Headed North

[w squared]

As some of you already know, I'll be headed back North fairly soon. Texas has been fun....but Houston is as flat as high-zinc motor oil on a plate and I miss the mountains.

Right now it looks like there's a 90% chance that I'll end up in Edmonton. I know of NA4WD up there - and I'll still be down to wheel areas North of Calgary with you guys....but does anyone know of any other Jeep of 4X4 clubs in the Edmonton area? And has anyone been to Grande Cache for a trip in the past couple of years?

[rws]

As some of you already know, I'll be headed back North fairly soon. Texas has been fun....but Houston is as flat as high-zinc motor oil on a plate and I miss the mountains.

Right now it looks like there's a 90% chance that I'll end up in Edmonton. I know of NA4WD up there - and I'll still be down to wheel areas North of Calgary with you guys....but does anyone know of any other Jeep of 4X4 clubs in the Edmonton area? And has anyone been to Grande Cache for a trip in the past couple of years?

 

Give me a call when you get back to the motherland Todd, I can hook you up with the Edmonton crew.  And yes, I make an annual pilgrimage to Grande Cache.

[w squared]

Thank Ron. I'll definitely be in touch. I'll be rolling North on the 28th or 29th.

[rws]

Thank Ron. I'll definitely be in touch. I'll be rolling North on the 28th or 29th.

just as I roll south to a Jeep event in SD......no prob. we'll be in touch.

[w squared]

Yeah....so....Mr. Hurricane Harvey had some different ideas about my travel plans. I'll be a couple weeks late. 

But hey - I have dry feet and power, so the rest is gravy, right?

[MattMan]

 

Give me a call when you get back to the motherland Todd, I can hook you up with the Edmonton crew.  And yes, I make an annual pilgrimage to Grande Cache.

Hey Ron,
When is the "pilgrimage" to GC?

[MattMan]

Yeah....so....Mr. Hurricane Harvey had some different ideas about my travel plans. I'll be a couple weeks late. 

But hey - I have dry feet and power, so the rest is gravy, right?

Glad to hear you made out relatively unscathed. We have friends in Conroe who avoided serious flooding as well. 👍👍

[w squared]

So....who wants to wheel for a couple days in the Durango/Telluride/Ouray/Silverton area? September 11th through 15th or so....my updated plans will have me travelling through central Colorado, NE Utah, Western Wyoming, across Idaho, into Montana (Bitteroot and Flathead valleys) and then up through Fernie.

Just watched a time lapse of Imogene pass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RamlBu0wtmk

And Engineer pass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FMWMdxWMiM&t=4s

And Ophir Pass....looks like someone did it an a Subaru Outback:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XigcPAuldiU

Cinnamon pass...not an issue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XsR7Ug39r0

Black bear pass - Needs two other vehicles, or maybe one other if the driver is exceptionally experienced and we gel very well for spotting each other:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wleA_MAN-eA

Is anyone in the know as to which town would be best to stay in? I'm looking for a campground with showers, reasonable restaurants, a good grocery store, and ideally somewhere with good coffee or maybe even a bakery. Just because I'm camping doesn't mean I can't live well. It looks like the options are Silverton, Ouray, Lake City, or Telluride. I am considering the KOA in Ouray as a "base camp" but I'm open to suggestions.

[Hi Lo Silver]

Todd there's a great campsite a bit closer to the city center. 4J +1+1 was the name of that one. We stayed there in 2010. 

I've wheeled with you and I think you'd be fine on Black Bear Pass but I hate to ever recommend going out alone.  Though spotters make things more comfortable and experienced wheeler would be fine. It's really just the hairpin turns that are tight.

All the trails you have listed are ones we did and you'd love them all with out a doubt. Hitting passes that are above 13,000 feet and all the mining history and scenery  is awesome.

If you have any further questions I'll try to watch this thread but haven't visiting here for quite some time until coincidently just yesterday. You're pm about trails is in your message box.

Sure wish we had the time to join you because it's a great place to spend some weeks.
Gunther