Telluride CO 2015

[dillard09]

My family and I went over this last July 14'

Bypass was closed off with cable. We made it over the wall in our stock (at the time) JKUR with lockers on front and rear and sway bar disconnected.

I think he said he will have his wife and kids with him and not wanting anything too radical, don't know if this obstacle counts as that is a matter of opinion, but my wife and kids wouldn't go over it with me and all the FJ's before us were winching over it, FJ summit/rally was all over up there at the time.

My favorite trail too in the area as far as difficulty goes, nearly the whole thing was kind of sketchy for a stock vehicle. As for scenery we liked Imogene and Bolam passes the most.

If you can't make it over the obstacle on Poughkeepsie it is a long haul back down to Engineer Pass with pissed off kids and wife...

That lake is sweet though (Como Lake?), you can get to it from Corkscrew and Hurricane too (easy, scenic trails).

I was there in middle of August 14. They didn't have a cable up on the bypass. Maybe it was up to force those FJ up a trail to try and make them feel like a Jeeps. But MOST still had to winch. Haha! Did you just climb up it and wave on your way by them?
I have friend that has a FJ that was at the summit last year and he said he had to winch up it. I laughed! I like to give crap for having an FJ even though I have seen many that are very trail capable rigs.
So what line did you take to make it up in the stock JKUR?

 

[Remlap]

I was there in middle of August 14. They didn't have a cable up on the bypass. Maybe it was up to force those FJ up a trail to try and make them feel like a Jeeps. But MOST still had to winch. Haha! Did you just climb up it and wave on your way by them?
I have friend that has a FJ that was at the summit last year and he said he had to winch up it. I laughed! I like to give crap for having an FJ even though I have seen many that are very trail capable rigs.
So what line did you take to make it up in the stock JKUR?

Oh cool they must have opened it back up, good.

Another Jeep showed up behind me (my family and I were solo) and we had to help a kid and his mom over on a couple of quads. They were almost out of gas and we had to get them over the wall and back to their camp at Eureka, the bypass would have been much easier then towing them up over that thing ha-ha.

When we got there, apparently, the first FJ tried the line to the far right and cracked open his Transfer case. He was sitting up top waiting for JB Weld to dry - he did not offer me a winch up like his buddies but I don't blame him, he left as I was checking out the options. His line seemed the easiest to me but I did not think I had the break-over clearance at the top (neither did he it turns out) So I straddled the rut in the center and gave her hell.

That is the only trail I felt kind of skittish going up alone, but no one makes the trip with us up from AZ so this year I'm trying to be more properly equipped!

We were camped at Cayton Campground with some old buddies that drove down from Denver, so of course I bragged like a bastard all that night to them over some brews. They just have quads though so we cruised around Bolam with them right out of the campground, great views of Lizardhead Pass up top.

 

[dillard09]

Oh cool they must have opened it back up, good.

Another Jeep showed up behind me (my family and I were solo) and we had to help a kid and his mom over on a couple of quads. They were almost out of gas and we had to get them over the wall and back to their camp at Eureka, the bypass would have been much easier then towing them up over that thing ha-ha.

When we got there, apparently, the first FJ tried the line to the far right and cracked open his Transfer case. He was sitting up top waiting for JB Weld to dry - he did not offer me a winch up like his buddies but I don't blame him, he left as I was checking out the options. His line seemed the easiest to me but I did not think I had the break-over clearance at the top (neither did he it turns out) So I straddled the rut in the center and gave her hell.

That is the only trail I felt kind of skittish going up alone, but no one makes the trip with us up from AZ so this year I'm trying to be more properly equipped!

We were camped at Cayton Campground with some old buddies that drove down from Denver, so of course I bragged like a bastard all that night to them over some brews. They just have quads though so we cruised around Bolam with them right out of the campground, great views of Lizardhead Pass up top.

Maybe someone took the cable down cause I could see the stakes where it was up but the cable was not there.
That's funny! Just stand on the skinny pedal, giver hell, and hope for the best!
I also had to help a few quads up and one jeep. I just hooked up the winch and pulled Em up. I took the line just to the left of the big crack that forces ya into the big rock. It stood me straight up on my spare tire and rotopaxs. My wife was flipping out and she wasn't even in the jeep! So fun! She was like "WHAT ARE YOU SMILING FOR!" My grandfather was with me too and he was a bit nervous. He said he would have got out with my wife if he had two legs. He is amputated on his right leg just below the knee. So the rocks are hard for him. My wife dosent go wheeling very much with me for cause if moments like that.
I love that area around there. To me I have not seen a more beautiful place. My wife is a biologist so we get to above 8000' and in the talas rock piles you will find the Pika. We can watch them for hours!
So to hi jack your thread, bro!

