Colorado Passes and Utah Canyons - 2009

[jg45]

After many years of research and planning, I recently completed my "Big Adventure", two weeks of camping and wheeling in Colorado and Utah. We left from Memphis Friday the 21st of August after work and proceeded to drive all night and most of the next day to Green Mountain Falls, CO. We had arranged to stay with friends that night to recover from the drive before hitting the trails. As we neared Colorado, we noticed some funny noises coming from one of the rear brakes and also noticed that it was dragging. We found that the caliper pins for the rear disks were bent and causing the calipers to bind. We were able to fix the issue at the friends house. Sunday morning, we proceeded to the Buena Vista area and ran the Mt. Princeton Trail and then starting up Tincup Pass and camping just below the actual pass at about 11,500 ft ASL. It rained some that night and was pretty cold. We got up at abut 4AM to make a nature call and the clouds had cleared and the stars were out in full force and just amazing.

Top of Mt. Princeton trail

Campsite on Tincup Pass

 

[jg45]

The next morning we completed Tincup Pass then headed over Old Cumberland Pass to reach the Alpine Tunnel and then Hancock Pass back to the St. Elmo area. IT rained most of the day and was very chilly. Old Cumberland was pretty rough, but at the top was just awesome. The clouds were covering the top of the mountain and the trail just seemed to go up into them and disappear.After a quick trip to the Alpine Tunnel West Portal, we headed over Hancock Pass (again in the clouds) and then a quick trip up to the Mary Murphy ruins on Pomeroy Lakes trail, and finally down to St. Elmo.

Top of Old Cumberland Pass

Remains of the Mary Murphy Mine building

The mountain range on the way to Salida

 

[jg45]

The next day we drove to Lake City to hit up Engineer Pass and spend some time around Ouray. I must say that as far as scenery goes, this area far out does the Buena Vista area. We had lunch at Poker Alice's and then headed over Engineer Pass, went to Animas Forks, then California Gulch/Pass, Hurricane Pass, and Corkscrew Pass. What an awesome day. As we neared the top of California Pass, the clouds socked us in even though the sun was out. It was a very surreal experience. It was so late in the day, that we did most of Corkscrew in the dark. That really added to the excitement (aka pucker factor) of the trip. We made it into Ouray by about 9:30 that night and set up camp at the Amphitheater campground for the next three nights.

Compromised dam on way to Engineer Pass

Whitmore falls on way to Engineer Pass

Thoreau home on Engineer Pass

Near the top of Engineer Pass

Me at Oh Point! on Engineer Pass

Weather moving in heading down Engineer Pass

Duncan House in Animas Forks

Trail down from California Pass socked in clouds

View from somewhere around Hurricane Pass

 

[jg45]

The next day we tackled Black Bear Pass, Imogene Pass, and Yankee Boy Basin. There was some great scenery as well as some scary situations. Everyone says that the switchbacks on Black Bear are the worst. I thought that the satirs before the switchbacks were worse. I slid down them with minimal control. We had a nice lunch in Telluride after Black Bear, and then headed back over Imogene Pass. We ran Yankee Boy as a side trip as there was still daylight left to burn.

Heading down Black Bear towards the stairs and Telluride

Just below the stairs and heading towards the tight switchback

Telluride in the distance

Airtime on a switchback

Bridal Veil falls and the old power station

View from top of Imogene Pass

Scenic view in Yankee Boy Basin

Stay tuned for more. I'm still sorting through pictures and posting them.

 

[Nathant78]

Cool another Memphian!
Im doing the same thing, researching and getting ready for Colorado next year.

Love the in the cloud shots.

