I’m in for the 7th. Looking forward to seeing the new area.
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1000Taco0001
SILVER Star
I'm good for the 7th definitely.
8th is not looking good, I am still working on it though, I may be good for morning but have to bail by noon-ish.
8th is not looking good, I am still working on it though, I may be good for morning but have to bail by noon-ish.
SAS
Seeking higher vistas
- Thread starter
- #26
Interesting day on the Rampart Range--I'll let the guys who were there tell their stories! I was on FSR 357 with Ryan and three guys I invited from Denver via Instagram. BTW, on 357 we had no stucks and no recoveries.
On the Rampart Range Road were David H., David M., Josh, Jeff S., and Randy, a Full-Size Chevy/GMC guy from Canon City.
For Sunday, December 8th:
LC4Life
Grimeless
ICD FJ40
000doodie000
Stevenstuff
twbland
Black95
SAS
On the Rampart Range Road were David H., David M., Josh, Jeff S., and Randy, a Full-Size Chevy/GMC guy from Canon City.
For Sunday, December 8th:
LC4Life
Grimeless
ICD FJ40
000doodie000
Stevenstuff
twbland
Black95
SAS
I plan to join you tomorrow, as well.
I had my rear chains on earlier in the day. Took them off because I gave a group of people a ride to the McDonalds in town. I can’t run front chains right now, because of a clearance issue with my new Fox remote reservoir shocks. Reservoir relocation kit is in the mail.
On Saturday I was in the Rampart Range group. We had a few recoveries along 300 since most people did not venture to far off the main road. Most of the recoveries were from people that slid into the ditch and couldn't back out. The road was not a full 2 lanes and when you passed someone if you went too far into the unplowed area you would end up in the ditch. I was trying to widen out the road and went into the ditch and could get back out. I did get sucked into the ditch going past a car and got high centered. My partner (Josh) strapped me out. Just South of 323 a pickup got off the road in the same way but ended up on three wheels and saved from a scary ride by a tree. A winch on each end and he was back on the road. Toward the end of the day we went up to 327/351 intersection and was a Dakota sitting there. The lady inside said she was waiting for her boyfriend to get back up 351. She refused to take her truck down it (Smart Lady). Pretty soon a full sized Dodge truck comes up and the driver was her boyfriend. He said his buddy was coming up in a Cherokee. After about 15 minutes we started down 351 with the boyfriend in my truck. On the way down we saw a new Raptor coming up. As he was backing down to let us by he went off into soft snow and got stuck. A strap front and back got him back out but not until he slid into a tree with the back fender. We continued on and found a Cherokee stuck on the middle of an uphill with no driver around. We finally found the driver and winched him out. He started backing down to a place to turn around. 2 more times with the winch got him out and headed down to go out Rainbow Gulch. I broke out my chains and put a set on the font of my Lexus and we tried to put to other set on the front of the Tacoma. Not enough clearance to the upper Ball Joint (1/2 inch) to fit chains. So they went on the back. We got a fun ride through the dark up 351 and met up with Ranger Barter. We headed out Rampart to go back to the Ranger station. About 1/4 mile north of 320 we saw 2 youths walking through the snow parallel to the road but 30 feet over. Wearing sweat shirts and no flashlight, just hiking along in the moonlight. They said they didn't need a ride and were going to their car. When we got to the turnoff for 320 and not seeing a car. Barter and I went back North and back and forth looking for them or a car. After 20 minutes we said "so sad for them and headed out. When we met up with Tracy at the sledding hill he said that a blue car had come out before we got there. It was good to know that on Sunday there were not going to be some frozen kids. Off the mountain at about 7:00.
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On Sunday I was in the Rampart group on the North end. My partner was Andrew. We got to the sledding hill and aired down so the washboards in the road wouldn't rattle loose all the bling on our trucks or the fillings from our teeth. When we got North we saw fresh tracks went down 327 since the snow berm from the previous night was flattened. We got a mile down and found 2 Lexus trucks and about a dozen people having a picnic and tree cutting party. They graciously gave us cookies and hot chocolate, SCORE! It looked like a Lexus convention but Andrew brought a Land Cruiser to the party. We got back out to 300 and checked out the locked gate and bermed a turnout. David H and Todd came up 351 and we sat at the intersection and chatted. A few side by sides came by and headed down 327 then a cherry early 80 Bronco followed. Some interesting characters stopped by and asked where the best place to shoot was. They were in an old Pathfinder and a Chevy pickup. I gave them a map and told them to go out 348 and go North on 67. Bad advice on my part, I should have told them to go back to Woodland Park via 300. Our group went South and just before we got to 324 we found a D3500 in the ditch by the road. The driver used some colorful language about the party that wouldn't share the road. The only part of the conversation that I can repeat here is "Jeep driver"
Here is the truck right after he was out. Todd had chains on his front so we strapped the guy out. We continued on and met with Luke and Sam at the entrance to 324. Our group ran 324 and 325 and saw 1 mini Blazer, lots of nice soft snow to slide around on. We went back North and stopped at 351. Andrew and David H went down 327 to check on all of the traffic that we had seen go in. Todd and I went down 351. On the way down At one point I was stomping the brake pedal through the fire wall, ABS chattering away and gaining speed on an steep icy spot. I was just about to pick up the radio mike and tell Todd to move, move, move, but I finally got some traction and slowed down. A little bit farther and what do you know. here are the shooters and their pickup has a right front flat. The tire had both beads popped off and was sitting at a silly angle. On the part of the hill where I was doing the white knuckle exercise they had got a flat. By the time they had gotten to a flat spot the tire was preventing them from moving. So here we have a chevy pickup truck with a flat tire and no jack. They did get the jack out of the Pathfinder and were using a ratchet with a 3 foot extension to raise the jack. But still no chevy jack handle to drop their spare. We tried my jack handle, a long screwdriver, a pry bar, we even thought of whittling down a branch to drop the spare. I offered to lend them my spare. They finally ended up using Todd's pair of side cutters and cutting the wire strands of the cable that held up the spare. Got the spare mounted and it was low. We used my CO2 tank to fill their tire and got them headed West. We followed them out the Rainbow Falls entrance and bid them good luck. Other than that it was a boring day. Sorry, no photos of the tire.
