Blue Lakes Waterfall. We took Weston Pass over to Leadville, and we took Tincup Pass out of St. Elmo up to Taylor Lake Res. We took Peerless Mine trail up to the trailhead for Mt. Sherman. We traveled portions of Aspen Ridge to Bald Mountain and back of Little Cottonwood to Rt. 185.

We even walked through the South Park Museum in downtown Fairplay. It was a great trip, and if my math is correct we logged over 650 miles while there.

A few things we heard about/saw while we were there that we’d like to try on the next trip is a train ride through the mountains, a guided fly fishing day, and maybe a day on a canoe. We want to make it an annual trip, but maybe mixed it up a bit. We’re thinking about following the rockies but going north into Wyoming or Montana. We love the trail riding and site seeing, but it was quite dusty while we were there. Both Jeeps came home and needed a good 8-10hrs worth of cleaning and I’m sure I have dust in interior crevasses I havent got to.

Any suggestions on locations in Wyoming/Montana/Idaho?

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[Jank4AU]

My parents used to live in Jefferson about 16 miles away. My dad taught in Fairplay after retiring as a ranch manager and moving to Como (9 miles away), very familiar with that area. It's absolutely beautiful there! I really miss it. Glad you guys got to explore and have fun, I know there are tons of trails to ride out there. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dkretden]

Wyoming?

Burgess Junction:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...r-pusses”-—-list-them-here.56846/post-1640138

 

[Wkaz]

Visited Fairplay back in 2020. Absolutely loved it out there, people were so nice too. Rented a jeep the week were there, went home and ordered my first jeep.

 

[andy29847]

Any suggestions on locations in Wyoming/Montana/Idaho?

Idaho rocks! The Idaho Backroads Discovery Route is very popular. I first went to Idaho in 2007. I went back in 2015 and rode around the Frank Church Wilderness. I wrote a ride report:

My Dad Rode the Six Days of Idaho and All I Got Was a T-shirt | Adventure Rider (advrider.com)

I went back again in 2021 in a Jeep. I didn't write a report for this trip. We spent a week near Riggins and a week in Challis. It was fabulous! I'll share a few photos from that trip.

 

[Capt. Don]

What a great week. Pulling three generations together on both sides of the family was a challenge, I'll bet. Good selection of Jeeps. Thanks, for sharing this great family tale.

 

[wibornz]

As the title reads, we just returned from a week long trip (July 19 - July 26) to Colorado, where we used a cabin in Fairplay as our basecamp.

It was 3 generations of boys on both sides between myself and my in-laws (Brother in law and I are close to 40, with our boys 8yo and only 3 months apart, with both our dads close in age).

Between his JK, his 4 dr razor, and my JL we cruised Browns/Breckneck Pass behind the cabin. We took Boreas Pass to Breckenridge, then down to Blue Lakes Waterfall. We took Weston Pass over to Leadville, and we took Tincup Pass out of St. Elmo up to Taylor Lake Res. We took Peerless Mine trail up to the trailhead for Mt. Sherman. We traveled portions of Aspen Ridge to Bald Mountain and back of Little Cottonwood to Rt. 185.

We even walked through the South Park Museum in downtown Fairplay. It was a great trip, and if my math is correct we logged over 650 miles while there.

A few things we heard about/saw while we were there that we’d like to try on the next trip is a train ride through the mountains, a guided fly fishing day, and maybe a day on a canoe. We want to make it an annual trip, but maybe mixed it up a bit. We’re thinking about following the rockies but going north into Wyoming or Montana. We love the trail riding and site seeing, but it was quite dusty while we were there. Both Jeeps came home and needed a good 8-10hrs worth of cleaning and I’m sure I have dust in interior crevasses I havent got to.

Any suggestions on locations in Wyoming/Montana/Idaho?

That is how you make life long memories with your kids. Well done Sir. Just know that I use a leaf blower to get rid of 90% of the dust before I start cleaning.

Looks like the views were great. I may add some of your locations to my Colorado map of things and places to explore.

 

[Ang1Sgt]

These are the trips that family memories are made of! Looks like you all had a great time!

 

[ZigZag]

Within 100 miles of Fairplay there are a lot of trails that you missed. But you also bagged several that I have not done. Looks like you had a great time so now I have to check those out. Thanks for posting this!

 

[j_stew762]

Wyoming?

Burgess Junction:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/lifestyle-trails-a-k-a-“trails-for-pusses”-—-list-them-here.56846/post-1640138

I’ll add this to my list of destinations to research.

 

[j_stew762]

Idaho rocks! The Idaho Backroads Discovery Route is very popular. I first went to Idaho in 2007. I went back in 2015 and rode around the Frank Church Wilderness. I wrote a ride report:

My Dad Rode the Six Days of Idaho and All I Got Was a T-shirt | Adventure Rider (advrider.com)

I went back again in 2021 in a Jeep. I didn't write a report for this trip. We spent a week near Riggins and a week in Challis. It was fabulous! I'll share a few photos from that trip.

Looks amazing. I’ll check out your ride report and this area this weekend when I get a chance to research some areas.

I spent a good amount of time researching the Fairplay trip this year to make sure it was a success, and I had been to Buena Vista once before so taking on Idaho/Wyoming/Montana without having been there will be a chore but worth it.

 

[crux360a]

Was this picture in Fairplay? my sister in law lives downtown Denver, and we were talking about going over to CO and having a go at some of the trails. this picture is absolutely gorgeous

 

[j_stew762]

What a great week. Pulling three generations together on both sides of the family was a challenge, I'll bet. Good selection of Jeeps. Thanks, for sharing this great family tale.

It wasnt that bad actually. The hardest part with it was finding a week where 6 people didn’t have anything going on.

 

[j_stew762]

That is how you make life long memories with your kids. Well done Sir. Just know that I use a leaf blower to get rid of 90% of the dust before I start cleaning.

Looks like the views were great. I may add some of your locations to my Colorado map of things and places to explore.

I used some compressed air once I got home to my compressor and that took care of the dust. But dang it was a lot for a guy who is very picky about the cleanliness of their vehicle.

Reach out if you want any details about the trails I listed.

 

[j_stew762]

Within 100 miles of Fairplay there are a lot of trails that you missed. But you also bagged several that I have not done. Looks like you had a great time so now I have to check those out. Thanks for posting this!

I know, we made good use of our time though. Mosquito pass was still closed due to snow and an abandoned vehicle.

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