 

[jg45]

The following day we wanted to see in daylight some of what we passed on the way in to Ouray. We went back up Corkscrew, Hurricane, and California passes then ran up Placer and Picayne gulches ending up back in Animas Forks for a look around sans rain. After Animas, we headed back up to Oh! Point on Engineer Pass then back down and over to Eureka gulch. The Sound Democrat mine in Placer gulch was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed looking around the ruins. The weather was about as perfect as could be. After Eureka, we headed to Silverton. Just as we pulled into town, I noticed a funny noise and a pull to the left. Flat left rear tire. Must of cut it on something. We were able to plug it and head back to Ouray for the night. We had a great dinner at the Outlaw restaurant in Ouray, the peppercorn steak was awesome. This was one of the best days on the trails I have had in a long time. Pics below

Corkscrew Pass in Daylight

Trail up Hurricane Pass in the distance

Lake Como from Hurricane Pass

Me at the top of California Pass

Sound Democrat Mill in distance

Old mill or mine ruins in Animas Forks

Another view from Oh! Point on Engineer Pass

Me and the KJ in Eureka Gulch

 

[jg45]

Day six of our trip was spent getting from Ouray to Moab via Gateway and the John Brown Canyon road. What a change in climate. It was hot, real hot, in Moab. There was also a lot of haze from the fires in Utah and California. The haze was worse the next few days.

State line on John Brown road

First glimpse of the red rocks of Utah

Nice place to relax (albeit really hot)

In the Narrows area of Onion Creek road

 

[jg45]

Day 7 of our trip started with a trip up Long Canyon and then over to the Island in the Sky visitor center for our back country permit for the White Rim and camping at White Crack. We then went down the Shafer trail and headed around the White Rim. We took the side trip down Lathrop Canyon to the Colorado River and had lunch under a nice rock overhang. Lots of great scenery along the way and a lot of rough road under the tires.

We reached White Crack about 5 PM and set up camp. It became mostly cloudy, so we didn't get the great colors on the rocks at sunset. We could see rain in the distance and were keeping an eye on it. I was able to get some wireless connectivity with the Air Card, but it was flakey. The weather radio predicted cloudy skies, but no rain. Sometime around 10, we started to get a few drops of rain and then, out of no where, a very strong wind blew through camp. I am guessing it was in the 40 mph range. We were not prepared for this and our table and chairs went sailing, the tent poles collapsed and the tent filled with red dirt/sand. It was fun. I was able to chase down the tables and chairs and get them secured and, when the wind let up, we were able to get the tent back up. We shook out everything as best we could and hit the sack. It was breezy most of the night with a few strong gusts. When the gusts would start to collapse the poles, I would reach up from inside and hold them up. It made for a long night.

View of Long Canyon

Poser shot in Long Canyon

Shafer trail

It's going to be a long road

Colorado River at end of Lathrop Canyon

Interesting rock formations as we neared White Crack

Our campsite at White Crack

Rain in the distance

Me checking the weather

 

[jg45]

Cool another Memphian!
Im doing the same thing, researching and getting ready for Colorado next year.

Love the in the cloud shots.

Good to see another Memphian on the board. One thing I learned from this trip for the future is that I will split up the areas. I will either do the desert southwest or the mountains, but not both in the same trip. I think my next nig trip will be to the North Rim and the Arizona Strip area, but who knows. This trip was 13 years in the making.

 

[jg45]

The next morning was pleasant and partly cloudy. We packed up and headed out to complete the White Rim and then head back to Moab via the Potash trail/road. This was a long day of rough road. Murphy's Hogback and Hardscrabble Hill were pretty steep but rewarded with great views. I think I will probably try to camp at Murphy A next time. It had a great view, had rocks and trees for shelter and was just a cool place to camp. As we left out on Mineral Bottom road, we noticed a bunch of old cars buried in the rocks. Anyone know why they are there?

Morning at White Crack

Descending Murphy Hogback

Slot Canyon along White Rim

Ascending Hardscrabble Hill

Running beside the Green River on the White Rim Trail

Old cars buried in the rocks

Leaving Canyonlands on Potash Road

 

[mph]

great trip report!!!! the cars are for erosion control...that road can get pretty scary and very eroded with a little ran on it...

 

[ttora4runner]

Nice trip report. :victory:

 

[Poorboyota26]

Sounds like a lot of fun!!! Thanks for the report!

 

[Silver dude]

Quite the report looked like a awesome time!:Wow1:

 

[KSJeep]

Great Report and Pictures