OlYellr
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Builds My first '40 and the venture (3 Viewers)
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OlYellr
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These next posts might get long - ... going to document the SAS9 trip.
Friday August 1:
Some of us left the East side of NE in the afternoon Friday Aug 1 - the goal was West KS close to the border.
Sat August 2:
Woke up and met @Ditcherman - dubbed his Rig "Party Bus". Al (@Greyota) camped and connected at the hotel, and started to roll. Goal for Saturday was Gunnison, CO for the night so we could do a trail Sunday.
Our aim was Colorado Springs, then south to Highway 50 on up. @solomrus left late Friday and was getting close to us when we were gassing up in the Springs. Al and Matt were camping - so they took off to a campsite around Gunnison and the rest waited for Rus to catch up. Just driving.
Random pics from the days...
Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs are in sight...
@solomrus catches up.
Last gas stop before Gunnison -
@Plains Cruiser
The remaining cruisers
Friday August 1:
Some of us left the East side of NE in the afternoon Friday Aug 1 - the goal was West KS close to the border.
Sat August 2:
Woke up and met @Ditcherman - dubbed his Rig "Party Bus". Al (@Greyota) camped and connected at the hotel, and started to roll. Goal for Saturday was Gunnison, CO for the night so we could do a trail Sunday.
Our aim was Colorado Springs, then south to Highway 50 on up. @solomrus left late Friday and was getting close to us when we were gassing up in the Springs. Al and Matt were camping - so they took off to a campsite around Gunnison and the rest waited for Rus to catch up. Just driving.
Random pics from the days...
Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs are in sight...
@solomrus catches up.
Last gas stop before Gunnison -
@Plains Cruiser
The remaining cruisers
OlYellr
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- Thread starter
- #1,163
Sunday Aug 3:
Some context, for those who don't know Ian (@RevISK) and I are pretty tight. He's rolling in with his family in Paul, and towing a trailer to camp. Before heading out of cell service Saturday, he gets the green light from Jimmy to take Stony Pass with the trailer. Jimmy says, “All good.” Spoiler: it was not all good.
Fast-forward to Sunday am... Jimmy is ahead of Ian and sends a new message.. Don't go over Stony Pass. Rougher this year. Nobody get that message.
Back in Gunnison, time to head to Lake City, CO fuel up (for those with Diesel - I got corrected for saying gas up). Matt/@Ditcherman's engine was having mood swings and wasn't sure which way to go. Decided stay together over Stony is better vs solo over Cinnamon.
First part of Stony is fine - scenic reservoir, sunshine, all smiles this is going to be great! We air down as we get to the end of the reservoir. Al/@Greyota hears someone on GMRS call me - I walk over... yup Ian - we are maybe 20/30 behind them.
Hit trial - not a lot of pictures - I will say the people on motorcycles were nuts. A swam zipping past us like caffeinated bees.
Get to a long incline - guessing 1700 foot elevation gain - it is like driving over bowling balls. hear Ian and Karl talk about that part of the trail being rough and thought only way though it, is to just do it. Ian announces on the radio something isn't right and is pulling over with the trailer (he has a Tundra as a sag so not all alone).
Some of the motorcyclists ended up lay their bike on the trail. So we have to stop on the bowling ball incline. I am leading and watching them try to get on one, and drive it up. Totally not working - some that left their bike in the middle of the trail (so thoughtful) were sitting on the side. Nothing says teamwork like blocking the one lane and attempting the same remedy over and over and over. - did ask ones sitting off to the side if they were ok and try not to question their life choices - they cyclists sitting on the side of the hill had that same distant stare a cow does when a cow realizes it is being taken to the slaughter house vs another pasture - if you know what I mean.
Get to the top and see Ian and finally get to meet the fam. His wife is sitting there, facing the valley, back to all of us - staring off to what I belive she was rethinking every decision that brought her there to that moment. I'm no relationship expert, but I seen that look.
