Events/Trails 10th Annual 100s in the Hills! *Silverton, Colorado July 22 - 27 2020*

[Somebodyelse5]

New Gamiviti rack is on! But not on the 100 Surprise!!
Thanks @nakman !!!

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Whatcha gonna put up there?

 

[ga12r1]

Whatcha gonna put up there?

Solar on the grid floors. Plus I got the drop down basket to mostly carry bundles of firewood. Believe it or not it’s always been a big hassle for us trying to transport firewood around campsites
Also we spend ALOT of time on the beach and this will be great to transport all the sandy crap we seem to drag back and forth.
I love it!

 

[Somebodyelse5]

Solar on the grid floors. Plus I got the drop down basket to mostly carry bundles of firewood. Believe it or not it’s always been a big hassle for us trying to transport firewood around campsites
Also we spend ALOT of time on the beach and this will be great to transport my all the sandy crap we seem to drag back and forth.
I love it!

Tim’s new drop in panels look real cool. I’d like to get on the top to fiddle with radios and feel tall

 

[ga12r1]

Tim’s new drop in panels look real cool. I’d like to get on the top to fiddle with radios and feel tall

Yeah, they are really cool. I plan to do a 100w quick disconnect solar on them. It should take like 45 seconds to take on and off if I need to use the entire rack without the solar.
Tim is the man!!!

 

[Somebodyelse5]

Yeah, they are really cool. I plan to do a 100w quick disconnect solar on them. It should take like 45 seconds to take on and off if I need to use the entire rack without the solar.
Tim is the man!!!

meanwhile, i’m over here giving up on all projects because the temp is about to hit 100 and because I’m not Coming this year

 

[suprarx7nut]

That is very generous of you, we are coming from the east though so it would be a little too far out of the way. I am going to try to secure a replacement or upgrade and at least a loner if possible. I looked at the hotel option but I can’t leave the dogs there, even in kennels, if we wanted to go inside anywhere else.

I’ve never towed through the mountains, how much of a pain would it be to tow one from Durango? A friend of mine suggested not doing it from the north, he said it was a bit much in the mountains.

From Durango I think you'd be fine. That's not far. I towed a completely full Uhaul in my 99 and I've towed a car trailer with a car on it for 1000+ miles. Both situations had me right at the max towable weight. It was rough, but doable. Some passes in the mountains were me going 25 mph with the pedal to the floor, near redline for minutes on end.

If you've got a trailer weight under ~3000 lbs I wouldn't even worry about it - you'll be fine. If you creep closer to max weight you just need to prepare to be slow and make use of pull offs when you can.

 

[ga12r1]

Fun times....

 

[marcfj60]

I wanted to ask and see if anyone knows of any books or whatever that tells the history of the area around Silverton area?

Most of our books we have purchased at the sporting goods store in Silverton.

 

[marcfj60]

From Durango I think you'd be fine. That's not far. I towed a completely full Uhaul in my 99 and I've towed a car trailer with a car on it for 1000+ miles. Both situations had me right at the max towable weight. It was rough, but doable. Some passes in the mountains were me going 25 mph with the pedal to the floor, near redline for minutes on end.

If you've got a trailer weight under ~3000 lbs I wouldn't even worry about it - you'll be fine. If you creep closer to max weight you just need to prepare to be slow and make use of pull offs when you can.

I tow my Jayco Baja all over NM, CO, WY, MT, UT. It's around 3,000 lbs loaded up. First, just go slow. Don't be bothered by people who are in a hurry. Second, make sure you have trailer brakes if you're towing more than ~1,500 lbs. When I go from Durango up to Silverton, I rarely get out of second gear and I might only be going 20 mph on some of the steeper inclines. I use the pull offs when I can to let people pass. Coming back down the hill, I'm in 2nd and 3rd gear most of the time.

 

[ga12r1]

Celebrating 100s in the Hills South Georgia style tonight

 

[cruzerDave]

Just got a report from my brother who lives in Ouray, sounds like they are really trying to keep people out by blocking roads. Hoping things relax soon, whole family is really looking forward to HIHX...

