Planning the 7th Annual Jeep-CJ Trail Ride

[IanHappens]

I too would love to make it back there again, it's such a beautiful place with great offroading and peaceful camping. If your on the fence about doing a Rubicon trip you need to go!

these were taken almost 15years ago, I hope not much has changed.


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[JR74CJ5]

I too would love to make it back there again, it's such a beautiful place with great offroading and peaceful camping. If your on the fence about doing a Rubicon trip you need to go!

these were taken almost 15years ago, I hope not much has changed.


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That's a different trip bud

The Rubicon has changed a bit so I hear, I wasn't on it 15 years ago so can't tell you exactly how. Still beautiful and still a challenge, so that's still the same...

This thread is the Colorado trail rides planning. I'm hoping to do a 2018 Rubicon trail ride group though.

 

[JR74CJ5]

I have a lot of work to do to my jeep plan on going if it's up and running. My built 258 is garbage so a fuel injected 4.0 is going in its place.

Get to it Coldair!!

(I've been text bugging him too all lol)

 

[Lumpy Grits]

With all of the rain we have had this year. I will guarantee you that the 'ruby' will be a whole new experience.
LG

 

[Posi]

Dave, add another rig to the list. My friend Bobby and Blacky will be coming. They will be driving out from the east coast and will arrive on Monday or Tuesday.

 

[BusaDave9]

Dave, add another rig to the list. My friend Bobby and Blacky will be coming. They will be driving out from the east coast and will arrive on Monday or Tuesday.

Sounds good!

So I think we have about 13 jeeps and 19 people:
007 +1
MrIPlayBass & OldJeepLady
Bill D +1
BusaDave9
Posi +1
Shooby
JR74CJ5 (Two jeeps)
Coldair
Bobby and Blacky
Powdertwoplanker
WhatRoad +1
Hagar +1

EVERYUSERNAMEISTAKEN, (maybe)
Please let me know if there are any discrepancies with my list.

I have previously posted the itinerary I have been planning:
Sunday: arrival day, we might hang out or we might take a short trip into Yankee Boy Basin.

Monday: We'll take Engineer Pass trail from the highway all the way to the top of Engineer Pass. We've never gone any further than the lookout (also know as OH Point!). We might continue on. If we do we may head back past Animas Forks Ghost Town and on to Silverton. This section is very rough and rocky so if we have the time (depending on how far past Engineer pass we go) we might head behind Animas Forks Ghost Town and over Hurricane Pass and down Cement creek valley to Silverton. Then dinner at Handelbars.

Tuesday: We'll take the infamous Black Bear Pass (trust me it's not as bad as it's reputation). We'll head into Telluride and come back over Imogene Pass.

Wednesday: Corkscrew Pass. From there we may go over Hurricane pass if we haven't already done that pass Monday after Engineer Pass. Other wise we'll go to Velocity Basin.

Thursday: Poughkeepsie Gulch. This is a more difficult trail. You need lockers to take your jeep up "The Wall". If you don't feel you are up to it you can watch the others and then take the bypass.

Friday: maybe we'll start in Silverton and then take Stony Pass to Bear Town site and Kite Lake.

I do not want to be leading more than 10 jeeps over these mountain trails. It's too much to lead and too much for the others we'll meet on the trails. It looks like we'll have more than that most days. 007 has volunteered to help me out as trail leader. We'll split up into two groups. The groups will swap Monday and Tuesday. We'll also swap Wednesday with Thursday. For example half of us will be on Engineer pass trail Monday and half on Black Bear Pass. Then Tuesday we'll swap trails.

EDIT: Hoghead do you think you'll make it?

 

[hagar]

I made our reservations when this was first announced.
So...still have a few things on the calendar that could prevent us from going.

 

[WHATROAD]

Carolyn and I are still planning on two days there. Which two not sure but looking towards Tuesday and Wednesday. I believe that our reservations are for Monday and Tuesday night. Monday is a must do for Carolyn at work. first day of school for 2017. Kind of a biggie! Drive time for a 6 banger t5 each way will be the calculations that determine how much we get done. Yes! Even if for a day.

 

[BusaDave9]

I made our reservations when this was first announced.

Yes, of course, I knew that (past tense)

 

[Posi]

Dave, add another rig to the list. My friend Bobby and Blacky will be coming. They will be driving out from the east coast and will arrive on Monday or Tuesday.

Update, they will arrive Sunday night, leaving Friday or Saturday.
Towing 1 Jeep

 

[JR74CJ5]

Dave, just throwing this out there. What if instead of having 2 groups running different trails, we just lag the second group a bit (1/2 hr back or something) and run the same trails each day?

I personally would like to wheel with you all and like the idea of us all being on the same trail, and end up in the same places for dinner and drinks etc to BS and have a good time.

The lead group could radio back about groups coming opposite way, and pull over in areas where there would be enough room to all meet up again, then first group heads out again and second group lags another half hour or so +/- etc.

I of course defer to your judgment and experience with these trails etc., just like the idea of everyone semi together still.

Looking forward to meeting you all, and my Uncle is excited as well! He's not a computer guy, but indirectly has had a lot of help from you all through me.



~ Jr

 

[BusaDave9]

Dave, just throwing this out there. What if instead of having 2 groups running different trails, we just lag the second group a bit (1/2 hr back or something) and run the same trails each day?


~ Jr

We could do the same trails, one group half an hour behind the other but they would have to be completely separate groups. I don't think we should try to meet up at the stops considering we're half an hour apart.