We stop, get Ian trailer patched enough to get off. By then it is just get off Stony. We all go -
Pics are on the downhill side into Silverton area. Get on highway and get to KOA.
Pics of the day...
Stony before we aired down. Can see where we are going ahead.
After we stopped and convoyed with Ian. Frank and @Plains Cruiser
Paul and trailer.
@solomrus & @Ditcherman
and
more on the way off...
all downhill from here..
Some context, for those who don't know Ian (@RevISK) and I are pretty tight. He's rolling in with his family in Paul, and towing a trailer to camp. Before heading out of cell service Saturday, he gets the green light from Jimmy to take Stony Pass with the trailer. Jimmy says, “All good.” Spoiler: it was not all good.
Fast-forward to Sunday am... Jimmy is ahead of Ian and sends a new message.. Don't go over Stony Pass. Rougher this year. Nobody get that message.
Back in Gunnison, time to head to Lake City, CO fuel up (for those with Diesel - I got corrected for saying gas up). Matt/@Ditcherman's engine was having mood swings and wasn't sure which way to go. Decided stay together over Stony is better vs solo over Cinnamon.
First part of Stony is fine - scenic reservoir, sunshine, all smiles this is going to be great! We air down as we get to the end of the reservoir. Al/@Greyota hears someone on GMRS call me - I walk over... yup Ian - we are maybe 20/30 behind them.
Hit trial - not a lot of pictures - I will say the people on motorcycles were nuts. A swam zipping past us like caffeinated bees.
Get to a long incline - guessing 1700 foot elevation gain - it is like driving over bowling balls. hear Ian and Karl talk about that part of the trail being rough and thought only way though it, is to just do it. Ian announces on the radio something isn't right and is pulling over with the trailer (he has a Tundra as a sag so not all alone).
Some of the motorcyclists ended up lay their bike on the trail. So we have to stop on the bowling ball incline. I am leading and watching them try to get on one, and drive it up. Totally not working - some that left their bike in the middle of the trail (so thoughtful) were sitting on the side. Nothing says teamwork like blocking the one lane and attempting the same remedy over and over and over. - did ask ones sitting off to the side if they were ok and try not to question their life choices - they cyclists sitting on the side of the hill had that same distant stare a cow does when a cow realizes it is being taken to the slaughter house vs another pasture - if you know what I mean.
Get to the top and see Ian and finally get to meet the fam. His wife is sitting there, facing the valley, back to all of us - staring off to what I belive she was rethinking every decision that brought her there to that moment. I'm no relationship expert, but I seen that look.
We stop, get Ian trailer patched enough to get off. By then it is just get off Stony. We all go -
Pics are on the downhill side into Silverton area. Get on highway and get to KOA.
Pics of the day...
Stony before we aired down. Can see where we are going ahead.
After we stopped and convoyed with Ian. Frank and @Plains Cruiser
Paul and trailer.
@solomrus & @Ditcherman
and
more on the way off...
all downhill from here..
MOTOV8R
SILVER Star
haven’t we all, great pics and prose, thanks for sharing.
OlYellr
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Monday Aug 4th:
(Sunday night at KOA - forgot to add and don't want to just edit - Dinner plans for the week was set in stone before the trip — the NE crew would rotate cooking duties. My night was burgers, backed up by a pot of my baked beans. I made them Thursday night before we left. This was partly to be prepared, partly to avoid helping Rus get his rig back together. (Teamwork is important, but so are the baked beans.))
We all gathered for check-in Monday morning, got our packets, sat through the safety briefing, and watched a large chunk of folks launch out of there like last one out is a rotten egg. My style (Adopted from Ian last year) is a little more… deliberate. Not lazy, just “tactical patience” — let the eager crowd clog the first few miles of trail while I sip coffee, get ice for the cooler, and just enjoy it all.