 

[abuck99]

Just got a report from my brother who lives in Ouray, sounds like they are really trying to keep people out by blocking roads. Hoping things relax soon, whole family is really looking forward to HIHX...

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Dave- Do we know why they are trying to keep people out: Is it lack of patrol/ranger resources due to COVID or something other reason?

 

[ga12r1]

I thought they were just trying to keep people off the trails until they could be properly cleared. That it was something they have been wanting to do for several years.
Like @abuck99 said, most likely a lack of man power this year to clear trails meaning they will try to manage them an open them later.
I think it’s just a side effect of Covid. Not blocking the trails to keep people out because of Covid.

 

[ga12r1]

National parks are opening as we speak.

 

[maxse01]

Just got a report from my brother who lives in Ouray, sounds like they are really trying to keep people out by blocking roads. Hoping things relax soon, whole family is really looking forward to HIHX...

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I imagine it will calm down in the next 15-20 days. Those areas live on summer dollars, no way it's going to be shut down in July.

 

[ga12r1]

I imagine it will calm down in the next 15-20 days. Those areas live on summer dollars, no way it's going to be shut down in July.

Exactly my thoughts. There is no way that the people in Silverton and Ouray want a lockdown.
Unless they have decided to go to a communal system of living and close all businesses it’s just not happening. The economy in those towns CANNOT survive off of local commerce alone. No way.

 

[dividedan]

Dave- Do we know why they are trying to keep people out: Is it lack of patrol/ranger resources due to COVID or something other reason?

As someone working in healthcare/public health in rural Colorado there are a lot of specific requirements that a county needs both out of their public health department and general health system in order to re-open safely. This means testing capabilities, contact tracing protocols, and the personnel to run said systems. A lot of really small communities unfortunately just don't have what's needed.

 

[geanes]

Dave- Do we know why they are trying to keep people out: Is it lack of patrol/ranger resources due to COVID or something other reason?

Covid-19 is the catalyst for something they've wanted to do for a long time. Last year, there were numerous incidents of people cutting the locks at the base of Poughkeepsie Gulch and creating new bypasses. To say authorities were pissed is an understatement. I spoke with various persons in charge over the entire summer and fall seasons. They replaced the lock on Poughkeepsie no fewer than 4 times. I was ridiculed on various Colorado off-road FB groups when I was pleading with people to stop bypassing trails, making new cuts and accessing trails that were "closed". They kept saying that the government can't restrict them from public land and they were going anyway. People were posting videos of themselves cutting new trails. I was shocked and dismayed. We are now seeing the start of what is inevitable....tighter controls over access to these lands. The erosion from illegal trail runners last year was phenomenal. The amount of work that went into repairing Poughkeepsie Gulch alone was incredible. I witnessed TONS of damage to tundra on Black Bear when I went up to scout it for HIH9. I stopped at the major snow drift blocking the trail. There were, however, deep, rutted tracks right thru the delicate tundra to bypass the snow drift. That PISSED off local authorities something fierce.

Having said all that, we should be fine by mid-late June....which is usually when most of trails up there open anyway. I doubt they have any plans to close the trails on anything but a temporary basis as tourism is absolutely essential to the local economies. But, they are absolutely putting in place provisions such that if Side-by-Sides, Jeeps and Cruisers continue to abuse the privilege of access to these trails, they can shut them down quick.

I don't see HIHX being in any danger from anything except Covid-19. Fingers crossed everything resolves itself well before then.

 

[planomateo]

Colorado is becoming a liberal state. Never underestimate the power of liberalism.

 

[geanes]

Colorado is becoming a liberal state. Never underestimate the power of liberalism.

Unfortunately, yes. And somehow they hate Texans who are noted for being staunchly conservative. Seems native Coloradans and Texans....and Australians are kindred spirits who should get along like peas and carrots.