I have been on these trails with other groups such as when a Toyota convention was going on. They went all over these mountains in groups of 10. That was really pushing it. Most of these trails are one lane with pullouts. There usually is no room for 10 jeeps to pull over at the same time. We may round a curve to see others coming. The others will have to pull over for us. The large group wins. (some say he who goes uphill has right of way. HA! People that say that have never met a group in these mountains) If we meet another group we very well may end up in gridlock, no one can move until a whole group backs up. In the mean time more jeepers may be coming behind the group that is trying to backup. Like I say, gridlock. That's why I feel we must be separate groups. On the other hand we will be on the trails after the peak season but I really think the trail rides will be more enjoyable in groups less than ten. We will meet up for dinner and drinks later.

We always have breakfast when the restaurants open at 8 am and leave at 9. I always like to hit the trails early. Every morning we seem to have clear skies, then every afternoon the rain comes. That's why I like to leave early but I'm open to suggestions.

 

[007]

Dave’s not wrong. How he described the trails and the pitfalls large groups create / encounter are totally valid.…but I think there’s room for compromise. And Dave – obviously feel free to agree / disagree / reserve judgment. ;-)

To paraphrase JR74CJ5, It does suck not being one group. I’ve got some good friends through this trip and I want to spend the week wheeling with them somehow / someway and it’s nice to discuss the day’s run in the evening and everyone be on the same page.

In the past 2-3 years of these runs, the vehicle count has been an easily manageable number, and as a result we tend to spread out (sometimes too far). As an example, I have video of us heading up Black Bear to the summit and there’s times you can’t even see the vehicle in front of you. We could have easily doubled our count and still had plenty of space. Now that’s not a perfect example because that’s basically a one-way trail as no one goes up there that doesn’t plan on winding up in Telluride. Just pass the summit it IS a one-way trail so no one can start in Telluride and go east on this trail. But the point is that we’ve typically ran pretty far apart because we could and if we double the vehicle count we will need to tighten it up a bit. Other trails it depends greatly on what time of day and what direction you are going. See below…

Sunday: Nothing or Yankee Boy Basin – expect traffic going both ways. It’s 45mins to an hour up and the same back. Many places to pass, yet some places are impossible but it’s easy to break apart and create a space.

Monday: Engineer Pass / Hurricane Pass / Cement - morning’s up Engineer seem to be clear with no oncoming traffic, but once you get to where you choose Animas Forks, Hurricane, etc. it gets dicey as that’s a central point in the mountains with a variety of feeder trails and more mid-day traffic from those feeders going back out the other trails.

Tuesday: Black Bear Pass / Imogene Pass. – I see no problems either direction. Black Bear as mentioned is virtually all one-way and Imogene is about the same going back. Imogene might get a little tight as you dip below treeline, but manageable.

Wednesday: Corkscrew Pass / Hurricane Pass / Velocity Basin. – Same as Engineer, same traffic / risks.

Thursday: Poughkeepsie Gulch. – I’ve not been on this trail in years, but my memory is that it’s similar to Engineer / Corkscrew insofar as traffic patterns are concerned.

Friday: Stony Pass to Bear Town site and Kite Lake. – I’ve not been here either.

So I think we could mostly stay as one group so long as we keep it tight (safely tight, leave room so there’s no chain reactions), but we may have to spread out / split-up in certain sections once the traffic is gauged. One other advantage of keeping it tight, is that it’s easy to communicate via CB in the event we need to split up.

Feel free to comment / disagree – and remember, regardless of what we choose to do, we can adjust as well.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

If each driver remembers to keep a vehicle in their rearview mirror, and to stop when there isn't one. There shouldn't be much of an issue. Radio comms is the key on any trail run.
Respectfully,
LG

 

[Posi]

That would make it hard for the person trying to keep me in their review mirror. I'm always veering off the path playing on obstacles I find.

 

[BusaDave9]

If we are in a tight group that makes it easier if we meet a couple jeeps coming from the opposite direction. They pull over as we all pass. If there are 13 or 15 of us they may wait a while. If we meet a group of 5 or more we'll hope they have room to pull over. Much of Imogene doesn't have much room for 2 groups to pass. That's also true of Corkscrew, Lower Engineer, Hurricane,


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[hagar]

I do expect downhill traffic to yield to uphill traffic.
Unless, it just makes more sense for who ever has the closest pullout/pullover spot.
Ophir Pass would be an example. Not a lot of places for vehicles to pass on the Ophir side. I was hit by a full size Blazer coming up at the halfway turn out as I was going down.
He took my mirror off and didn't even stop; I had no chance to turn around.
You have good vision from the summit looking down to see who's in front of you coming the opposite direction.
I realize the group may not travel over Ophir.

LG..funny you mention radios.
Twice (and only in CO on certain passes) have I not been able to contact Jeeps in front of me or behind me....and we're rarely only 100-200 yards apart. We are in straight line of sight of each other; they can't hear me and I can't hear them.
Just figure it has something to do with the mineralization of that particular spot/area on the trail.
Radios worked fine everywhere else.

 

[mriplaybass]

152 DAYS TO OURAY!!
Too soon??

I can't help it! Really starting to get excited!

 

[Posi]

Bass!!!

I may not be able to wait until then and schedule a spring CO trip.

Bobby and Blacky have booked at Comfort Inn

 

[JR74CJ5]

That would make it hard for the person trying to keep me in their review mirror. I'm always veering off the path playing on obstacles I find.

Sounds like I need to "follow" you! That's me too - my wife calls it squirrel syndrome - kind-of like her and shinny things... lol

152 DAYS TO OURAY!!
Too soon??

I can't help it! Really starting to get excited!

Me too - very excited since basically all new for me.

Still have some things to mess with before, but here soon she'll be ready and waiting!