Today’s ride: Red Mountain (both segments). My master plan for the week was/is to start with easier trails and gradually work up to the gnarlier stuff — kind of like couch-to-5K, except it’s more like couch-to-axle-deep. This way the folks new to the rocks and ruts can build confidence before I accidentally lead them somewhere they need a winch, spotters, headlights, and a therapist.
Neil/@TexasLandCruiser joined the group. Red Mountain is, in my opinion, easy-peasy. Nothing scary, just some bumps, some mountain views, and a few spots where your drink might spill if you’re careless. It’s just mountain eye-candy with occasional “oh right, I should steer” moments.
90% through, we hit a trail closure. Total bummer, because just ahead was a perfect photo op — your rig reflected in a glassy mountain lake like it’s posing for a Toyota Trails Magazine. Instead, we double back and pop out by the highway.
We’re parked perpendicular to the road, debating if we can sneak in from the south side to reach the lake, when a gorgeous 70 Series Land Cruiser pulls off the highway. I wander over, and the driver’s holding a paper map of Colorado… the Denver area. Which, newsflash, is not where we are. I ask if he’s here for Solid Axle Summit — nope. Turns out he’s from Germany, has been roaming Canada and the U.S., and needs to be in Colorado Springs by Saturday.
And here’s where it gets good: he’s got time to kill, and we’ve got an empty campsite unfortunately because Josh lost a parent over the weekend and rightfully bailed. I pitch the idea — come hang out, meet some Cruiser people, maybe hit a few trails. To his credit, Mo (as we learned his name) didn’t immediately drive away with engine screaming and puking diesel fumes after I talked to him. He needed some staples in town, and followed me back, I cleared it with Casey (SAS Director) and the KOA, and within minutes he was surrounded by Land Cruisers and adopted by the group. Land Cruiser people are amazing group!
I asked Mo if he wanted to go run trails with us. Dumbest question I’ve ever asked all week - I think.....
Pics from the day...
@solomrus airing down..
Group after airing down.
Coming down the first half - Second half starts where Pic is taken. And this is the area we met Mo. (anybody have a pic of Mo's rig when we met him? @TexasLandCruiser, @solomrus, @Plains Cruiser, @Greyota ?
Finish my day going over my bucket list with Ian at his camp.
(Sunday night at KOA - forgot to add and don't want to just edit - Dinner plans for the week was set in stone before the trip — the NE crew would rotate cooking duties. My night was burgers, backed up by a pot of my baked beans. I made them Thursday night before we left. This was partly to be prepared, partly to avoid helping Rus get his rig back together. (Teamwork is important, but so are the baked beans.))
We all gathered for check-in Monday morning, got our packets, sat through the safety briefing, and watched a large chunk of folks launch out of there like last one out is a rotten egg. My style (Adopted from Ian last year) is a little more… deliberate. Not lazy, just “tactical patience” — let the eager crowd clog the first few miles of trail while I sip coffee, get ice for the cooler, and just enjoy it all.
Today’s ride: Red Mountain (both segments). My master plan for the week was/is to start with easier trails and gradually work up to the gnarlier stuff — kind of like couch-to-5K, except it’s more like couch-to-axle-deep. This way the folks new to the rocks and ruts can build confidence before I accidentally lead them somewhere they need a winch, spotters, headlights, and a therapist.
Neil/@TexasLandCruiser joined the group. Red Mountain is, in my opinion, easy-peasy. Nothing scary, just some bumps, some mountain views, and a few spots where your drink might spill if you’re careless. It’s just mountain eye-candy with occasional “oh right, I should steer” moments.
90% through, we hit a trail closure. Total bummer, because just ahead was a perfect photo op — your rig reflected in a glassy mountain lake like it’s posing for a Toyota Trails Magazine. Instead, we double back and pop out by the highway.
We’re parked perpendicular to the road, debating if we can sneak in from the south side to reach the lake, when a gorgeous 70 Series Land Cruiser pulls off the highway. I wander over, and the driver’s holding a paper map of Colorado… the Denver area. Which, newsflash, is not where we are. I ask if he’s here for Solid Axle Summit — nope. Turns out he’s from Germany, has been roaming Canada and the U.S., and needs to be in Colorado Springs by Saturday.