 

[Remlap]

Maybe someone took the cable down cause I could see the stakes where it was up but the cable was not there.
That's funny! Just stand on the skinny pedal, giver hell, and hope for the best!
I also had to help a few quads up and one jeep. I just hooked up the winch and pulled Em up. I took the line just to the left of the big crack that forces ya into the big rock. It stood me straight up on my spare tire and rotopaxs. My wife was flipping out and she wasn't even in the jeep! So fun! She was like "WHAT ARE YOU SMILING FOR!" My grandfather was with me too and he was a bit nervous. He said he would have got out with my wife if he had two legs. He is amputated on his right leg just below the knee. So the rocks are hard for him. My wife dosent go wheeling very much with me for cause if moments like that.
I love that area around there. To me I have not seen a more beautiful place. My wife is a biologist so we get to above 8000' and in the talas rock piles you will find the Pika. We can watch them for hours!
So to hi jack your thread, bro!

Sounds like you have a great crew up for a good time, what a ballsy line! Well done sir..

Ya the whole area is hard to beat, heading back up this mid July again ourselves (hopefully run into a few of y'all - I'm the handsome devil at Cayton Campground with a Coors Banquet in his hand)

I'm gonna have to remember the term Pika - to impress my own crew in case we spot one of them little guys, I had to Google the difference between that and a Marmot ha-ha.

If the OP has any questions please ask away! At least he knows where not to go with skeered wives I guess.

 

[dillard09]

Sounds like you have a great crew up for a good time, what a ballsy line! Well done sir..

Ya the whole area is hard to beat, heading back up this mid July again ourselves (hopefully run into a few of y'all - I'm the handsome devil at Cayton Campground with a Coors Banquet in his hand)

I'm gonna have to remember the term Pika - to impress my own crew in case we spot one of them little guys, I had to Google the difference between that and a Marmot ha-ha.

If the OP has any questions please ask away! At least he knows where not to go with skeered wives I guess.

Very true! We are going to try and get back up that way around the 4th of July. That's one of the times we are normally there but we have our first little rug rat coming into this world in May so it might be tough this year. If we do get up there in July I would love to meet up for some "sodas" and hit the trails with ya.
Pika are the high pitched shreek you hear coming from the talas rocks piles. You would be surprised at how many people never even know they are there.

 

[JeepJam]

Sounds like you have a great crew up for a good time, what a ballsy line! Well done sir..

Ya the whole area is hard to beat, heading back up this mid July again ourselves (hopefully run into a few of y'all - I'm the handsome devil at Cayton Campground with a Coors Banquet in his hand)

I'm gonna have to remember the term Pika - to impress my own crew in case we spot one of them little guys, I had to Google the difference between that and a Marmot ha-ha.

If the OP has any questions please ask away! At least he knows where not to go with skeered wives I guess.

Thanks for all the tips guys, This is great info. My wife is scared of Black Bear Pass, but she will need to suck it up!

Last summer (Father's Day) We did Yankee Boy Basin, Corkscrew Gulch/Pass Silverton, then up to Animas Forks. Hurricane Pass was still blocked with snow.

This year, we are waiting till late July, so the snow will be melted by then. But I'm thinking a full day. Mineral Creek to Engineer Pass, then on to Lake City, returning via Cinnamon Pass, to California Gulch, to Hurricane Pass, to Corkscrew Pass, then out to HWY 550. I hope to see some of you guys out on the trail.:rock:

 

[Remlap]

Thanks for all the tips guys, This is great info. My wife is scared of Black Bear Pass, but she will need to suck it up!

Last summer (Father's Day) We did Yankee Boy Basin, Corkscrew Gulch/Pass Silverton, then up to Animas Forks. Hurricane Pass was still blocked with snow.

This year, we are waiting till late July, so the snow will be melted by then. But I'm thinking a full day. Mineral Creek to Engineer Pass, then on to Lake City, returning via Cinnamon Pass, to California Gulch, to Hurricane Pass, to Corkscrew Pass, then out to HWY 550. I hope to see some of you guys out on the trail.:rock:

I told my wife Black Bear is safer than Ophir because it's one way, but still no go, it's just too much for her yet but she'll get there.

Dipshits (usually in plush SUV's) will actually start down the shelf section on Ophir when you are plainly in sight going up towards them. No way in hell do they understand the uphill right of way either, so what fun it is trying to get around them boats. When they do that and you have the right of way (uphill) always take the inside when it comes time to pass each other, if they are stupid enough to head down when they see you, they are stupid enough to bump you off the edge.

She won't do Ophir anymore either now ha-ha.

Everything is likely to be open mid - late July and that sounds like a fun day!

 

[dillard09]

I told my wife Black Bear is safer than Ophir because it's one way, but still no go, it's just too much for her yet but she'll get there.

