Finding my way across the U.S - FL. Keys to Seattle!
- Thread starter FireFinder
- Start date
washington taco
Explorer
Subbed!
New River KTM
Observer
Muddin and fun
Got to subscrib
Got to subscrib
FireFinder
Observer
yes it is! Hobie Revolution. I love, love, love this kayak. Unfortunately the last time I was able to use it was in Louisiana. I just got to Colorado and people have been suggesting that I take it on the Colorado River but I don't think that's a good idea. This kayak was bought for flats fishing and lakes. I would be afraid to nail some river rocks in it.
FireFinder
Observer
Great Sand Dunes!
After Austin, I headed to northern Texas to get some mountain biking in. I camped at Palo Duro State Park where I found some good trails to ride.
But now I feel like play time is over...I made it to Colorado! My first stop was the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. I got in right before dark and had just enough time to set up camp and hit the sack for the night. The next morning I got up and checked out the visitor center. I got some information from the Ranger about this offroad trail, Medano Pass, that goes through the mountain pass but it was closed due to some heavy rains the previous day. He said they were trying to have it open later in the day and pointed me towards the sand dunes and said, "go hike!" So I grabbed my day pack and set off for the tallest sand dune in North America..
view from the bottom..
on the way up..
I made it! Tallest sand dune in North America conquered!
View from the top..
I headed back to camp and saw the road to Medano Pass still closed so I set up camp for another night. While at camp, a fellow camper told me that there was an awesome day hike at the end Medano Pass that goes up into the mountain to a beautiful lake. I woke up the next day to find the road open.
Leave the pre-runners and AWDs at home boys...this is four wheel drive only..
dunes on the left..
lots of Medano creek crossings as I went up the mountain, 9 in all I think..
and lots of deer!
and turkeys!
still hurting a bit from the 2010 wildfires..
So after an hour drive drive up the mountain on Medano Pass, I reached the trailhead at 9500 feet. 4 miles to the lake the sign says so up up up we go..
After about 2 1/2 hours I made it to the lake at 11,500 feet..
I'm not sure how that rainbow effect got in that picture but that's what it felt like when I finally reached the lake!
At the lake, I ran into 2 groups of hunters. 4 guys were hunting elk by bow and 4 were hunting big-horn sheep. The elk hunters were in their tents getting some rest from hunting all night but the big-horn sheep hunters were just getting there so I ********-chatted with them for about an hour. They answered all my stupid questions about the area and hunting big-horn sheep. I asked them how long they were going to be up in the mountains and they said they were prepared to stay a week but hopefully it wouldn't take that long. I found out the guide of this expedition grew up about a 1 1/2 hours from where I grew up. The conversation naturally turned to fishing for about 20 minutes. I built up a good rapport with these guys and they seemed pretty interested in my story. Then they asked what's next for me. The wrong answer was the one I gave them: "going back down the mountain to the trailhead and setting up camp for the night. Tomorrow I'll head about 1 1/2 hours north of here to ride a mountain bike trail then hike the Four Pass Loop. From there I'll probably make my way north to Denver."
The correct answer would have been: "heading back down the mountain to the trailhead to grab my backpacking gear and join you for a couple of days." There's no doubt they would have said yes as long as I could carry my own weight. I might have had to glue some natural flora and fauna to my jacket to make a make-shift ghillie suit but it would have been worth it to see a big-horn sheep in the wild.
Oh well, plan B ain't so bad. Tomorrow I head to Salida, CO to mountain bike the IMBA Epic rated Monarch Crest trail!
After Austin, I headed to northern Texas to get some mountain biking in. I camped at Palo Duro State Park where I found some good trails to ride.
But now I feel like play time is over...I made it to Colorado! My first stop was the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. I got in right before dark and had just enough time to set up camp and hit the sack for the night. The next morning I got up and checked out the visitor center. I got some information from the Ranger about this offroad trail, Medano Pass, that goes through the mountain pass but it was closed due to some heavy rains the previous day. He said they were trying to have it open later in the day and pointed me towards the sand dunes and said, "go hike!" So I grabbed my day pack and set off for the tallest sand dune in North America..
view from the bottom..
on the way up..
I made it! Tallest sand dune in North America conquered!
View from the top..
I headed back to camp and saw the road to Medano Pass still closed so I set up camp for another night. While at camp, a fellow camper told me that there was an awesome day hike at the end Medano Pass that goes up into the mountain to a beautiful lake. I woke up the next day to find the road open.
Leave the pre-runners and AWDs at home boys...this is four wheel drive only..
dunes on the left..
lots of Medano creek crossings as I went up the mountain, 9 in all I think..
and lots of deer!
and turkeys!
still hurting a bit from the 2010 wildfires..
So after an hour drive drive up the mountain on Medano Pass, I reached the trailhead at 9500 feet. 4 miles to the lake the sign says so up up up we go..
After about 2 1/2 hours I made it to the lake at 11,500 feet..
I'm not sure how that rainbow effect got in that picture but that's what it felt like when I finally reached the lake!
At the lake, I ran into 2 groups of hunters. 4 guys were hunting elk by bow and 4 were hunting big-horn sheep. The elk hunters were in their tents getting some rest from hunting all night but the big-horn sheep hunters were just getting there so I ********-chatted with them for about an hour. They answered all my stupid questions about the area and hunting big-horn sheep. I asked them how long they were going to be up in the mountains and they said they were prepared to stay a week but hopefully it wouldn't take that long. I found out the guide of this expedition grew up about a 1 1/2 hours from where I grew up. The conversation naturally turned to fishing for about 20 minutes. I built up a good rapport with these guys and they seemed pretty interested in my story. Then they asked what's next for me. The wrong answer was the one I gave them: "going back down the mountain to the trailhead and setting up camp for the night. Tomorrow I'll head about 1 1/2 hours north of here to ride a mountain bike trail then hike the Four Pass Loop. From there I'll probably make my way north to Denver."