And here’s where it gets good: he’s got time to kill, and we’ve got an empty campsite unfortunately because Josh lost a parent over the weekend and rightfully bailed. I pitch the idea — come hang out, meet some Cruiser people, maybe hit a few trails. To his credit, Mo (as we learned his name) didn’t immediately drive away with engine screaming and puking diesel fumes after I talked to him. He needed some staples in town, and followed me back, I cleared it with Casey (SAS Director) and the KOA, and within minutes he was surrounded by Land Cruisers and adopted by the group. Land Cruiser people are amazing group!
I asked Mo if he wanted to go run trails with us. Dumbest question I’ve ever asked all week - I think.....
Pics from the day...
@solomrus airing down..
Group after airing down.
Coming down the first half - Second half starts where Pic is taken. And this is the area we met Mo. (anybody have a pic of Mo's rig when we met him? @TexasLandCruiser, @solomrus, @Plains Cruiser, @Greyota ?
Finish my day going over my bucket list with Ian at his camp.
I don't have a pic of Mo when we met him - that's when Frank and I were off to Ouray nursing our brakes and buying the local hardware store out of all of their brake fluid for the evening's flushing event. Thanks again to @solomrus for all the help on that fix. He got the worst of it after laying on an ant hill under Frank's 60.
OlYellr
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- #1,167
Tuesday, Aug 5th:
(Tuesday might be a few posts -)
Today is the “CruiseHer” ride — my job was simple: shuttle one of the three photographers (ok, fine… Ian @RevISK ) around so he could hop out, set up, and snap some majestic Land Cruiser glamour shots, (and we could swill beer). Easy gig.
But life loves a plot twist. My sisters happened to be vacationing in the area with their own rigs. The oldest texts me about a nasty accident south of Ouray — highway closed, two fatalities. They were already out and about, so they skirted the mess, but now I’ve got closure news just as I’m getting ready for CruiseHer duty.
Cue the confusion: people start showing up at my site ready for me to lead a trail run. George @1969 ToyotaFJ40 even shows me a picture of the sign-up board with my name on it. Turns out I’d once told the coordinators I’d lead Tuesday, then later said I was helping with the photo ride and cancel my leader ride. With the closure rerouting everyone, leading a run was more useful, so I grabbed that wheel and rode with it.
Plan: hit Camp Bird Road before the closure bottlenecked everything, then on to Yankee Boy Basin, Governor Basin, and Sidney Basin — depending on how crowded it all was.
At Camp Bird, we air down and roll out. Stick to the right at the forks to stay on Yankee. Most of it’s easy-going… until the last mile, where the trail begins to test you. Three climb spots require more focus — and if you’re driving a diesel, that means more throttle, more noise, and a black exhaust cloud that could blot out the sun… Talking about you Mo.
We hang at the top — photos, snacks, general loafing — before heading down and hopping onto Governor Basin, then Sidney Basin (my personal favorite).
Continue on next post....
Pics...
Top of Yankee Boy
Group photo - I am trying to block the Bronco as much as I can.. Can see Mo's Rig next to Rus's
Going down...
Time for some smack talk... Only two took the rocks down George and Mo.
and Bruno and me - such clean rigs.
(Tuesday might be a few posts -)
Today is the “CruiseHer” ride — my job was simple: shuttle one of the three photographers (ok, fine… Ian @RevISK ) around so he could hop out, set up, and snap some majestic Land Cruiser glamour shots, (and we could swill beer). Easy gig.
But life loves a plot twist. My sisters happened to be vacationing in the area with their own rigs. The oldest texts me about a nasty accident south of Ouray — highway closed, two fatalities. They were already out and about, so they skirted the mess, but now I’ve got closure news just as I’m getting ready for CruiseHer duty.
