CO trip with family--summer 07.

[Hltoppr]

I think you'd do fine on most of the trails in SW CO, even going down Poughkeepsie gulch road.

As for the trailer...I've pulled a M416 trailer behind one of my earlier FJ40s up to Silverton and set up a basecamp around Maggie Gulch, which is just a couple of miles shy of Animas Forks.

Good day trips (and back to Maggie Gulch) are then over Engineer/Stoney/Cinnamon pass to Lake City, Engineer/Poughkeepsie/Hurricane to Ouray, or Ophir to Telluride and Imogene to Ouray, with US550 back to Silverton.

Your rig will handle all these trails just fine (actually just did Engineer on my 600lb BMW R100 moto). Have fun, take a good map of the area and the gear you need to stay safe and self sufficient.

BTW...pick up a Colorado Search & Rescue card. They're cheap insurance against getting charged for a rescue, and go to support statewide SAR missions!

-H-

:camping:

 

[DaveInDenver]

BTW...pick up a Colorado Search & Rescue card. They're cheap insurance against getting charged for a rescue, and go to support statewide SAR missions!

Wow, that's some sage advise. COSARs cards are something that most people, even people who live here, don't think about. We get 5 year cards, which are $12, but 1 year cards are available for $3. You can get these from the state or from most any sporting goods store or outdoor group. Their purpose is to protect you from incurring the direct cost of a S&R, which can be very expensive. They are not medical or auto insurance, but if you need to be extracted by a S&R team or county sheriff, they get reimbursed from the COSAR fund rather than billing you. It's a win-win, helps keep the teams here prepared and funded and should you need help you don't have to cover the cost of a search helicopter or the search team's time.

http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/fa/sar/sar_purchase.html

 

[bigreen505]

BTW...pick up a Colorado Search & Rescue card. They're cheap insurance against getting charged for a rescue, and go to support statewide SAR missions!

http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/fa/sar/sar_purchase.html

I also would recommend a GPS. Certainly not mandatory, but it is very nice to be able to look up your exact location and reference it to a 7 min. map. I think they are called 7 min. maps because that is about how long it takes me to figure out exactly where I am (which is usually somewhere on the border of one of three maps) no matter how closely I have been tracking my progress.

As for the trailer, I think using it as a base camp certainly has merrit. I personally would not want to try to back up a shelf road, but I am also one of the driving idiots that needs three tries to back a boat trailer down a boat ramp big enough to land a plane on. If you think you could reasonably do the trip without the trailer I would go that route, but I also don't like being tied to a base camp, especially in an area like the San Juans where you may only be 20 miles from your base camp, but that might be an hour of driving on the highway or back over trails.

 

[Whoknows]

Good advice on the SAR cards. BTW, do you purchase one for each person, or just one for the party.

Have the GPS, so I'm good there. Yeah, as far as the camping goes, the base camp will be moved --perhaps daily, or every other. I'll likely start in the San Juans and just stay on the moderate (except Imogene Pass it looks like) to easy trails when trailering, find good primitive spots, and then take wheelin trips with just the Runner. Just have to think like on a backpacking trip: hike in, set camp near what interests you, day hike from there; move to a new site, etc.....

 

[crawler#976]

I'd highly recommened a base camp at Wheeler Geological Area! It is some of the most surreal terrain...and has the honor of being taken off the list of National Monuments because it recieves so few visitors! It up high too - you'll be over 10,000' once you leave the Rio Grande basin.

http://estes.on-line.com/rmnp/pics/2005/07022005.html

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_forest/co/see_rio1.htm

had to dig for those photos - pre digital days for us...

 

[Hltoppr]

The SAR cards are purchased for each person. Well worth it IMHO.

Just as a side note....I am generally very against charging for rescues...I don't want someone who needs help not to call because they are afraid of the cost.

If you get lost in my area, Coconino County, AZ, the rescue work is gratis....thank the taxpayers!
(Only leaving the ski area without a free backcountry pass will incur charges for rescue from the Feds in Flagstaff.)

and....map & compass and know how to use 'em before relying only on a GPS...:smiley_drive:

-H-

 

[Bergger]

There are so many great places in Colorado that you will have a great time where ever you end up going. Personally I really like the St. Elmo area. A fantastic ghost town and some great camp grounds right along Chalk Creek. Absolutely beautiful. This will allow you to set up a base camp and explore the area. There are a ton of great trails most suitable for day trips. I say 80-90% of the trails can be handled by your vehicle. I've got some photos of the area if you visit my website in the "Mary Murphy Mine" album. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the Denver area and from there you can continue right down to the Telluride area. I would also recommend "4wd Adventures Colorado" by Massey and Wilson. A great book with good maps/directions and some good history as well. All but a few of the trails in this book can be handled by stock or slightly modified vehicles. Good luck and don't forget to let us know when you are coming and where you end up going. I'll be camping down by St. Elmo with my family over Labor Day next year.

http://community.webshots.com/user/bergger1

 

[60wag]

Several years ago we did a family trip where we spent a couple of nights in Ouray at a forest service campground (Ampitheatre) and then left the trailer at the campground to make the trip over to Lake City easy. We stayed at a lodge in Lake City for a night and then completed the Alpine Loop on the second day. It made for a nice casual pace that didn't keep everyone stuck in the truck for the whole day. When we picked up the trailer, the campground host said he was worried that we hadn't returned to night before

 

[Whoknows]

