Notes & photos from a Colorado Road Trip

[cOtter]

You all are AWESOME!!!! Of course you all knew that already. Otherwise you would not have Jeeps.

My wife and I will definitely look into these options.

THANKS AGAIN.

Anyone else with input, it is welcomed. Thanks in advance.

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[entropy]

Hello all. I do have a question. My wife and I have a ‘20 Sahara, we do some very minor off-road. 2.0 with minor mods of Mopar lift and 35 ATs.

We live in Southern IN and next spring is our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We are almost certainly doing a 2 week - 17 day road trip west.

We have never been to West of the Mississippi. We are considering Utah / Colorado/ Wyoming.

Any of the trails above or others doable / recommended? Thanks in advance.

No interest in rock climbing. Some love it, that’s great. Just not my thing.

More just want to enjoy the great outdoors and not get my ride messed up.

I do trails that are way more difficult than those with my 2 door sport on 33s and rubicon springs. You'll be fine.

 

[txj2go]

There are a few different authors who write trail books for Utah and for Colorado. They include ratings for trail difficulty and some of the books for Colorado will tell you when the trails open. I think the books by Charles Wells are very good, and also good are the books by Massey/Wilson.
But regarding the original question- you can do a lot of trails with the stock tires on the Jeep.

 

[jhackathorne]

You all are AWESOME!!!! Of course you all knew that already. Otherwise you would not have Jeeps.

My wife and I will definitely look into these options.

THANKS AGAIN.

Anyone else with input, it is welcomed. Thanks in advance.

This can be for anyone wanting to travel to CO. This page lists current data and historical as well.

http://www.bushducks.com/tripreps/passopen.htm

 

[BillyBaroo]

There are so many places to Jeep around Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Lake City that you could spend weeks exploring the area. I have spent many weeks at a ranch between Creed and Lake City where there are back roads everywhere to explore. Many places to fish if that is your thing. I am more into photography myself.

 

[jbcrane]

My fam and I just returned from a long anticipated Jeep road trip to Colorado. Just wanted to share some my experience. We drove 2,500 miles from Austin to Telluride in a 2020 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited on 35 inch Nitto Trail Grapplers and a 2 inch Mopar lift. We rode the Alpine Loop (Engineer Pass & Cinnamon Pass), Ophir Pass, Imogene Pass, and Last Dollar Pass. It was an incredible trip, the Jeep performed flawlessly, and we met a whole lot of awesome off-roaders along the way. Trails like these in the heart of the San Juan mountains are a big part of the reason why I own a Jeep, and these iconic trails exceeded all of my expectations.

Random thoughts:
* Driving 75-85 mph across open country with a crosswind in a Jeep requires a certain degree of "focus".
* It will take you a good part of your day (approx 7-8 hours) to complete the Alpine Loop. But well worth it.
* When driving Engineer Pass from Animas Forks to Lake City, it will take you 75% of your time to complete the first 25% of the trail. The last 75% goes quickly.
* Do you ever truly "wheel alone" in a Jeep? Unless you're on an isolated trail, there will always be other Jeepers to help you if needed. It's a great community.
* Imogene Pass was temporarily closed at the top until July 12th. If you plan a trip to Colorado before 4th of July, there's a "chance" some trails may still be closed.
* Last Dollar Pass is rated as a very easy trail, but after a heavy rainstorm with hail, the dirt roads turned into mud, and it became of the most challenging.
* Summer afternoon thunderstorms are very common in the mountains during "monsoon season". Best to hit the trails early for clear blue skies and less traffic.
* That little gas station outside Silverton has the best "air pump" I've ever seen. It filled each of my tires from 22 lbs to 36 lbs in less than a minute!
* Jeeps are awesome. It handled all of these trails with absolutely no issue. And when climbing a shelf road up to 12,900 feet with a thunderstorm moving in, it gives you a lot of confidence to be behind the wheel of a Jeep.

I’m doing the same thing mid-September. Thanks so much for your thoughts.

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

I’ll be going along with @DaddyEngineer in a few weeks and have questions regarding trip planning. Anyone who lives in the area or has wheeled the region, tell me this:

We’ll be based in Ouray. I’d like to spend one long day doing Engineer, Cinnamon, California, Hurricane, and Corkscrew. Can it be done in 1 day? How many hours?

What about a day’s itenerary of Ophir, then Black Bear, then Imogene (maybe Yankee Boy Basin?) back to Ouray? Feasible in a day and how long?

Is Poughkeepsie Gulch better or worse, easier or harder in one direction vs the other? It runs N-S. What other nearby trails would you recommend to fill out a day?

We will be there the week of Labor Day. Any areas that should be avoided due to crowding on Labor Day?

