2008 Colorado Trip in Aug.

[warpdriv]

Hi Folks,

Has the date been decided on for the trip? I would like to start planning it out.

Thank you,

[Panzer]

Jeff,
TTR has put out 02-10 *(I was just over on their boards and it is looking like TTR might be out this year)*
White Trash is 22-26

I am leaning toward linking up with the TTR guys (If any are still going) but I am going to be on a slightly different agenda.
I am going to fit in a few non-wheeling adventures along with the trails this year.
Any preference on dates for you?
My preference is the 2nd week (9-17).
So far it is just you and I from the LSLC ranks.

Anyone else interested?
If you are post up and if you have a date preference lets hear it.
CAS

[warpdriv]

I'm good for 2nd week. I'll cross post this on the Austin site.

[BrettinSanAntonio]

Hmmmm...this sounds like an opportunity to get away from hot Texas in August and wheel with some people that know the Colorado back-roads. I'm definitely interested! Is this trip family friendly? Or at least kid friendly?

[warpdriv]

Originally Posted by BrettinSanAntonio

Hmmmm...this sounds like an opportunity to get away from hot Texas in August and wheel with some people that know the Colorado back-roads. I'm definitely interested! Is this trip family friendly? Or at least kid friendly?

This trip is all about chill'n with the family and friends.

[mkaustin]

Second week sound good.
What are the initial destinations/activities? (Note to self: MUST FIND TRAILER)

[Panzer]

Definitely kid friendly.
Activities, aside from running the passes around the Silverton, Durango, Ouray area, are pretty much whatever we want to do. There is whitewater rafting daytrips, hiking, biking, fishing, soaking in the hot springs at Ouray. We could venture further north up around the Gunnison area to trail run. I haven't been to that area before but it looks interesting and the trip is pretty much whatever we want to do.

My thoughts are to roll expedition style, no basecamp, and just wander and camp through the area.
I submit the idea of doing a raft float through Royal Gorge (East side of the Rockies) either going to or coming back from the wheeling.

I have the books, maps, etc but we need to find out who is wanting to go and what they would like to do so that I can start working up some kind of rough itenerary.

One thing to keep in mind, I am not "all about the wheeling" I am there to relax and enjoy the trip and the scenery so the pace will be slow and the schedule loose and flexible.

NOTE: I am running a semi-built 80 with a M101 in tow but all of the trails we are doing can be run by a stock 4WD toyota. My first year (1998) I ran a stock 93 4runner with street shoes.

[Panzer]

Lesson learned from last year. Credit goes to Chris King / TTR for this list that I shamelessly copied from their thread.

My Lessons Learned:

1. It will be cold, mild or hot at any point during the week.

2. It will rain during any of these periods.

3. Firewood is a premium.

4. Considering the vast areas of natural beauty, noisy public campsites can be easily avoided, but a campground as a base camp (shower, laundry, packing up) for the last night is a great idea. There are public toilets scattered along the trails.

5. Gas will cost at least 25% more where there is no free market. To budget and begin saving, count on driving 875 (uphill and downhill) miles each way, and for purposes of fuel consumption on the trail figure 100 miles at your rate of consumption for the trail. (I PUT 2500 MILES ON MY TRUCK, DOOR TO DOOR LAST YEAR)

6. A couple of months before the trip, go over your entire braking system. More than anything, good gearing and brakes are paramount. Nothing else (other than driver error) can ruin your trip quicker.

7. All terrain tires at a minimum, and have your own source of air or CO2 that works! Occasionally you will have to drive 15-30 minutes on a highway to get to the next trailhead, and twisty mountain roads are very uncomfortable with a full load at 15 psi or less.

8. Have all leaks checked and fixed, fresh fluids, and your cooling (and heating) system must be good. I was surprised how warm a vehicle could get... constantly driving steep grades, with a heavy load, in temperatures ranging from the 40's to the 80's.

9. Pack light so the camping isn't a chore- your food stores will tend to take up the most room, so try MRE's or dehydrated food- much less weight and bulk than canned food or food that requires refrigeration. An added bonus is that smaller camp stoves are easier to pack & use. Pack food for a few extra days, you never know what the weather can bring.

