My Colorado/Moab trip

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 08:34 PM

So the last two years a buddy and I have gone to Colorado in my Jeep for a little wheeling, backpacking, exc. The A/C fan did go out on the way there, so we drove the entire trip with out the windows in. This year we left on the 21st driving through the nite.

Since this was such a long trip (june 21st-July 2nd) I will keep it relavent to wheeling although we did some backpacking, and other stuff too.

Exhausted we decided to take a nice scenic route up Hermit Pass. The trail was easy following a meandering stream with several water falls. We were not able to summit seeing as we hit snow at about 12,800 ft.
several falls:

lodaded down with gear:

Pretty easy trail:

Snow at 12.8k:

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 08:36 PM

The next day we enjoyed another scenic pass that starts between Buena Vista and Leadville and takes you up over Weston pass towards Fairplay. Are hopes were to get to some more difficult trails at a lower elevation to avoid snow, but rain came in and we decided to wait another day to start the more difficult trails. (especially since we were by our selves)

It rained so we ended up going into Silverthorne and watched Transformers in a theater, camped at a park near by and woke up to this:

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 08:42 PM

The next day we did Wheeler lake, a little more interesting, but nothing over our heads by ourselves. Enjoyed this untill we hit a nice 10 ft. snow bank, we decided to hike the rest of the way.
old mine:

old mine equipment:

Harder than it looks?

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 08:45 PM

near the lake at the top of the trail:

the lake:

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 08:48 PM

Went down south to hike another 14k ft. peak, this year we decided to summit Mt. Princeton. (last year we climbed Mt. Elbert, 2nd tallest in cont. U.S.) While we were at it we took a nice shelf road to probably about 12.5k ft. I love the Buena Vista area (bannana belt), and have been there probably 4 or 5 times.

Ever seen a black squirell?

The next day we decided to head through Highway 82 (the most scenic highway I have ever been on) and up to 70 West to Moab.

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 08:52 PM

We camped down Kane Creek Road next to the Colorado River. Spent the first day at Arches National Park.

saw a base jumper (he used Poison spider mesa to get up there)

The next day I was excited to try some slick rock, we drove fins and things, Baby Lions back, and Hells Revenge.
(fins and things)

Lots of steep stuff, and thankfully, slickrock is like driving on sand paper.

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 08:55 PM

Baby lions back:

The real lions back(closed):

Hells Revenge:

view near hells gate:

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 09:00 PM

Hells Gate itself, was interesting. We got to it and my friend is the worlds worst spotter, and we were by ourselves. (smart, I know) When we got to it, I was swearing I thought it was bigger, than we made a corner, and well... It got bigger, the mean while my friend continued to spot me (****tyly) while taking a few pictures when he remembered.

from the bottom(entrance):

Hells gate: (My friend was so worried about screwing up he forgot to get any good action pictures... Guess I have to go back)

Near the top:

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 09:08 PM

more humps:

steep, you can see some of our gear strapped in:

The bottom of escalator:

each little dip in escalator had water in it, killing traction, worse when you happen not to have lockers...

random notch:

I think I am missing some pictures, but the only thing I went around the entire trip were the famous hot tubs, and tip over challenge. I gave up on tip over after pulling my driver side front tire twice.

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 09:17 PM

The Next day we spent time in Canyonlands, driving Poision Spider Masa at the end of the day. We caught up and wheeled with a 43' M-1something or other with a ford 9", and a pinto engine., and a new JK (on 35"s).

It was a family, the granpda in his mid 70s, pilotted the rental jk while his son drove the old willys he bought his son when he was 9. The son is now 39. The 4 door jk was drive by I believe, his sisters husband. Very nice folks.

V-notch:

Arch overlooking a drop of several hundred feet, and the Colorado bellow.

A crack( but not the golden crack)

Tow hook dragging was common for me:

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 09:23 PM

On the way back we stopped in Ouray Colorado. Definitly the most senic place in Colorado I have been. It is at high elevation so most of the wheeling is closed untill late summer though.

from yankee boy basin:

A local advised me from using this bridge due to its condition, so I did the water crossing, came up to the bumper. (Imogene pass)

**breckboarder55** · 07-15-2009, 09:26 PM

I think they plow this one:

View from the end of Imogene of another famous trail, forgot the name. This is near Telluride though.

And from there we drove threw the night again, stopping to sleep for only 3 hours past Amarillo. Took over 900 pictures, broke only my ignition key.(that sucked in the middle of no where) exc.
Good time