 

[BillyBaroo]

Having been to these areas many times, I think you will find that around Labor Day that the passes will be very busy. They are slow going in the first place and where they are two way traffic even slower. FWIW

 

[blnewt]

I’ll be going along with @DaddyEngineer in a few weeks and have questions regarding trip planning. Anyone who lives in the area or has wheeled the region, tell me this:

We’ll be based in Ouray. I’d like to spend one long day doing Engineer, Cinnamon, California, Hurricane, and Corkscrew. Can it be done in 1 day? How many hours?

What about a day’s itenerary of Ophir, then Black Bear, then Imogene (maybe Yankee Boy Basin?) back to Ouray? Feasible in a day and how long?

Is Poughkeepsie Gulch better or worse, easier or harder in one direction vs the other? It runs N-S. What other nearby trails would you recommend to fill out a day?

We will be there the week of Labor Day. Any areas that should be avoided due to crowding on Labor Day?

I'd go from Ouray, through Mineral Creek (lower Engineer pass trail) up to Engineer Summit, turn back at the summit and back down through that Mineral Creek area to the Poughkeepsie Gulch trail head, up through Poughkeepsie, then hit Hurricane and finish up at Corkscrew. This will be a full day loop and you can get 2 badge trails and see the best of that area. Finishing up at Lake Como then hit the Red Mts at corkscrew is so epic! From Engineer summit to Lake City and back on the Alpine loop isn't really comparable in trail challenge or scenery vs. the sections I listed. Going Poughkeepsie from the Mineral Creek side is the most common route, and the trail starts out easier and gets tougher as you go on, if you go from the Lake Como side you start out in the tough area and gets easier. Something about having that Lake as your finishing reward just makes it that much better!

If you have extra time you could run the entire Alpine loop, but it sounds like you may be pressed.

You may want to run Ophir then back on Imogene for another run, and if you're doing good on time spend some extra time in Yankee basin.

Then on another day run Black Bear, spend some fun time in Telluride, even go up to the ski area and check it out, nice little village up there too, then head back to Ouray through Imogene again or the easier Ophir back home.

Just my 2cs, have a blast!

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

I'd go from Ouray, through Mineral Creek (lower Engineer pass trail) up to Engineer Summit, turn back at the summit and back down through that Mineral Creek area to the Poughkeepsie Gulch trail head, up through Poughkeepsie, then hit Hurricane and finish up at Corkscrew. This will be a full day loop and you can get 2 badge trails and see the best of that area. Finishing up at Lake Como then hit the Red Mts at corkscrew is so epic! From Engineer summit to Lake City and back on the Alpine loop isn't really comparable in trail challenge or scenery vs. the sections I listed. Going Poughkeepsie from the Mineral Creek side is the most common route, and the trail starts out easier and gets tougher as you go on, if you go from the Lake Como side you start out in the tough area and gets easier. Something about having that Lake as your finishing reward just makes it that much better!

If you have extra time you could run the entire Alpine loop, but it sounds like you may be pressed.

You may want to run Ophir then back on Imogene for another run, and if you're doing good on time spend some extra time in Yankee basin.

Then on another day run Black Bear, spend some fun time in Telluride, even go up to the ski area and check it out, nice little village up there too, then head back to Ouray through Imogene again or the easier Ophir back home.

Just my 2cs, have a blast!

Thanks Brad. I trust your opinion having run this before. So if I adjust one one day I would do Engineer to the summit, backtrack to run Poughkeepsie N to S (easier to tougher), then Hurricane, Corkscrew. How many hours of pure wheeling is that, not factoring in stops?

Another day would be to take Million Dollar Hwy down to Ophir, then Ophir through to Hwy 145, take it into Telluride, then Imogene, to Yankee Boy Basin back to Ouray. Time?

Another day for Black Bear. Any other trails that you can recommend that I can run in the same day as Black Bear? About 3 days of dedicated wheeling is all I’m going to get on this trip.

 

[GATORB8]

I'd go from Ouray, through Mineral Creek (lower Engineer pass trail) up to Engineer Summit, turn back at the summit and back down through that Mineral Creek area to the Poughkeepsie Gulch trail head, up through Poughkeepsie, then hit Hurricane and finish up at Corkscrew. This will be a full day loop and you can get 2 badge trails and see the best of that area. Finishing up at Lake Como then hit the Red Mts at corkscrew is so epic! From Engineer summit to Lake City and back on the Alpine loop isn't really comparable in trail challenge or scenery vs. the sections I listed. Going Poughkeepsie from the Mineral Creek side is the most common route, and the trail starts out easier and gets tougher as you go on, if you go from the Lake Como side you start out in the tough area and gets easier. Something about having that Lake as your finishing reward just makes it that much better!

If you have extra time you could run the entire Alpine loop, but it sounds like you may be pressed.

You may want to run Ophir then back on Imogene for another run, and if you're doing good on time spend some extra time in Yankee basin.

Then on another day run Black Bear, spend some fun time in Telluride, even go up to the ski area and check it out, nice little village up there too, then head back to Ouray through Imogene again or the easier Ophir back home.

Just my 2cs, have a blast!