10. Bring your own beer- the 3.2 beer is weak, and much more expensive where there isn't a free market. The good news is: due to the altitude, you won't be drinking as much. Carry more drinking water, trust me. Increasing your water intake significantly fends off altitude sickness and will make you feel MUCH better, whatever the temperature.

Lastly, pay the extra money and get a GOOD map the first day you arrive- it will make it much more enjoyable!

[Panzer]

Here is the possible downside, again shamelessly carried over from TTR thread. This time courtesy of Jim D.

"I sort of hate to be Chicken Little, but I figured it would be better to get this info out as far in advance as possible, for those planning their summer vacations around this trip. They've had more snow in this part of Colorado than they've seen in over 20 years, and it's still snowing like crazy. My buddy Jeff Thompson from Denver, who ski's about 60 days per season, has a good friend that works for the Forest Service in the Ouray/Silverton/Telluride area. He told Jeff if the snow continues anywhere close to the way it has thus far through the rest of the season, he doesn't see anyway that ANY of the passes in the area will open up AT AL this year. I was planning on hitting the big FJ Summit in the middle of July but I'll probably be cancelling my reservations, since they'll probably have 200+ FJ's with no place to go. It was the middle of July before they got some of the passes open last year, and that was with a crappy snow year. I'm not saying definitively that the passes will be closed, but at this point there's a distinct possibility that most, if not all, of them will be."

This is a possibility to be prepared for. Just means less wheeling, more other stuff.

[valkyrie610]

Thief!

Here is a link to a recent update... not very promising. :(

"The end of the department’s projects will take the crew to Engineer and Imogene passes. Engineer, Miller said, is fairly easy, but Imogene is one of the hardest projects of the summer. There is no help from the sun as most of the road is in the shade. Right now, he said, there is no way to even get down to the area.

Last year the crew finished up around July 2, with a goal to have the jeep trails open by the Fourth of July weekend. However, this year is looking grim.

Miller said he hopes they can have the areas ready by late July, but the projects could take them into August."

We are headed to Harlan, Kentucky instead.

[valkyrie610]

Yankee Boy Basin (posted Friday).



Not exactly the conditions I want to camp in.

Barb and I were offered the opportunity to forgo the TTORA Kentucky trip in August and attend the FJC Summit (July 16th thru July 20th) with Phil & Jacque... we just have to make up our minds now.

[warpdriv]

That pic will get the kids excited!!! I wish they could send some of that action down here.

[Panzer]

That is how Engineer pass looked my first trip. ('98). We camped that year.
Big fluffy sleeping bag and a small stove, good to go.

Something to consider, the RisingSun Cruiser Rally is in Denver on Saturday the 9th with Trail runs on Sunday the 10th.
Attending would likely require leaving DFW Friday Morning, overnighting south of Pueblo maybe and then into DEN in the morning for the Rally.

The folks that are thinking about coming along need to PM or email me with their preferences and idea so I can start working up an itenerary for this year.

[GoneToOz]

Wish I had caught on to this thread a month ago.

This will be the 5th or 6th year I take my son to Colorado. We stay in Silverton at the Red Mountain Motel and RV Park Red Mountain Motel, Cabins & RV Park and launch from there for day trips across the passes, to the Ouray Hot Springs, etc. The 1st couple of years had a bunch of LSLC members up there but that's dwindled due to school and VC schedules. We go even if it's just us and have a great time, but would love to meet up with others.

Plans are always ... flexible (as they should be), so far we are looking to arrive on the 11th and leave on the 15th.

'96 FZJ80, OME, ARB, SLEE, E-locked, 315s

[Panzer]

Plan A- Tenative schedule ***VERY ROUGH DRAFT***
(Revision #1-Dropped the RisingSun Rally off the itenerary)

Saturday 09AUG-Leave DFW-Plan to camp either SE CO or Nrn NM.
Sunday 10AUG- Depart NW to Cannon City, CO. Raft the Arkansas River through Royal Gorge. Afterward likely head west to new campground.
Monday 11AUG- Blue Mesa Lake and Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Activities TBA, Probably end up in Ouray area that night.
Tuesday 12AUG- Ouray/Telluride/Lake City/Silverton Trails
Wednesday 13AUG- Ouray/Telluride/Lake City/Silverton Trails
Thursday 14AUG- Ouray/Telluride/Lake City/Silverton Trails
Friday 15AUG Wheel 1/2 day and start heading SE toward TX camping at ???
Saturday 16AUG-Texas bound.
Sunday 17AUG-DFW or wherever home is.

