Georgia Trail Riders Forum
OPEN RIDES & EVENTS => Past Rides : Pictures, Discussion, & Carnage => Topic started by: wejeep on August 30, 2014, 03:21:55 PM
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My wife and I headed back to Colorado the last two weeks of August to visit friends and do a little hiking and four wheeling. The 4543 mile trip covered eleven states. The JK (2013) did well and averaged 20.7 MPG (hand calculated). The only carnage was a windshield and tire.
Western Colorado had record rain fall in August, so we didn't get as much wheeling in as we would have liked. Here are a few pictures:
We arrived in Grand Junction Monday afternoon and spent our time catching up with a few of our rockcrawling friends that afternoon and Tuesday. Wednesday was our first wheeling trip to the arches in Rattle Snake Canyon just above the Grand Valley. This canyon is only second to Moab for the largest concentration on arches in the world. Unfortunately, due to a late start and getting a little lost our hiking only included one arch. My wife Margie and our friend Sparrow.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/MargieandSparrow.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/MargieandSparrow.jpg.html)
Later in our first week we headed to Moab for a day of hiking and one of wheeling. I didn't allow much time for Moab on our itinerary since it is usually triple digits there this time of year, but due to the rain the temps were not bad at all.
Thursday we did our favorite Moab hike--Devil's Garden in Arches National Park.
Landscape Arch
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/LandScapeArch.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/LandScapeArch.jpg.html)
Double O Arch
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/DoubleOArch.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/DoubleOArch.jpg.html)
Friday we did our favorite scenic wheeling trip over Hurrah Pass and on to Chicken Corners
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/HurrahPass-1.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/HurrahPass-1.jpg.html)
Chicken Corners
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/ChickenCorners2small.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/ChickenCorners2small.jpg.html)
The view from Chicken Corners
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/ChickenCorners1.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/ChickenCorners1.jpg.html)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/ChickenCorners.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/ChickenCorners.jpg.html)
Returning from Moab we spent our weekend visiting with friends and then headed to Ouray Monday of our second week there.
The first mountain wheeling trip was over Red Mountain Pass, Hurrican Pass, California Pass and pass the ghost town of Animas and then into Silverton, CO for lunch.
The view from Red Mountain
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/RedMountainPass-1.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/RedMountainPass-1.jpg.html)
Hurrican Pass
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/HurricanePass.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/HurricanePass.jpg.html)
I told everyone I was going to Colorado to get high and I did!
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/CaliforniaPass.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/CaliforniaPass.jpg.html)
Passed the Frisco Mine on the way to Animas.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/FriscoMineMill.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/FriscoMineMill.jpg.html)
One of the houses in Animas
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/AnimasForks.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/AnimasForks.jpg.html)
The next day we planned on doing Black Bear Pass and Imogene Passes, but do to a damaged tire and snow our trip was limited to Black Bear. I was a little nervous about the weather on Black Bear, and even though it snowed the snow didn't stick on the lower elevations or BB Pass (12, 840 ft).
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/SnowonBB-1.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/SnowonBB-1.jpg.html)
Despite the snow the flowers were still beautiful. Take these Columbines for example.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/Culimbines.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/Culimbines.jpg.html)
Black Bear Pass isn't for the inexperienced wheeler. High pucker factor for sure. The Jeep rental places won't rent anyone a Jeep to do Black Bear.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass2.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass2.jpg.html)
Telluride Colorado can be seen far below.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass3.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass3.jpg.html)
Mine ruins and a water fall are right after the tough part of the trail.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass5.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass5.jpg.html)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass4.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/BlackBearPass4.jpg.html)
Just after taking in the falls and mining ruins we cut a tire on a difficult portion of the trail. OK, the obstacle wasn't that difficult if it were on flat lands, but considering the huge drop off to the right it maxed the pucker meter. Note to self: don't do Black Bear again with stock tires.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/Flat.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/Flat.jpg.html)
The last bit of scenery on this trail was Bridal Veil Falls
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/wejeep/Colorado%202014/CascadeFalls.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/wejeep/media/Colorado%202014/CascadeFalls.jpg.html)
Since we had to drive 40 miles to replace the cut tire, this trail ended our Colorado wheeling adventures for this trip.
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Awesome photos and story. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Looks like a great time! Great pics!
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Great story and pic's! Thanks for sharing. //SLAMIN// //SLAMIN//
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Great pics! I hope to do a trip like that in the future. Next time with some better than stock tires and your trip will be that much more enjoyable.
I also just recently turned down the opportunity to move to CO and was regretting it shortly after. Now seeing this pics I am asking myself why I did not go again //:'(//
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Great pictures. I have a friend who lives in Utah near Moab and is always posting the most beautiful pictures of scenery out there. I can't wait for an opportunity to go someday.
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Thanks for the compliments. Glad you enjoyed.
I also just recently turned down the opportunity to move to CO and was regretting it shortly after. Now seeing this pics I am asking myself why I did not go again //:'(//
I know how you feel. Four years ago we moved from Grand Junction, CO to GA to be with our kids and grandkids, however, they just moved to Michigan. Talk about being really sorry we left CO. Don't get me wrong GA is a great place to live and the second best state I've lived in, and no offense to y'all but a far second to CO.
Of course that's how my wife and I feel. Some people don't like the west do to lack of trees. It seems barren to them. Each to his own.
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Awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.
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Awesome pics I saw video of guys doing that pass and his brake line busted off right as they were making a sharp left that looked like you never stop falling had you ran off the cliff. Very cool that you did that run and in stock form nice!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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While we're on the subject of Black Bear Pass:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/photo-shows-damaged-jeep-hanging-on-cliffside-on-black-bear-pass (http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/photo-shows-damaged-jeep-hanging-on-cliffside-on-black-bear-pass)
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Thanks for sharing this!
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I must say, the scenery is much better out there!