This year's annual SW Colorado trip

[freedom_in_4low]

almost annual anyway. I've wheeled the area in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2017-2022. Usually with family but this is the second time with friends where I get to tackle the stuff that's a little harder or more psychologically challenging, as my wife doesn't like sketchy shelf roads or being tossed around for hours at a time.

We don't do the RTT's or the gourmet meals in expensive kitchens or adventure trailers typical of the scene, but if the definition of "overlanding" is just a multi-day trip consisting of wheeling to a new camping destination every night, then I guess that's what this is. This is sleeping in your rig or a backpacking tent, Lunchables on the trail and hot dogs for dinner, buying ice at every fuel stop to keep your cooler going, blasting through the dirt roads at the end of the day to try to set up and eat before dark and then going to bed. The fanciest thing I brought was my single burner Blackstone, which is cool but will not be coming along for the next time because I found the setup and takedown to be at odds with my campsite laziness. I ended up doing most of my cooking on the other guys Coleman stuff.

Most of the trails aren't much for wheeling but are great scenery:

Some of the campsites were...cozy, but again, can't complain about the view.

Trip in General, including me accidentally ending up in Texas:

Specifically focused on Poughkeepsie Gulch, my favorite trail in the area and one I was looking for revenge on since I had to use the winch last time on the primary obstacle.

 

[TRevs]

Does the silver Tacoma have a lift?

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Does the silver Tacoma have a lift?

That one is bone stock. He took the bypass around the wall but he did the rest of the trip with mostly just minor bumps and scrapes to his step tubes. I wouldn't have had him in the group except he's got a lot of experience getting a Subaru Crosstrek to hiking trailheads that a Subaru Crosstrek has no business on, so I knew he'd be able to drive.

He did come away with the only body damage of the trip, but not his fault or even the rig. Some asshole coming up from Ouray on Imogene, passed up a superhighway to go another 30 yards and then stop to let our group pass where our passenger side had to go over a bunch of microwave sized rocks. My LJ was rocking over toward him and he kept gasping in terror like I was gonna tip over into him. David was less fortunate and one of those rocks popped up and dented the back end of his bed.

One thing I'll say is I won't do this on labor day weekend again. Imogene in particular was packed and at least half of them were morons.

 

[TRevs]

I hit those trails as much as I can, but I avoid weekends and holidays like the plague. I have family nearby so I choose some nice quiet Tuesdays.

My son in law has a stock Tacoma; he might be willing to follow me around up there but he’ll probably try to extort an OME lift out of me first!

 

[TRevs]

Does a Crosstrek even have a transfer case for low gear?

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Does a Crosstrek even have a transfer case for low gear?

It doesn't. I imagine his atf was cooked by the time he traded it in for the taco. He was pretty good at making the most of its ground clearance though.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

if anybody is curious, our route was:

9/2
Me, David (in the gray Taco), JT (was in the lime green JKUR on the last trip but rode along with David this year), Alex (black TJ), and Rodney (khaki LJ) met in Pueblo, drove to Creede, CO and did the Rat Creek loop which dumps back into Creede. It took a good 3-4 hours due to being 29 miles long, and was a little rough but not technical. Drove past Rio Grande Reservoir west of Creede and found a place to camp. My cousin Brian (in the dark gray Tacoma with the shell) met us at camp after dark.

9/3
Stony Pass, gas up in Silverton (last gas stop had been in Alamosa and the Jeeps all had fuel gauges in the red), Ophir pass. Planned to camp at Alta Lakes but no available campsites. Ended up going 10ish miles up Last Dollar Rd northwest of Telluride and camped in trailhead parking.

9/4
Gas up in Telluride, Imogene Pass, Rodney left to go home to Pueblo when we passed Ouray. Mineral Creek rd (aka west end of Engineer pass), Poughkeepsie Gulch, California Pass, Cinnamon Pass, camped in American Basin. David took the bypass on Poughkeepsie.

9/5 drive to Lake City and go our separate ways home (one to Pueblo, one to Lafayette, CO, one to Colorado Springs, and me to greater OKC).

I developed issues with my fuel sending unit where if I sit idle right around half a tank, my needle drops to E, fuel light and CEL comes on with a P0463 code. Since it seems unique to a specific tank level I think it's a dead spot in the sending unit.

Rodney made it all the way to Pueblo and then 2 blocks from his house, his drag link came apart. Don't know which end, but it doesn't really matter, he had no steering and we're all glad it didn't happen on the trail.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I hit those trails as much as I can, but I avoid weekends and holidays like the plague. I have family nearby so I choose some nice quiet Tuesdays.

My son in law has a stock Tacoma; he might be willing to follow me around up there but he’ll probably try to extort an OME lift out of me first!

I think stock would be fine on almost all of it. He'll probably lift a tire in a couple of tight switchbacks. Imogene has a couple of spots on the Ouray side where approach and/or departure angles are an issue, but if he can pick a line at all he should be fine.

 

[NDSpeed]

The backpackers stones. The jet boils in particular I found to be very handy. Bit costly. But I was able to use them to heat the water for MREs or backpacker meals.

If you get tired of hotdogs.

 

[Apparition]

The backpackers stones. The jet boils in particular I found to be very handy. Bit costly. But I was able to use them to heat the water for MREs or backpacker meals.

If you get tired of hotdogs.

When I camped in Denali and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon we used our camp stove to make blueberry muffins in boiling water from those just add water mixes. Surprised I can't find any videos of it on youtube.

@freedom_in_4low Looks like a great trip. You should really get a refrigerator and ditch the ice.

 

[RINC]

almost annual anyway. I've wheeled the area in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2017-2022. Usually with family but this is the second time with friends where I get to tackle the stuff that's a little harder or more psychologically challenging, as my wife doesn't like sketchy shelf roads or being tossed around for hours at a time.

We don't do the RTT's or the gourmet meals in expensive kitchens or adventure trailers typical of the scene, but if the definition of "overlanding" is just a multi-day trip consisting of wheeling to a new camping destination every night, then I guess that's what this is. This is sleeping in your rig or a backpacking tent, Lunchables on the trail and hot dogs for dinner, buying ice at every fuel stop to keep your cooler going, blasting through the dirt roads at the end of the day to try to set up and eat before dark and then going to bed. The fanciest thing I brought was my single burner Blackstone, which is cool but will not be coming along for the next time because I found the setup and takedown to be at odds with my campsite laziness. I ended up doing most of my cooking on the other guys Coleman stuff.

View attachment 358791

Most of the trails aren't much for wheeling but are great scenery:

View attachment 358792

Some of the campsites were...cozy, but again, can't complain about the view.

View attachment 358793

Trip in General, including me accidentally ending up in Texas:

Specifically focused on Poughkeepsie Gulch, my favorite trail in the area and one I was looking for revenge on since I had to use the winch last time on the primary obstacle.

You got a new subscriber in me.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

You got a new subscriber in me.

Thanks dude!