Posted on 09/16/2022 6:19:12 PM PDT by george76
True.. even climbing on foot has killed many / falling off a cliff, bad weather ...
I can barely tolerate the Million Dollar Highway and that’s a paved state highway
Black Bear Road.
You don’t have to be crazy to drive this road, but it helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzWyZ-jM9Is
I went over Weston pass in a Saturn I owned. I made it but it was iffy.
Don Fehd’ up.
I went over it once about 10 years ago and it was beautiful but that was enough.
If you don’t like heights, there are a lot of roads in Colorado to avoid.
Mrs. Slim did the Imogene Pass Run back in the day (before we met and I taught her the value of sloth). Northern NM is beautiful.
I have yet to go 4x4’ing in my Jeep. Hope soon. Just lifted it 3” (max before you have to mess with axles and stuff) and put max size tires on it. Stock otherwise. Lots of stuff has been replaced. Sheesh. Love being able to see over most of traffic. The Toyo AT-III’s (awesome tires) make a slight hum but most wouldn’t notice. Trail rated. Yeah baby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSjvit8pIl4
I expanded that pic to full size. Wow! But, no way I’d trust my or anyone else’s brakes going down that descent into that little parking area...
My wife and I discovered a little one way Forest Service road that leads to campsites in the Union State Forest in S. IL, a little while back. A long section of the road runs truly on the top of the ridge as it winds around, and parts are maybe 10-11 ft. wide, with steep drop offs on both sides. Granted, we’re not talking about 1000 ft. drops, but, that was enough “fun” for me.
Cool video!
Don’t know where you live though if you can get to Colorado plan to spend some days in an area west of 285 and south of I-70 and focus on Ouray / Silverton / Telluride / Opher pass / Lake City - the Alpine Loop…. That should keep you busy for a few trips.
My best surprise was taking this road in the article and driving to Mt. Sheffels and climb a 14er. Almost to the parking area, you pass this beautiful waterfall and when, at the right angle of view, it’s the Coor’s beer can “Twin Falls” (a little out of the way from Golden). Beauty pops up everywhere on these trails. Have fun with your jeep!
We went over Engineer Pass with my wife’s stock Yukon XL a few years ago.
Looking at the Road to Bird Camp, it looks like my Miata could have made it.
It looks like Selfies were involved, here.
New legislation coming. Off roading outlawed.
I have an '05 Jeep Wrangler TJ and have done many rugged trails. Stock, no lift, except for 31 inch BFGoodrich T/A tires. I can go just about anywhere except for maybe trails like the Rubicon near Lake Tahoe. Here in the Eastern Sierra of California there are many steep, narrow trails with 500 to 1,000 foot drop offs. I have always been really careful.
I did one of those tours in 2005. Lots of scary moments. Was glad when it ended.
The hired driver was a fool
I remember once when I was a child living in the area in the 1960s, we went on a picnic at Box Canyon in Ouray. There were no fences protecting tourists from the canyon and I remember we were on the precipice and my mom started rolling down the cliff to to her certain death there. Somehow we saved her but it was the scariest moment of my life.
I came across a couple of women driving a beater pickup at the crest of Weston. They had stopped to take in the view then the truck wouldn't restart and the battery was run down.
Out came my jumper cables and nope, wouldn't restart. They had filled the gas tank in Denver and the gauge read a full gas tank still. Poked around a few minutes and found the truck had dual tanks so flipped to the other tank. Varoom the truck started.
1. They didn't know the truck had dual fuel tanks.
2. The fuel gauge only indicated for one of the tanks.
What’s really fun is meeting someone else on a shelf road wide enough for only one vehicle, a couple thousand feet of drop below and backing up for a couple of miles or so to let the other vehicle through.
Last time I went over Mosquito Pass around 20 years ago, it was still a moderate trail suitable for vehicles with more ground clearance than a regular sedan. Very scenic!
Been over a couple of extreme ones, too, but those require modified vehicles (lockers, much clearance, much articulation, etc.).
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