I was going to say the same on turning back on engineer. More than half of the Lake City portion of both Engineer and Cinnamon are pretty flat and uneventful.

 

[blnewt]

Thanks Brad. I trust your opinion having run this before. So if I adjust one one day I would do Engineer to the summit, backtrack to run Poughkeepsie N to S (easier to tougher), then Hurricane, Corkscrew. How many hours of pure wheeling is that, not factoring in stops?
Engineer (Mineral Creek to Summit) ~probably 2 hrs (if trail is not backed up)
Summit back to Poughkeepsie trailhead~ probably 1.5 hrs ^^ ^^
Poughkeepsie~ 2 to 3 hrs depending if you have to wait at the wall and want to play around a bit in that area.
Hurricane & Corkscrew~maybe 1hr to 1.5 hrs
So adding air up & down 8 to 8.5 hrs is my best guess. If you hit this on Labor Day or earlier that weekend I'd add at least an hr for trail traffic.

Another day would be to take Million Dollar Hwy down to Ophir, then Ophir through to Hwy 145, take it into Telluride, then Imogene, to Yankee Boy Basin back to Ouray. Time?
Ophir is quick if there's no traffic, probably about 1.5 to 2 hrs max.
About a half hour to get to Imogene trail head if Telluride isn't log-jammed
Imogene I'd allow 3.5 hrs, and whatever time you want to spend in Yankee Basin (we didn't hit Yankee so can't comment on time to allow there)
So at least 6 hrs + yankee basin time + air up/down time

Another day for Black Bear. Any other trails that you can recommend that I can run in the same day as Black Bear? About 3 days of dedicated wheeling is all I’m going to get on this trip.
Black Bear might be best after Labor Day as it will be a parking lot Sat/Sun/Mon.
We didn't run Black Bear, but 3hrs seems to be the avg time
Then hit Imogene again is what I would do, Imogene really is a great run, and maybe explore some mines, etc that day or spend time in Telluride as it's a pretty damn cool place. Or run back on Ophir if you just want to decompress a bit after Black Bear.
Might check w Gary @Krondor for his estimate on times, he's hit those trails more than me and might have better estimates or some offshoots that would be good to check out, especially that Black Bear day.
At any rate, should be able to knock off all 5 Badge trails and see some of the best of that area in a short 3 day span.

 

[Krondor]

I’ll be going along with @DaddyEngineer in a few weeks and have questions regarding trip planning. Anyone who lives in the area or has wheeled the region, tell me this:

We’ll be based in Ouray. I’d like to spend one long day doing Engineer, Cinnamon, California, Hurricane, and Corkscrew. Can it be done in 1 day? How many hours?

What about a day’s itenerary of Ophir, then Black Bear, then Imogene (maybe Yankee Boy Basin?) back to Ouray? Feasible in a day and how long?

Is Poughkeepsie Gulch better or worse, easier or harder in one direction vs the other? It runs N-S. What other nearby trails would you recommend to fill out a day?

We will be there the week of Labor Day. Any areas that should be avoided due to crowding on Labor Day?

@Blksmth

George lives in the area, and I'd bet he would know better than me!

George, got insights?

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I’ll be going along with @DaddyEngineer in a few weeks and have questions regarding trip planning. Anyone who lives in the area or has wheeled the region, tell me this:

1. We’ll be based in Ouray. I’d like to spend one long day doing Engineer, Cinnamon, California, Hurricane, and Corkscrew. Can it be done in 1 day? How many hours?

2. What about a day’s itenerary of Ophir, then Black Bear, then Imogene (maybe Yankee Boy Basin?) back to Ouray? Feasible in a day and how long?

3. Is Poughkeepsie Gulch better or worse, easier or harder in one direction vs the other? It runs N-S. What other nearby trails would you recommend to fill out a day?

We will be there the week of Labor Day. Any areas that should be avoided due to crowding on Labor Day?

1. 5+ years ago this would be easily feasible in a day and I've done it a number of times, however, there is so much traffic on the trails these days (especially over the Labor Day weekend), I wouldn't count on being able to do it all in a day, especially if you want to stop and enjoy the views and sights along the way. I'd shoot for the Alpine Loop (Engineer/Cinnamon) in a day, and then if you do have extra time you could head back to Ouray over Corkscrew.

2. Again, possible a few years ago, but you will probably get caught in traffic on both Imogene and Black Bear and won't be moving as quickly as you would like. I think shooting for the Black Bear / Imogene loop would be a good day, and if you have extra time you could head up to Yankee Boy before returning to Ouray.

3. I've always preferred to head up Poughkeepsie Gulch (running it north to south) to go up the obstacles instead of down them. It seems most people run the trail in this direction, so you won't be going against the crowds.

Hope this helps!

 

[verapx]

We just got back from CO about a week ago. Rode trails in Buena Vista and Breckinridge. Had a great time and the views were amazing. This was the first time I had issues with the altitude. Ended out getting one of those spray cans of O2 and that made it better.

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