Here is the truck right after he was out. Todd had chains on his front so we strapped the guy out. We continued on and met with Luke and Sam at the entrance to 324. Our group ran 324 and 325 and saw 1 mini Blazer, lots of nice soft snow to slide around on. We went back North and stopped at 351. Andrew and David H went down 327 to check on all of the traffic that we had seen go in. Todd and I went down 351. On the way down At one point I was stomping the brake pedal through the fire wall, ABS chattering away and gaining speed on an steep icy spot. I was just about to pick up the radio mike and tell Todd to move, move, move, but I finally got some traction and slowed down. A little bit farther and what do you know. here are the shooters and their pickup has a right front flat. The tire had both beads popped off and was sitting at a silly angle. On the part of the hill where I was doing the white knuckle exercise they had got a flat. By the time they had gotten to a flat spot the tire was preventing them from moving. So here we have a chevy pickup truck with a flat tire and no jack. They did get the jack out of the Pathfinder and were using a ratchet with a 3 foot extension to raise the jack. But still no chevy jack handle to drop their spare. We tried my jack handle, a long screwdriver, a pry bar, we even thought of whittling down a branch to drop the spare. I offered to lend them my spare. They finally ended up using Todd's pair of side cutters and cutting the wire strands of the cable that held up the spare. Got the spare mounted and it was low. We used my CO2 tank to fill their tire and got them headed West. We followed them out the Rainbow Falls entrance and bid them good luck. Other than that it was a boring day. Sorry, no photos of the tire.
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SAS
Seeking higher vistas
- Thread starter
- #33
Thank you to the Sunday group:
000doodie000
Renee with Stevenstuff
Grimeless
Black95
Springs505
LCPilot
ICD FJ40
LC4Life
twbland
SAS
We had 10 rigs for most of the day (some had to leave in the early afternoon). We put two rigs over on 357 and eight on Rampart Range Road, four up north and four in the center (323 area).
Colorado4x4 Rescue & Recovery was there in the morning pulling a Jeep Compass or Patriot out of deep into 323/324. Bill and I were blocking traffic for them (they were pulling it out the one-way "in" portion of 323). After they were complete (2pm) Bill and I went north to put eyes on Rampart Range Road up to beyond the Douglas County line, then back south to near 323.
000doodie000
Renee with Stevenstuff
Grimeless
Black95
Springs505
LCPilot
ICD FJ40
LC4Life
twbland
SAS
We had 10 rigs for most of the day (some had to leave in the early afternoon). We put two rigs over on 357 and eight on Rampart Range Road, four up north and four in the center (323 area).
Colorado4x4 Rescue & Recovery was there in the morning pulling a Jeep Compass or Patriot out of deep into 323/324. Bill and I were blocking traffic for them (they were pulling it out the one-way "in" portion of 323). After they were complete (2pm) Bill and I went north to put eyes on Rampart Range Road up to beyond the Douglas County line, then back south to near 323.
On my way out, I followed tracks all the way down 300V and back up 300U. The glacier on 300V is not there yet, surprisingly. 300V is very, very rutted out, and tough to navigate. At least one locking diff and rock sliders recommended.
I also ran down 315 to the “slide off” spot. There were tracks leading all the way down, and halfway over the slide section, where you could tell there was a pretty substantial recovery that had happened. Footprints up the hillside to connect a winch or come-a-long. One of the FS rangers mentioned that they had plans to dynamite that out this year, but ended up running out of time to get it done. So maybe next year. I’m glad they’re repairing it instead of just closing it.
See you Saturday!
I also ran down 315 to the “slide off” spot. There were tracks leading all the way down, and halfway over the slide section, where you could tell there was a pretty substantial recovery that had happened. Footprints up the hillside to connect a winch or come-a-long. One of the FS rangers mentioned that they had plans to dynamite that out this year, but ended up running out of time to get it done. So maybe next year. I’m glad they’re repairing it instead of just closing it.
See you Saturday!
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Alright, I'm "newer" to the area. Where is Crystola Convenience store?
The closest I could find was:
Crystola Roadhouse, 20918 US-24, Woodland Park, CO 80863
Is that where we meet?
Also, I currently do not have any tire chains, do I NEED them? I can try and get some tonight if ya'll think they will be needed. Thanks!
The closest I could find was:
Crystola Roadhouse, 20918 US-24, Woodland Park, CO 80863
Is that where we meet?
Also, I currently do not have any tire chains, do I NEED them? I can try and get some tonight if ya'll think they will be needed. Thanks!
Meet at Crystola Roadhouse? Dang good idea! Do they do breakfast burritos? Unfortunately, we meet on the other side of Hwy 24, a little further up the road at the Alta gas station. Sketchy foods and coffee. Bring chains if you have them, but not essential.
Thanks guys! I'll be there tomorrow morning.