Cue the confusion: people start showing up at my site ready for me to lead a trail run. George @1969 ToyotaFJ40 even shows me a picture of the sign-up board with my name on it. Turns out I’d once told the coordinators I’d lead Tuesday, then later said I was helping with the photo ride and cancel my leader ride. With the closure rerouting everyone, leading a run was more useful, so I grabbed that wheel and rode with it.
Plan: hit Camp Bird Road before the closure bottlenecked everything, then on to Yankee Boy Basin, Governor Basin, and Sidney Basin — depending on how crowded it all was.
At Camp Bird, we air down and roll out. Stick to the right at the forks to stay on Yankee. Most of it’s easy-going… until the last mile, where the trail begins to test you. Three climb spots require more focus — and if you’re driving a diesel, that means more throttle, more noise, and a black exhaust cloud that could blot out the sun… Talking about you Mo.
We hang at the top — photos, snacks, general loafing — before heading down and hopping onto Governor Basin, then Sidney Basin (my personal favorite).
Continue on next post....
Pics...
Top of Yankee Boy
Group photo - I am trying to block the Bronco as much as I can.. Can see Mo's Rig next to Rus's
Going down...
Time for some smack talk... Only two took the rocks down George and Mo.
and Bruno and me - such clean rigs.
RevISK
SILVER Star
Bruno has the best 45…
OlYellr
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- #1,169
Tuesday Continued...
Sidney delivered. Bruno, in his 45, eyed a steep downhill we weren’t planning to tackle. Normally people winch up it in videos I’ve seen. Bruno? Nah. He bounces down, honks in triumph, spins around, and bounces back up without letting off the throttle. Open diffs and all. It was like watching a happy Labrador launch off a dock — chaotic, loud, yet somehow that moment was perfect. We all cheered.
And then there was the mud. Some of us dabbled in it, Bruno cannonballed. Mud was flying like a chocolate fountain at a kid’s birthday party. His truck came out with the windshield entirely coated — probably 15 feet worth of splatter in every direction. And because I’m not about to let Bruno have all the glory, I dove in too.
Eventually, we’d burned enough daylight and called it. A good mix of scenery, chaos, and just enough dirt to make the day worth the price of admission.
Pics
Bruno on drive
Bruno after the cannonball at Sidney.
Bruno at the scene.
Rus
Yellr post cannonball..
and
Sidney delivered. Bruno, in his 45, eyed a steep downhill we weren’t planning to tackle. Normally people winch up it in videos I’ve seen. Bruno? Nah. He bounces down, honks in triumph, spins around, and bounces back up without letting off the throttle. Open diffs and all. It was like watching a happy Labrador launch off a dock — chaotic, loud, yet somehow that moment was perfect. We all cheered.
And then there was the mud. Some of us dabbled in it, Bruno cannonballed. Mud was flying like a chocolate fountain at a kid’s birthday party. His truck came out with the windshield entirely coated — probably 15 feet worth of splatter in every direction. And because I’m not about to let Bruno have all the glory, I dove in too.
Eventually, we’d burned enough daylight and called it. A good mix of scenery, chaos, and just enough dirt to make the day worth the price of admission.
Pics
Bruno on drive
Bruno after the cannonball at Sidney.
Bruno at the scene.
Rus
Yellr post cannonball..
and
Last edited:
Mo @ first contact 
OlYellr
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- Thread starter
- #1,171
Tuesday still.
Some more shots I like...
@1969 ToyotaFJ40
Rinse and repeat...
And here are some of the videos I had of the day - Bruno is at the end....
Some more shots I like...
@1969 ToyotaFJ40
Rinse and repeat...
And here are some of the videos I had of the day - Bruno is at the end....
RodrigzCrzr
SILVER Star
looks like you guys had a great time!
as always beautiful scenery.
to bad I missed it this year,
as always beautiful scenery.
to bad I missed it this year,
RodrigzCrzr
SILVER Star
Yeah, I really enjoyed my time with you guys. hopefully next year I will make it with my 40 series.