The correct answer would have been: "heading back down the mountain to the trailhead to grab my backpacking gear and join you for a couple of days." There's no doubt they would have said yes as long as I could carry my own weight. I might have had to glue some natural flora and fauna to my jacket to make a make-shift ghillie suit but it would have been worth it to see a big-horn sheep in the wild.
Oh well, plan B ain't so bad. Tomorrow I head to Salida, CO to mountain bike the IMBA Epic rated Monarch Crest trail!
FireFinder
Observer
Medano Pass
When I finally got to blacktop, I stopped to check if all the bits and pieces were still connected. Did I make it through the pass unscathed?!
Nope!
busted CV boot..
So I called up the overlanders best-friend, duct tape..
Just need to keep the grease in and contiminants out for awhile. After that repair, the truck seemed to have a hard time moving forward but seemed fine once she was going. I got to the first stop sign and had the same issue. I pulled off the road to a diner and checked it out...after getting some breakfast of course.
Medano pass will not only shake your tooth fillings loose, but it will also shake your brake caliper bolts loose..
The brake caliper fell forward and was rubbing up against the inside of the rim..
Luckily I made it to the only auto-parts store in town 15 minutes before they closed for the weekend and got a new bolt. Back on the road!
Here's a video of Medano Pass at the top of the trail. I'm beginning to have a lot more respect for Les Straud..
When I finally got to blacktop, I stopped to check if all the bits and pieces were still connected. Did I make it through the pass unscathed?!
Nope!
busted CV boot..
So I called up the overlanders best-friend, duct tape..
Just need to keep the grease in and contiminants out for awhile. After that repair, the truck seemed to have a hard time moving forward but seemed fine once she was going. I got to the first stop sign and had the same issue. I pulled off the road to a diner and checked it out...after getting some breakfast of course.
Medano pass will not only shake your tooth fillings loose, but it will also shake your brake caliper bolts loose..
The brake caliper fell forward and was rubbing up against the inside of the rim..
Luckily I made it to the only auto-parts store in town 15 minutes before they closed for the weekend and got a new bolt. Back on the road!
Here's a video of Medano Pass at the top of the trail. I'm beginning to have a lot more respect for Les Straud..
SirWilliamGoes
Adventurer
So all in all how do you think your truck did with the BFG All terrains in the mud sand and rocks
FireFinder
Observer
These BFGs are great! They worked way better than I imagined at the mudfest and I haven't had to air down once. I definitely recommend them for all-terrain.
FireFinder
Observer
Mars Rover
New member
Great posts and pictures ! Thank you for taking the time to post. Happy Trails !
FireFinder
Observer
I left the Great Sand Dunes and headed north to a little town called Salida, CO to get some mountain biking in. I had heard about the Monarch Crest Trail from the International Mountain Biking Association website and found on some other websites that this is one of Colorado's best. I also found out that this is a shuttle ride to the trailhead. I figured the shuttle would take us up into the mountain and let us bomb downhill. Wrong. The shuttle takes you about 20 or so miles away; getting up into the mountain was done all by peddle power.
that's my beautiful girl..just barely made the shuttle..
at the trailhead:
I met a group of a half dozen guys from Aspen hitting the trail so I asked if I could link up with them since I didn't have a legit map and was unfamiliar with the trail. "No problem", they said. I didn't have much opportunity for photo ops since I was doing everything I could to keep up. The elevation really stings the lungs up here!
The trail tried to eat me for lunch:
and those are just the external injuries. The ones you can't see hurt the most. I think I got a little too excited on my first CO trail.
and speaking of lunch...we went out for beers and burgers after the ride:
I had to heal these wounds for a couple of days and found an awesome campground on a lake where I finally got to get my kayak wet again.
I talked with the camp volunteer and he said this lake was stocked with 8 THOUSAND trout last year and they just opened the lake 2 weeks ago. Cast after cast, I was bringing in these guys:
It was almost too easy.
While at camp, an old-timer vet gave me the rundown on another lake high up in the mountains so I headed that way for a few nights and did another 4 wheel drive to day hike..
It's now Friday night and time for another Hart/Howie reunion in Denver!
that's my beautiful girl..just barely made the shuttle..
at the trailhead:
I met a group of a half dozen guys from Aspen hitting the trail so I asked if I could link up with them since I didn't have a legit map and was unfamiliar with the trail. "No problem", they said. I didn't have much opportunity for photo ops since I was doing everything I could to keep up. The elevation really stings the lungs up here!
The trail tried to eat me for lunch:
and those are just the external injuries. The ones you can't see hurt the most. I think I got a little too excited on my first CO trail.
and speaking of lunch...we went out for beers and burgers after the ride:
I had to heal these wounds for a couple of days and found an awesome campground on a lake where I finally got to get my kayak wet again.
I talked with the camp volunteer and he said this lake was stocked with 8 THOUSAND trout last year and they just opened the lake 2 weeks ago. Cast after cast, I was bringing in these guys:
It was almost too easy.
While at camp, an old-timer vet gave me the rundown on another lake high up in the mountains so I headed that way for a few nights and did another 4 wheel drive to day hike..
It's now Friday night and time for another Hart/Howie reunion in Denver!
SirWilliamGoes
Adventurer
nice thread man love the pics keep um coming, you have officially changed my direction on which way to go with tires for my rig. how was the heard tail in the mtns?? I would guess pretty ruff!!!