, you can go out with local clubs, or you can do 4wd classes with experienced instructors. The list goes on and on.
To the OP and others, I posted the first negative comment from my phone, but now in front of the computer for a bit further explanation.
IMO Black Bear is not a terribly difficult trail from a technical sense, but the results of a bad move are dire to say the least. If someone is asking about using lockers while going downhill through tight switchbacks they appear to be a very novice or inexperienced driver. So while yes, asking here on a message board and trying to learn beforehand is a good idea I would suggest that they get a bit more experience either through a local club or a guided run before tackling something like this. For example there is a 100-series gathering just last week that took a good number of folks down BB and the trail leaders are very experienced folks who go out of their way to make sure everyone running knows what they are doing. That is exactly the type of run the OP should be a part of, hence my comment about "you should not be tackling yourself."
This importance of a discussion like this is heightened by the recent events where an inexperienced driver made a very bad decision by going on a trail that was more difficult than their skill/experience level, and then an even worse decision to turn around after the one way point which is where they slid off the side of the hill. I was a witness to this same type of poor decision making my an inexperienced driver in Moab, who had a rented Razor pointed down Hell's Gate and had it not been for our group running down to stop him and help him get turned around he would've flipped that thing the 300 or so feet down the revine with his two young kids in the back. Scary stuff!
IMO the lesson here is to be cognizant of the challenges of the types of trails you are planning to do, and make sure your experience level matches. There are a number of good ways to gain experience....you can believe some of the stuff you read here
To the OP and others, I posted the first negative comment from my phone, but now in front of the computer for a bit further explanation.
IMO Black Bear is not a terribly difficult trail from a technical sense, but the results of a bad move are dire to say the least. If someone is asking about using lockers while going downhill through tight switchbacks they appear to be a very novice or inexperienced driver. So while yes, asking here on a message board and trying to learn beforehand is a good idea I would suggest that they get a bit more experience either through a local club or a guided run before tackling something like this. For example there is a 100-series gathering just last week that took a good number of folks down BB and the trail leaders are very experienced folks who go out of their way to make sure everyone running knows what they are doing. That is exactly the type of run the OP should be a part of, hence my comment about "you should not be tackling yourself."
This importance of a discussion like this is heightened by the recent events where an inexperienced driver made a very bad decision by going on a trail that was more difficult than their skill/experience level, and then an even worse decision to turn around after the one way point which is where they slid off the side of the hill. I was a witness to this same type of poor decision making my an inexperienced driver in Moab, who had a rented Razor pointed down Hell's Gate and had it not been for our group running down to stop him and help him get turned around he would've flipped that thing the 300 or so feet down the revine with his two young kids in the back. Scary stuff!
IMO the lesson here is to be cognizant of the challenges of the types of trails you are planning to do, and make sure your experience level matches. There are a number of good ways to gain experience....you can believe some of the stuff you read here
Easy there Phil. I more or less agree with you about the relative ease of doing black bear. We took a bone stock Jeep Liberty down it several years ago and didn't really have any problem. The "difficult" sections are downhill, so gravity helps.
BUT I think saying it isn't very technical is wrong and misleading. I'd say it isn't very difficult, but it is VERY technical. I say that because you can easily drive a 2wd high clearance vehicle down to Telluride from the pass. (Getting up to the pass in 2wd might be tougher.) BUT if you're not paying attention, and you stray even just a little from where you need to be, particularly once you get to the starsteps and switchbacks, you roll off the edge and DIE. That's a technical trail IMO. Wheel placement is absolutely critical compared to what I would consider a non-technical trail. It's not technical in terms of needing lockers, or good rock crawling skills, it's technical because you need to know what you're doing, and how to use your vehicle, and where you can and cannot be.
To the OP, glad you're asking now. Lots of people just drive every trail with the lockers locked. That is very counter productive in most cases, particularly when you need to turn. Because the "difficult" sections of BB are mostly difficult because of turning or consequences of not turning, lockers are NOT helpful for the "difficult" sections. Or the easy sections for that matter.