RevISK
SILVER Star
The pictures are rad B, just none of us together 
.
.
Ditcherman
SILVER Star
What a well written narrative!
Thanks so much for letting me roll with you and showing me the way, not just over stony pass but more importantly the way that this community is. The camaraderie, the no one left behind philosophy, all of it.
Feel like I met new friends across the country this week, but Nebraskans are some of the best.
We just passed back through Sharon Springs a bit ago, spent 2 1/2 days just getting out of Colorado.
OlYellr
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- Thread starter
- #1,179
Wednesday, Aug 6th:
Today’s a big one —not really. picture day and the raffle. Went to bed Tuesday not knowing if the highway would be open. Woke up… still didn’t know. So I made coffee and wandered over to @RevISK's camp for our patented morning “how big was your s*** this am?” chat.
Good news: the highway’s open. Bad news: it’s already late in the morning. With the group photo lineup at 3, today’s run needs to be short and sweet. I decide on Ophir Pass, and if time allows, Last Dollar Road — both light, scenic trails that shouldn't risk missing picture day.
Ophir is easy on the Ouray side. The Telluride side? Not hard, just more “social,” thanks to tighter passing spots and the conga line of vehicles heading up. Still, the views over there are worth the minor traffic jams.
We stop for some photos, which is when Frank’s HJ61 decides to go full drama mode — won’t start. Turns out the positive battery terminal melted itself into oblivion. Frank’s running 24 volts with two batteries, so I guess it’s double the drama. Who carries a spare battery terminal? None of us. My solution: vice grips. @solomrus’s solution: something actually safe and functional. Frank’s back in business.
We air up and skip Last Dollar Road — it’d cut things too close. Turns out that’s the right call, because when I pull into the photo area, Ian’s directing traffic. He points where I need to go, and for a moment, I think he’s gesturing to me the “Mustard Yellow 40s are #1”. Turns out it was not that finger.
During the raffle, Casey finds me and asks me to present the Iron Butt award to Mo. My introduction was about as inspiring as a DMV waiting room, but Mo was overwhelmed and that is all that mattered. All in all, a solid midweek run with just enough edge to keep it interesting.
Pics from the day...
I was parked next to Cruiser Dan's 74 Series..
Raffle time...
Today’s a big one —not really. picture day and the raffle. Went to bed Tuesday not knowing if the highway would be open. Woke up… still didn’t know. So I made coffee and wandered over to @RevISK's camp for our patented morning “how big was your s*** this am?” chat.
Good news: the highway’s open. Bad news: it’s already late in the morning. With the group photo lineup at 3, today’s run needs to be short and sweet. I decide on Ophir Pass, and if time allows, Last Dollar Road — both light, scenic trails that shouldn't risk missing picture day.
Ophir is easy on the Ouray side. The Telluride side? Not hard, just more “social,” thanks to tighter passing spots and the conga line of vehicles heading up. Still, the views over there are worth the minor traffic jams.
We stop for some photos, which is when Frank’s HJ61 decides to go full drama mode — won’t start. Turns out the positive battery terminal melted itself into oblivion. Frank’s running 24 volts with two batteries, so I guess it’s double the drama. Who carries a spare battery terminal? None of us. My solution: vice grips. @solomrus’s solution: something actually safe and functional. Frank’s back in business.
We air up and skip Last Dollar Road — it’d cut things too close. Turns out that’s the right call, because when I pull into the photo area, Ian’s directing traffic. He points where I need to go, and for a moment, I think he’s gesturing to me the “Mustard Yellow 40s are #1”. Turns out it was not that finger.
During the raffle, Casey finds me and asks me to present the Iron Butt award to Mo. My introduction was about as inspiring as a DMV waiting room, but Mo was overwhelmed and that is all that mattered. All in all, a solid midweek run with just enough edge to keep it interesting.
Pics from the day...
I was parked next to Cruiser Dan's 74 Series..
Raffle time...
