Our trip out West with open diffs

[mgroeger]

Yeah, Telluride is more high end....but the trip is worth it just for Bridal Veil Falls and the airport.....

Next time

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[mike_b_81]

The airport is definitely worth the drive. It's west of town and the strip is on the edge of a cliff.... It's awesome watching planes come in for landings there.

The Falls are gorgeous too....easy drive up a gravel road to get to the base. I don't think you can get to the Power Generation Station at the top from the bottom of the road (which is Black Bear Pass) b/c near the base of the Fall is where the road goes to one way, but don't quote me on that b/c I'd imagine crews that man that power station are probably based out of Telluride and I highly doubt they go all the way around via US 550 and come in from east to west on Black Bear Pass Road (though there is another forestry road leading to the backside of the power station, but it looks relatively unused and comes over the same set of mountains that separate 550 from Telluride).

Yeah, Poughkeepsie was still closed. We did Ophir over to Telluride and did Bridal Veil Falls, it was a nice ride. Also did Telluride side of Imogene to Tomboy. Another day we did Last Dollar back over into Telluride, Last Dollar was a good ride and it brings you out right at the Airport, wound up seeing about 30 Elk just down the road from the Airport. Then we parked are Mountain Village and utilized the free gondola to go down into Telluride to meet a friend for dinner.

 

[Wanted33]

Wow Mike, what great pictures. The one with the jeep sitting out on the rock is a money shot. We're heading out that way in a couple weeks, and now you've got us both excited to get on the road.

 

[Kbach]

The power of those things is unreal, 12" trees laid over like toothpicks on the OPPOSITE side of the avalanche where it would hit a valley and then go up the other side with that much force.

We were in Silverton for July 4th and were amazed by all of the avalanche damage. I've been going there for over 30 years and have never seen it that bad.

Here's an example from Ophir....avalanche came down one side of the hill and went up the other. As an engineer I have a pretty good understanding of force...this left my jaw on the floor. Nature can pack one heck of a punch!!

 

[mgroeger]

We were in Silverton for July 4th and were amazed by all of the avalanche damage. I've been going there for over 30 years and have never seen it that bad.

Here's an example from Ophir....avalanche came down one side of the hill and went up the other. As an engineer I have a pretty good understanding of force...this left my jaw on the floor. Nature can pack one heck of a punch!!

HA! I posted a pic of the same avalanche just from the opposite angle. Yeah when I saw that I too realized the force behind it... amazing. I told the Mrs. do you have any idea what it took to push it up the OTHER side and do that? It would have been an earth shaking event for sure.

 

[Rogues Gambit]

Definitely enjoyed reading this thread, now I'm even more excited to eventually be part of the Jeep family

 

[intentsrig]

Looks like a great trip!

 

[Maverick909]

awesome pictures. thanks for letting us enjoy your trip!. im hoping to get out to Sedona next spring!

 

[GhostDivers]

LOL! Yeah, no joke, I prayed at the beginning of each off roading session. It's very easy for things to go South on those trails. At the end of our Top of the World ride I was pretty tired and got sloppy by not watching my rear wheels and banged up the passenger rear shock. Just a reminder to myself to pay attention when out there.
Sadly two women died a few months back when their RZR rolled and then burst into flames

We're hitting Uwharie this weekend but it just won't be the same now that we've tasted slick rock

I’ve not driven on slick rock…yet! I’m sure you’ve been out to Uwharrie more than I have and no doubt have found plenty of slick, wet mud…does that count A few times there and once up in Virginia my wife and I were experiencing some solid drifting at 3 MPH…

When are you headed to Uwharrie this weekend and what trails are you planning? Please post pics on the NC Roll Call so I can live vicariously. With work, my wife’s travel schedule and our little girls never ending activities…I’ve not been out there since June

 

[mgroeger]

I’ve not driven on slick rock…yet! I’m sure you’ve been out to Uwharrie more than I have and no doubt have found plenty of slick, wet mud…does that count A few times there and once up in Virginia my wife and I were experiencing some solid drifting at 3 MPH…

When are you headed to Uwharrie this weekend and what trails are you planning? Please post pics on the NC Roll Call so I can live vicariously. With work, my wife’s travel schedule and our little girls never ending activities…I’ve not been out there since June

So that's the irony of "slick rock", it got it's names from the wagon wheels of early settlers sliding on the rock. The rock is actually like 80 grit sandpaper and is amazing to drive on. Climbing it makes you feel like spiderman because of how well your sneakers grip it.
I HATE Uwharie when it's muddy... that clay sucks. Our Jeeps are permanently stained with it. We are heading down Saturday, we live 1:45 away. If you scroll back on the Roll Call forum pages you will see video from Father's Day when I met up with @ThirtyOne and his daughter to go riding.
We usually hit all the easy trails and then jump on Dickey Bell. We'll do that and probably throw in Dutch John and maybe play around on the top of Daniel (not the crazy rock garden).

The black Jeep in the pics is the Mrs. I have a '04 LJ which you will see in the videos on the Roll Call page.

 

[TexRivers]

Mike,
Great pics. I also was in Ouray, Silverton and Telluride in early July in my 2019 Moab w/o lockers. Did many of the trails mentioned here. Black Bear was still closed but we did drive to the top of Bridal Veil falls.

Spent 6 days in northern CA and doing more Jeep trails.

 

[mgroeger]

Mike,
Great pics. I also was in Ouray, Silverton and Telluride in early July in my 2019 Moab w/o lockers. Did many of the trails mentioned here. Black Bear was still closed but we did drive to the top of Bridal Veil falls.

Spent 6 days in northern CA and doing more Jeep trails.

NICE!!! We are planning on moving out to Utah as soon as we can sell our flower shop (the Mrs. is a florist... not me). I can see trips to CA to go off roading in our future then.

 

[AlamedaJeep]

Mike,
Great pics. I also was in Ouray, Silverton and Telluride in early July in my 2019 Moab w/o lockers. Did many of the trails mentioned here. Black Bear was still closed but we did drive to the top of Bridal Veil falls.

Spent 6 days in northern CA and doing more Jeep trails.

Where is that awesome bridge?

 

[Therby]

Looks amazing, i want to do the same trip

 

[TexRivers]

Where is that awesome bridge?

Yankee Jim’s crossing on the north fork of the American River near Auburn CA.

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