Calgary Jeep Association
General Forums => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: rocnrol on October 06, 2010, 07:06:07 AM
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last sunday we just finisheda two week dream trip to colorado. we hit pretty much every "big" trail there is. we stayed a week in buna vista and then one week in ouray. first day out i prety much wrecked my stering box mount, couldnt believe that tomken machine was in buna vista. they rolled out a jeep to fit mine in. they welded it up with some steel thrown in for some bracing, added a tomken machine steering brace and i bought two sweaters all for $161.
here are some pics 8)
iron chest and grizzly lake
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v314/rocnrol/colorado%202010/
st elmo and tin cup
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v314/rocnrol/st%20elmo%20tin%20cup%202010/
town of leadville and chinamans gulch
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v314/rocnrol/leadville%20chinaman%20gultch/
black bear and imogene pass
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v314/rocnrol/black%20bear%20imogene%20pass/
that should keep you busy for now 8) ;)
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sweet. i been dreaming of black bear since i saw the pics 5 or so years ago. the whole area around there is beautiful.
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sweet. i been dreaming of black bear since i saw the pics 5 or so years ago. the whole area around there is beautiful.
FWS did it in 2010...no reason the CJA can't in 2011 ;)
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this is a nice webpage where i learned about black bear and telluride and exploring the area via Google Earth reveals some awesome photos.
http://www.narrowgauge.org/4x4/html/blkbear.html
the other areas in your photos are nice as well. are they all relatively close over there?
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oh yeh, very close. every thing we did were day trips from the camp sites.
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Looks like you had an awesome trip! Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
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Looks awesome. Alot of those pictures look like postcards!!!
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thanks guys. ill never forget it, thats for sure. 8)
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For those 2 members of CJA that joined us here's some more pictures. For those that didn't join us, eat your heart out...it's not like the invite didn't go out early enough for more to join us. :P
Sorry for the cross post, but I've been working on pictures since our return and this is the easiest way. Enjoy.
http://www.fourwheelstampeders.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=5574
Rocnrol's title to the thread hits the nail on the head. One full month of almost wheeling everyday. It really sucked to be us. ;D
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cool pictures!
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I hope to do a trip there some day too. on the bucket list for sure.
Are the switch-backs on Black bear as bad as everyone makes them out to be? My fear is that I'll chicken out at the last minute & regret it forever.
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only for fullsize and station wagons
(http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/image.php?&aid=1481&black-bear-road.jpg)
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only for fullsize and station wagons
(http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/image.php?&aid=1481&black-bear-road.jpg)
That pic looks doctored ;) It also has a good amount of pucker factor to it.
Those would be some great views though.
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only for fullsize and station wagons
(http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/image.php?&aid=1481&black-bear-road.jpg)
FTS!!!!
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Funny thing with Black Bear Pass. We had a number of people with us that have never done it before The night before we did that trail a guy in camp checked with us to see if what trails we'd be doing. He had mentioned he had been comng to Ouray for six years now and alway stayed away from it. He did it this year, and warned us of how scarey it was for him.
None of the people in our group were intimidated by it. We all agreed though, if someone is new to wheeling or scared of heights it would be a horrifing trail. The switch backs aren't as bad as they make them out to be, but you do have to be carefull. Not a trail for someone with mechnical problems because there are so many things that could go wrong. The worst part of the trail is one way so you have the peice of mind knowing no one is comng up while you're going down.
Some of the other trails were worse. Grizzly Lake has a rocky steep hill climb that goes on for a very long time and is exposed to an open scree slope that drops for hundreds of feet. Governor Basin, has a bunch of rocky outcroppings that put you off camber to a death roll if you screw up. A lot of the trails are totally exposed with no trees to slow you down if you go off, but most are wide enough provided someone isn't coming from the other direction.
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not new to wheelin, but kinda scared of heights. I think a guy would be too busy tryin to not mess up, to really notice the height. At least that's what i'm telling myself. ;D
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every one of the trails we did around ouray had spots that DEMANDED your full attention. like gun said, not overly technical, just spots of narrow, sometimes steep, shelf roads with nothing but a long way down if you messed up. i found the actual switchbacks the most unnerving on black bear. probably could have done some with less forward/back, just didn't want to push my luck. like gun said about Governor basin, it some pucker parts, Tim and i tried an off shoot doing some exploring, and i got to a point where i was on a rather extreme side hill, with nothing to stop a roll over, and i had to stop as i reached my level of comfort. then i had to back up what i had just done. once i made it back to the main trail, gun asked if my throat was dry, i rasped out a weak yes :o the climb on grizzly lake trail gun mentioned was another stand out as well for one that got my full attention. i had my dad ridding shotgun with me on that one, hes a 40 year vet to wheeling, and when we got to the top he looked over at me, i don't think i have ever seen his face that white ever, and with his hands still with a death grip on the holly crap handles he said " what store did you get those crazy pills from?" once we were at the lake at the top, gun asked me if i had seen him in my mirror on that climb. i told him that not at all had i seen him as i had been a little preoccupied with a few issues of my own and why was he asking, thinking maybey i had missed a great shot of him pulling a wheel or something. turns out he had come within inches of running in to the back of me as i had slowed up considerably trying to get over some of the obstacles. as it was a climb where stopping was not an option, gun said either i was going to make the obstacle before he got there, or i was goin to get a bump. crazy.
let me tell you though, i have been in lots of high country in Alberta and BC, nothing compares with what you will see there. its something i will never forget.
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cool. that's about how i always imagined [hoped] it would be.