Would a stock FZJ80 with road tires have any trouble on Black Bear pass in Telluride, CO.? Any other trail recommendations I should try since I will be out there a few days? I am also interested in camping, hiking, white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and biking. So if you have any recommendations and or places to rent from in CO. let me know. Thanks!
FZJ80 on Black Bear Pass (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter coolhand
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I would go in the other way via Tomboy. Started in Ouray and a very beautiful drive. You may not get anywhere if the snow pack is still there. It was very deep this year.
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Jacket
Moderator
Not open yet.You could do it but you will probably drag rear in places on steps above ingram falls.Remove spare from underneath.If you have hitch let it drag on rocks instead of bumper.Ophir pass is open and imogene is close to being plowed out .They are between tomboy and top.
No problem, I have run almost all the passes in the area in a stock 100 series.
Governor's Basin is the most beautiful under rated place in the area. Ask the locals about access because it is one of the latest area to open.
LINK TO COLORADO PASS STATUS
.
Governor's Basin is the most beautiful under rated place in the area. Ask the locals about access because it is one of the latest area to open.
LINK TO COLORADO PASS STATUS
.
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Flank
American by Birth, Texan by the grace of God.
THAT is a kick ass picture.
I'm moving to Colorado Springs in 4 weeks and pictures like that bring tears to the eyes! So beautiful!
Sweet
The San Juans are incredible, although as said earlier, not often accessible in early July.
I would be concerned with your "road" tires. The trails up there are made of chunks of hard sharp rocks which love to cut sidewalls. A person really needs to have the off road tires with reinforced sidewalls. I have been up there going on 9 summers now and I couldn't begin to tell you how many Subarus (and heeps) with street tires I have seen with flat tires waiting at trail heads for their owners to return from their hikes.
I would suggest doing the Alpine Loop from Ouray to Lake City also.
To re-visit a recent thread, make sure your fan clutch is working correctly because climbing up those mountains in the thin air will tax the cooling system.
Buy yourself this book: https://forum.ih8mud.com/merchandise-storefront/350925-wells-mapbooks-t-shirts-more.html if your new to the area.
I would suggest doing the Alpine Loop from Ouray to Lake City also.
To re-visit a recent thread, make sure your fan clutch is working correctly because climbing up those mountains in the thin air will tax the cooling system.
Buy yourself this book: https://forum.ih8mud.com/merchandise-storefront/350925-wells-mapbooks-t-shirts-more.html if your new to the area.
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Buy it here and help support the colorado association of four wheel drive clubs
https://forum.ih8mud.com/merchandise-storefront/350925-wells-mapbooks-t-shirts-more.html
7 or so years ago I did Black Bear in my stock '62 with worn street tires, but maybe I was lucky. Hombre had it right, lots of sharp rock edges which may puncture your street tires, so be careful. Clearance was not an issue.
The passes around Telluride are the best.
Good luck, Ned
The passes around Telluride are the best.
Good luck, Ned
I nice loop to wheel is out of Pitkin, east of Gunnison. You can camp right outside of Pitkin or stay in the town and make a good day trip. Take the CO 76 out of Pitkin to Tincup (easy for stock 80), take a right on CO 267 to mirror lake and run Tincup Pass to St Elmo, and then on to Handcock Pass. Tincup and Handcock are interesting but nothing a solid stock 80 can't handle.
You can continue on through Tin Cup to Taylor Park Resevior for some good trout fishing and double back if you like.
You can stop in St Elmo for a burger and some simple supplies. You can visit the Alpine Tunnel after Handcock and take the split in the road back to Pitkin for a full, solid day of beautiful country.
All of this can be done in a stock 80 but make sure you have good skid plates and tires.
You can continue on through Tin Cup to Taylor Park Resevior for some good trout fishing and double back if you like.
You can stop in St Elmo for a burger and some simple supplies. You can visit the Alpine Tunnel after Handcock and take the split in the road back to Pitkin for a full, solid day of beautiful country.