Plan B- No one else commits to going to Colorado this year.
I park the 80 and military trailer, hook the CTD up to the pop up trailer and go to Yellowstone.
High fuel cost will reduce the number of RVs and visitors so It might be a good year to go.

[JasonH]

Feel free to join us in South Dakota. Run a few scenic trails, see some tourist spots, maybe sneak off and get some fishing in or something...

[Panzer]

Moved to itinerary thread
http://forum.ih8mud.com/tx-lone-star...ml#post3481808

[cool breeze]

What are your estimates for gas in your 80 for this trip? Any other planned expenses besides the rafting?

[M-80]

We just got back from the Silverton area July 4. Gas in Ouray was $4.17, Silverton $4.29, and Durango ranged from $4.03 to $4.17. There was a lot of snow and a lot of sloppy wet mud but still very worth the trip. I do not know if Imogene was open. Engineer was open and very busy. The turnoff to Cinnamon was very busy, too, but we didn't have time to do all of it. It was very much worth the trip.

[M-80]

A word of advise: Silverton rolls up the sidewalks by 9:00 pm. Most business open right before the trains come and close right after. Groceries will be at a premium.

[valkyrie610]

Originally Posted by cool breeze

What are your estimates for gas in your 80 for this trip? Any other planned expenses besides the rafting?

Here's a reprint of my lessons learned from last year:

My Lessons Learned:

1. It will be cold, mild or hot at any point during the week.

2. It will rain during any of these periods.

3. Firewood is a premium.

4. Considering the vast areas of natural beauty, noisy public campsites can be easily avoided, but a campground as a base camp (shower, laundry, packing up) for the last night is a great idea. There are public toilets scattered along the trails.

5. Gas will cost at least 25% more where there is no free market. To budget and begin saving, count on driving 875 (uphill and downhill) miles each way, and for purposes of fuel consumption on the trail figure 100 miles at your rate of consumption for the trail.

6. A couple of months before the trip, go over your entire braking system. More than anything, good gearing and brakes are paramount. Nothing else (other than driver error) can ruin your trip quicker.

7. All terrain tires at a minimum, and have your own source of air or CO2 that works! Occasionally you will have to drive 15-30 minutes on a highway to get to the next trailhead, and twisty mountain roads are very uncomfortable with a full load at 15 psi or less.

8. Have all leaks checked and fixed, fresh fluids, and your cooling (and heating) system must be good. I was surprised how warm a vehicle could get... constantly driving steep grades, with a heavy load, in temperatures ranging from the 40's to the 80's.

9. Pack light so the camping isn't a chore- your food stores will tend to take up the most room, so try MRE's or dehydrated food- much less weight and bulk than canned food or food that requires refrigeration. An added bonus is that smaller camp stoves are easier to pack & use. Pack food for a few extra days, you never know what the weather can bring.

10. Bring your own beer- the 3.2 beer is weak, and much more expensive where there isn't a free market. The good news is: due to the altitude, you won't be drinking as much. Carry more drinking water, trust me. Increasing your water intake significantly fends off altitude sickness and will make you feel MUCH better, whatever the temperature.

Lastly, pay the extra money and get a GOOD map the first day you arrive- it will make it much more enjoyable!

[Panzer]

Last year was 2300 miles total roundtrip for me. My rig seems to get a fairly consistent 14mpg average so this year I am budgeting $825 for fuel. 165 gallons at $5/gal.

Groceries I packed 90% of mine with me from the local Wally world. 1 cooler for food. 1 Cooler for drinks and a rubbermaid with dry goods. Worked out pretty well with block ice in the food cooler. Last longer and your not in and out of that cooler as often as the drinks.

Other than fuel and the occasional lunch in town, I didn't really contribute to the Colorado economy that much.

Oh, and the occasional campground fee. Usually around $15.

Any other questions you can ask away or PM me for specifics if you want.

[Panzer]

*** Trip Cancelled ***

Going to Yellowstone instead and Ill lead this trip in 2009 for those who are interested.