Tacoma Shake Down (2 Viewers)

[juane]

Ended up not doing Lockhart Basin.

Instead, just me and the dog followed our noses for 650 miles of mostly dirt discovery of Western Colorado.

Happened upon some Cruiser heads on the way up Stoney Pass and ended up camping and wheeling with them for a bit. One fellow, Steve had just bought his white 80 from someone at HDC. Not sure from whom.

Must have driven over 50 passes and made 500 switch back turns. From the San Juans to the uranium mining country. From countless campers and ATVs to not seeing a soul for hours.

The high light was Pearl Pass.
Holy Crap!
That was intense. Nothing real technical, I'm sure plenty of stock rigs do it, but it was relentlessly intense. Did use the locker a few times.
I was very fortunate not to have met any oncoming vehicles. Long stretches of very narrow and exposed shelf road with no room to even allow a motor cycle to pass. In contrast to the traffic on Stoney Pass near Silverton, there was only one ATV and three hard core jeepers on Pearl. I pretty much had the run to myself.
Afterward my hands hurt from gripping the steering wheel so hard.
Highly recommended!

Tacoma worked perfect.

 

[pappy]

Sounds like a fun weekend. But, ya know ... I do think you own a camera.

 

[OGBeno]

Steve bought Daisy's old rig. It should have been a 1993 with some big KM2's (36.5 IIRC).

He lives in Durango and hangs with the Durango crew (Justin T/Corbet/etc.)

 

[juane]

That was him, with his wife and kids.
There was another couple from Rising Sun in Denver in an FJ-80 and a third couple, Steve and Linda in a beautiful 40 also from Durango.
I just happened to pass their camp on my way up Stoney Pass and pulled in and introduced myself.
They were on their way to meet other Land Cruiser folks in Ouray planning on Engineer and Poughkeepsie Gulch on Sunday.

 

[Daisy 53]

I miss that truck....

Daisy

 

[pappy]

I miss that truck....

Daisy

Apparently you do.

 

[Voodoo FJ]

That was him, with his wife and kids.
There was another couple from Rising Sun in Denver in an FJ-80 and a third couple, Steve and Linda in a beautiful 40 also from Durango.
I just happened to pass their camp on my way up Stoney Pass and pulled in and introduced myself.
They were on their way to meet other Land Cruiser folks in Ouray planning on Engineer and Poughkeepsie Gulch on Sunday.

I got a wild hair this last weekend, drove up Saturday night, and did some San Juan trails including Poughkeepsie on Sunday. The attached picture overlooks "The Wall" obstacle by nearly 1,000 feet. Some of the little dots in the picture are a few 80's and a 40 with some type of camp platform on top? Juane, could these be the Toyota people you came across?

 

[juane]

I bet those were my new friends.
I know there were planning on meeting other folks in Ouray and doing Engineer and Poughkeepsie on Sunday.
That would have been a roof-top tent on the 40.

Next time you get a wild Colorado Hair you are always welcome in Salida.