Update -- long overdue

Such valuable input has kept me busy with planning. I'm just now emerging with somewhat of an itinerary. The trip dates are set: July 13-28. The first stop will be the Guadalupe Mtns NP--Dog Canyon, with a daytrip planned to Carlsbad. From there, we'll head to Durango to meet up with some friends who full-time RV. Not sure of the campground there, and am open to some ideas. They are capable of boondocking and would rather do so. After a few days, we'll move on to Ouray. Thanks for all the great help on camping in the area. One "for sure" is Ophir Pass (with trailer in tow). May take a day trip w/o trailer over Engineer Pass. Then, it is on to the Buena Vista area to Tin Cup and the Four Mile Areas. We'll start back toward home via the Great Sand Dunes area and camp near Medano Pass. Next stop is Red River for our last camp before the long last leg home. Just nowhere you really want to stop and camp between the mountains and Central TX in July (IMHO). So, that's the plan. I'll wager we won't stick to it, but it seems a necessary step to set a course. Again, thanks to everyone's help and input. Couldn't have done without it!

Happy Trails!!!!!

 

[Christophe Noel]

Having spent 8 days in that area just in the last 45 days, I would have to agree that a trailer on 90% of those trails would be a complete liability. Even the most capable of trailer/drivers would be challenged. I'm relatively new to off roading, but have pulled trailers my entire life. Behind a Jeep, maybe. Behind my Disco...nope. Not on those roads.

Camping: There are a couple places that come to mind for a good base camp. Just north of Silverton by 2 miles is a turn down Mineral Creek...I think. That road goes east for about 4 miles to a nice campground. If you continue on for another 2 miles on the rather rough road (Sedan filter) you arrive at a really nice open meadow called South Park. We saw a few pop-up campers back there. There are probably 12-15 good spots back there. Beautiful. Plus it is within really quick reach of Clear Lake, Ophir Pass, and all of the other key trails. Silverton is only 20 minutes away from camp if you need anything but at 10,000 feet you'll feel nicely tucked away. It isn't easy to find "primitive" camp sites in a vehicle. It's actually a challenge to find a site that isn't 15ft off the road. Keep that in mind.

Here's our camp from just last Wednesday (4th) morning:
View attachment 9139
I'd MAYBE do Ophir Pass if I had an AT, actually....no way. The east side is super chill, but the exposure on the west side is freaky. Check out my photos on the Silverton, CO thread under "completed Adventures."

 

[Whoknows]

Trip completed!

Thanks again to everyone for the help in planning this trip. We had a great time and truly it would have been very different without the input from this forum.

The trip began with a stop to Guadalupe Mtns. NP. A place I recommend. We stayed in the Dog Canyon side of the park, so I cannot comment on the "other side" as the park ranger affectionately referred to it. But, Dog Canyon is well worth it.

From there we went to Durango for a few nights to visit with some friends who full-time RV and were in the area. Nice place. Made one trip over Ophir Pass. I went sans trailer to check it out and would have gone with trailer except for the dreaded "No Trailers Beyond This Point" sign. I feel it would have been just fine. The trail is not difficult and plenty wide enough which is the real issue in terms of passing. There is one area just over the pass (going toward Telluride) that is moderate. Passing is possible there, but would not be welcome for most. However, you can see the entire length of that section and easily wait until all is clear before going down.

Next was the Ampitheater CG outside of Ouray where we encountered a bit too much in terms of rain in the afternoons. I'm afraid we didn't really get to enjoy it fully, but the highlght for me was Yankee Boy Basin which we did x2.

A highlight for the kids was getting to slide down a long snow field up at about 12500.

Before deciding on the Ampitheatre, we pulled the trailer up CR-16, the 4wd road the turns to the right as your going toward the Ampitheatre. It is rather steep, rutted, with loose rock. We made it to the top and considered camping there, but decided against it. I gained some confidence about what I can handle with trailer in tow.

From there we moved on to the Telluride area for our last 2 nights of camping. Photos coming on that spot from some film roles. It was quite a view.

The last leg of the trip was spent in Buena Vista where we went white water rafting and reaquainted ourselves with the indoors. The wife was very pleased.

All in all, a great trip. Probably wouldn't go that time of year again as the rain put a damper on camping. I don't mind a storm and expect that, but when it turns grey at noon and rains all day and into the evening, and when you have 2 youngn's and only tents in which to retreat, well........"Houston we have a problem".

 

[Pskhaat]

Looks like you had a great trip.

Probably wouldn't go that time of year again as the rain put a damper on camping. I don't mind a storm and expect that, but when it turns grey at noon and rains all day and into the evening, and when you have 2 youngn's and only tents in which to retreat, well...

That's CO summer for you though from about June through end'o August IMO. It's a wonderful respite I think, but certainly wears on you camping. In order to have any amount of the day, you need to wake before sunrise and be on a trail when the sun shows its face.

 

[Bergger]

Looks like you had a great trip. Glas you and the family found Colorado enjoyable.

 

[Whoknows]

That's CO summer for you though from about June through end'o August IMO. It's a wonderful respite I think, but certainly wears on you camping. In order to have any amount of the day, you need to wake before sunrise and be on a trail when the sun shows its face.

Yeah, I thought we might miss it coming in July. Seems a bit different down in the San Juans. From prior years of backpacking in CO (mostly in Sawatchs) , I expected afternoon storms. But it seems they passed more quickly. My perspecitve is most probably skewed by circumstances b/c an afternoon storm when your backpacking (w/o young kids) is almost welcome. You just go to the tent and ______ for a couple of hours. No biggie. Ahhh, something to look forward to.

 

[Pskhaat]

You just go to the tent and...

Oh all the days past before children, eh?