All of this can be done in a stock 80 but make sure you have good skid plates and tires.
Utah is nice, but Colorado is much better!
Great route, thanks!!
I will be exploring this area very soon if anyone wants to join pm me.Thinking next weekend if possible.
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Elhombre and Nuclearlemon thanks for the heads up on the book, I just ordered it.
Spike6901 sounds like a great loop. We will definetely make this one of our day trips.
ajax1 looks like we will be going through gunnison hopefully we can meet up.
Several have mentioned I need good off road tires. I have street tires however they are 10 ply commercial tires. Do you think that would work?
Spike6901 sounds like a great loop. We will definetely make this one of our day trips.
ajax1 looks like we will be going through gunnison hopefully we can meet up.
Several have mentioned I need good off road tires. I have street tires however they are 10 ply commercial tires. Do you think that would work?
Most off road tires have 3 ply side walls, just for comparision.
Spike6901 sounds like a great loop. We will definetely make this one of our day trips.
That's a serious day trip from Ouray. What is on the east side of Gunnison is technically also on the West side of Buena Vista. Those are not small distances on paved roads, much less trails. Worth seeing, mind you, but I personally wouldn't bother compared to exploring as much as you can in the San Juans - the beauty there is probably unmatched in the lower 48 (if you happen to like near perfect alpine scenery).
Several have mentioned I need good off road tires. I have street tires however they are 10 ply commercial tires. Do you think that would work?
Yes from a rock cut perspective - just make sure you have a spare. From a traction perspective, however, I would be more concerned with the fact that your trip is in the middle of monsoon season (and it's hard for it not to be unless you plan for September, which then risks early season snow). You may get a lot of afternoon rain, and some areas are prone to goose sh$t slippery clay when it is wet. This can get dangerous if you are traveling alone.
Personally, I think it is easy to get seduced by the scenic pictures in this area. The wheeling is largely non-techical, but it is often at very high altitude. For family planning, ensuring you can get down relatively quickly if you need to is to me smart planning as you can be 1,000-2,000 feet above typical timber line at some of the highest passes.
I'd probably want a bit more in the wet offroad traction department given the frequency and at times narrowness of the ledge roads, but then I'd want that for any week long trip to the High Country. I've narrowly missed a 20 ft. deep rock slide over a 200 ft. cliff on the highway outside of Ouray...great events to convince
to always have the best tires possible 
That's a serious day trip from Ouray. What is on the east side of Gunnison is technically also on the West side of Buena Vista. Those are not small distances on paved roads, much less trails. Worth seeing, mind you, but I personally wouldn't bother compared to exploring as much as you can in the San Juans - the beauty there is probably unmatched in the lower 48 (if you happen to like near perfect alpine scenery).
Several have mentioned I need good off road tires. I have street tires however they are 10 ply commercial tires. Do you think that would work?
Yes from a rock cut perspective - just make sure you have a spare. From a traction perspective, however, I would be more concerned with the fact that your trip is in the middle of monsoon season (and it's hard for it not to be unless you plan for September, which then risks early season snow). You may get a lot of afternoon rain, and some areas are prone to goose sh$t slippery clay when it is wet. This can get dangerous if you are traveling alone.
Personally, I think it is easy to get seduced by the scenic pictures in this area. The wheeling is largely non-techical, but it is often at very high altitude. For family planning, ensuring you can get down relatively quickly if you need to is to me smart planning as you can be 1,000-2,000 feet above typical timber line at some of the highest passes.
I'd probably want a bit more in the wet offroad traction department given the frequency and at times narrowness of the ledge roads, but then I'd want that for any week long trip to the High Country. I've narrowly missed a 20 ft. deep rock slide over a 200 ft. cliff on the highway outside of Ouray...great events to convince
to always have the best tires possible 
I watched some videos of folks driving Black Bear Pass on Youtube. On some tight sections it looks like there are rock outcroppings that might be an issue if your vehicle is tall - i.e. lift, 35" tires, rack, roof top tent, etc. Would this be a problem?