Dipshits (usually in plush SUV's) will actually start down the shelf section on Ophir when you are plainly in sight going up towards them. No way in hell do they understand the uphill right of way either, so what fun it is trying to get around them boats. When they do that and you have the right of way (uphill) always take the inside when it comes time to pass each other, if they are stupid enough to head down when they see you, they are stupid enough to bump you off the edge.

She won't do Ophir anymore either now ha-ha.

Everything is likely to be open mid - late July and that sounds like a fun day!

I was on Ophir last year waiting on a group coming uphill in that section when I guy I a rental jkur went around me. I tried to stop him and tell him to wait but he just waved. He got about half way when he meet the ones coming up. He did a 7 point turn around! I thought I was going to witness someone going off and plummeting to their deaths right in front of us! Idiots!

 

[Remlap]

You would think common sense would kick in in a deal like that but I guess not. Maybe them old crushed cars at the bottom were rentals back in the day? ha-ha.

Tax write off for Rusty's Rent-A-Heap

 

[dillard09]

You would think common sense would kick in in a deal like that but I guess not. Maybe them old crushed cars at the bottom were rentals back in the day? ha-ha.

Tax write off for Rusty's Rent-A-Heap

True! I said its culling the dumb out of the gene pool.
Just give them a rental jeep in the hi country. Then sit back and see what happens when they say hold my beer and watch this!

 

[rlew0083]

When are you leaning toward going? We are looking at July. We missed going last year and are definitely going this year.

My favorites are;
Imogene
Black Bear
Mineral Creek

My To Do;
Poughkeepsie Gulch

 

[JeepJam]

When are you leaning toward going? We are looking at July. We missed going last year and are definitely going this year.

My favorites are;
Imogene
Black Bear
Mineral Creek

My To Do;
Poughkeepsie Gulch

I'll be up there an entire week, so I'm looking to do all those. The entire Alpine Loop. Will have to wait until I get a winch for Poughkeepsie. You can really plan your trip out with those google earth track plots of all the trails from traildamage.com

 

[H8ROADS]

Depending on when you go, I might join for a few days. I hear it's a lot of fun doing those trails and they aren't especially hard.

 

[JeepJam]

Telluride getting closer

I've got my place rented for a week in Telluride. July 27 to Aug 3rd. Look out Black Bear Pass.. here I come:driving:

 

[dillard09]

I've got my place rented for a week in Telluride. July 27 to Aug 3rd. Look out Black Bear Pass.. here I come:driving:

Dang! I will be there in Colorado the 2 weeks after. Starting on the 5th of Aug! Where are you staying at?

 

[Greg__Berger]

On man! We have to be in CO for a wedding 8/5 - 8/9 and I've been wanting to hit Telluride. The timing would work out perfectly, but I don't think I can talk my wife into doing it.

 

[mudmobeeler]

My wife and I, boss and his wife and two kids, and my boss's parents will be in Durango July 19-24. Want to do some trails while we are there. I've got a 4 door rubicon on 35s, boss has a four door sport with my rubi tires and rock rails, his parents have a two door Mojave edition jk. Boss's dad has done quite a few trails around the area. I've done some stuff but nothing too major and it's been a while so I'll say I'm a little green. This is my boss's first jeep so he is very green.

Might try to meet up with anybody in the area. Don't know what all we are doing and what days. Know we are doing the train one day and the women will want to shop some.

I just wanna wheel.

 

[Desert Rose JK]

We did that area last Sept... see http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?20985-South-West-Colorado-road-trip for trip log, but had a great time. Coming into Telluride from Cortez we ran up a short road to Alta which has a few buildings but a great little lake for a pick nick. Spent one night in Telluride and then went up and over Imogene Pass to Ouray and spend the night there. Go to Montrose and check out Black Canyon NP to see a neat canyon. We spend the night in Lake City and did Engineer Pass to Animas Forks and from there did California and Hurricane and then down Corkscrew. Loved that day of wheeling....nothing hard at all... we were 'sight seeing' the high country and ghost towns / mining history since we're from the desert!!!! We would do it again in a heart beat and wish we could join all or some of you the next time! Have FUN !!! :thumb:

 

[Sithwindu]

I subbed this thread! A lot of good info!! I hope to make a trip to Colorado next year in spring for my first off road trip out of Texas ( living in south Texas sucks!!) mainly for the view, Colorado looks amazing for sights!!

 

[Jackal01]

I subbed this thread! A lot of good info!! I hope to make a trip to Colorado next year in spring for my first off road trip out of Texas ( living in south Texas sucks!!) mainly for the view, Colorado looks amazing for sights!!

Are you set on spring? The wife and I are planning on summer maybe fall to CO as long as I get my phase 2 completed. Spring will be too soon money and vacation time wise. I'd like to have a couple other jeeps along for the trip.