My family returned yesterday from Lake City where we ventured on a lot of trails like Imogene, Ophir, Mineral, etc. If anyone in your family has a fear of heights and/or extreme exposure to steep drop-offs, then do NOT take them on:
- Imogene
- Ophir
- Engineer
- Cinnamon
- Black Bear (It was closed when we were there)
- Corkscrew / California / Hurricane
- Stony Pass
- Clear Lake
- Governor Basin
Imogene will require 3-4 hours Ouray-Telluride. The Southern side (Telluride side) of Imogene is not for the novice or anyone with fear of heights. And Ophir is not for the faint of heart because the rock is very slippery even when dry (like flat shale) and the exposure is intense. These trails also hold true if you have ZERO experience on a real 4x4 mining road with the inherent risks of damaging the vehicle, serious bodily injury/death. On those trails and a few more not mentioned, there are places where there is no margin for a mistake.
The road going up to the start of Governor's Basin, Yankee Boy Basin, and the northern entrance to Imogene is beautiful but has one section of road that was cut out of the rock with a drop off over 500 feet. If your family can deal with that one section, then go do part/all of Yankee Boy Basin. It is VERY rocky and bumpy. Your Cruiser can handle it but it's gonna be a slow-go over the rocky road. The view at Yankee Basin is ok and imho, not worth the slow-go at the upper section of Yankee.
If you drive on the "scary" section of 550 which is about 5 miles from Ouray going south, many drivers heading south cross the double yellow because of their fear - no guard rails, steep drop-off, and the edge of the road is where the cliff begins. So be mindful of this to avoid hitting oncoming cars.
Mineral Creek is 2-3 hours from the Ouray side to where the road meets the turn-off to Engineer Pass. Passing on this trail is very limited and there's one spot that could be intimidating for those with fear of heights. There's a strong likelihood of body damage if you have no experience with tire placement and driving over rocks. And if you take this trail and want to venture into Animas Forks, the section from the Engineer turn-off to Animas Forks will also test your fear of heights and exposure.
I recommend Red Mountain Mining area. It's one of the few in the area I've not driven on. According to Wells & Peterson's book "Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4 Wheel Drive", this road is "Easy. A fun, meandering road covering a variety of terrain from gradual gravel to narrow two-track. Suitable for all stock 4x4 SUVs with moderate ground clearance...do not drive this route during wet periods." The road is about 10 miles south of Ouray on 550, turning east on CR 31.
After doing a lot of 4x4 trails here in CO, I've seen many people on the trails who have no business being on them whether it's their vehicle, fear of heights, of having no clue how to drive on them - especially when it comes to passing a full-size vehicle at high altitude on a narrow road with a steep drop-off.
(1) Never drive above treeline in a storm or with the threat of a storm unless it's the best course of action. Lightning has been known to melt all the plastic and wires in the dash and render a vehicle un-useable.
(2) Most, if not all, of the 4x4 roads in CO are very dusty when dry (like last week). I recommend keeping the windows up, the a/c on recirc, and using an old air filter for the trails.
(3) Due to the rocks and dirt that comprises most of the CO back roads, they become VERY slippery when wet. If this happens to you, always keep your rig in a place so that if it slides a few feet, you won't go over the edge. If your rig is caught in an uncontrollable slide, it's better to aim for the rock wall than to go over the edge.
(4) When you enter a switchback, go about half way before you start your turn. Otherwise the back tire can get caught by a rock/tree/edge and you'll put the rig in a bad position in case you need to back up.
A few years ago my wife and I were walking the southern part of Schofield Pass. Coming from the Marble side we saw a very expensive Mercedes SUV that had scratches, dents, and scraps on all four sides. The rims looked like they were cut like a hot knife in butter. The side mirrors were ripped off. Windows were busted. The metal on the right side of the vehicle and been cut severely by the rocks on the rock wall. There was one guy driving and 3 people walking behind the vehicle. They were all freaked out. Rightfully so. People have died on Schofield. Those people took the road without doing any research about it. The section near Marble is easy. After the bridge towards Crested Butte the road (if you can call it that) becomes very narrow with no room to pass even a bicycle. After that group passed the bridge where backing up was dangerous, they choose the best driver to finish the trail while the others would walk solely because 3 survivors is better than 0.
Keep these things in your mind:
- The road and weather conditions need to be good.
- The mountains create their own weather. I've seen Colorado mountains have hot and sunny to severe thunderstorms in minutes. Always watch the sky.
- You need the right vehicle that is capable, like a Land Cruiser, and be sure it's in tip-top shape.
- Gotta have capable tires.
- You need experience.
- Always trust your instinct and make decisions calmly.
- NEVER allow a driver in another vehicle to tell you where to place your rig if you are NOT in agreement. Last week a tour operator at the top of Imogene insisted I move my rig to a very unsafe position that could potentially hurt others - especially my wife who was by the Imogen sign and was in harm's way. In front of all the tourists and other tour drivers, I confronted him point-blank about his arrogance who put lives at risk. I spoke with the company owner who was angry at his driver and very apologetic. Side note: what happened could influence the Forest Service to move the "Imogene Pass" sign to the flat area to prevent people and vehicle congestion where the southern and northern trails meet at the top.
- It's ok to say no and save the trail for another day.
I'm more than glad to talk by phone if need be.
