Imogene Pass, CO, and More (Lots of Pics)

**grogie** · 08-19-2006, 10:39 PM

Warning... Below are a lot of pictures for anyone not on a high speed connection...
(I also added more photos at the top of page 3)

Last Spring I started to plan a two-week, 3600 mile, Jeep trip to Colorado and Wyoming for my wife and I with our '06 TJ. We both grew up out there, and most of our family is there, but now we're in the Midwest. (sigh)

My first stop was at a family run auto body shop in Denver, where I was given some assistance to install Rubicon Rocker Panels. Not that this was that hard to do, but it sure was nice to be able to use the air tools that this required. Plus, the panels were poorly packaged, and arrived scratched up. So after the install, we taped them off and repainted them with real black auto paint!

The photos below show my progress on this trip that included Imogene Pass, Ophir Pass, the Alpine Loop, the ghost town Animas Forks, camping above Ouray, Colorado, and then up to Wyoming for some back trail adventures.

After Denver, here I am crossing the Continental Divide at Monarch Pass (yeah, it's a poser shot).

It was a beautiful morning for Imogene Pass. No clouds, no expected rain... just an expected big blue Colorado sky!

Passing through Ouray to Campbird Road.

Heading up Campbird Road to Imogene Pass trail.

Turned off on the Imogene Pass trail... water crossing.

Sign warns high clearance and four wheel drive!

**grogie** · 08-19-2006, 10:39 PM

Reached the basin below Imogene Pass.

Climbing up Imogene Pass... for the first time I really had to use the 4-low in two spots (my 4-low popped out in one place).

Reached the top! 13,114 ft.

**grogie** · 08-19-2006, 10:40 PM

Was this photo taken from a plane or a Jeep?!

Heading down Imogene Pass towards Telluride.

On this adventure, the wife and I visited the ghost town Animas Forks...

...And then onto the Alpine Loop. We quickly climbed up into the clouds were it was raining. There were a few drop offs that we couldn't see down into!

As we began to climb down, the clouds cleared out, exposing the drop-offs, and the rocks! The trail following these pictures became very rough. Halfway I passed a brand new Explorer who i am sure was regretting his decision to pick this trail, as I wouldn't drive anything but a Jeep or ATV down it. It was the roughest road I have ever been on. I did have two Rubicons pass me going the other direction, which was cool to see!

**grogie** · 08-19-2006, 10:40 PM

The following photos were taken in southern Wyoming, near where my grandparents use to ranch. I made my way down a valley to a creek in the Medicine Bow National Forest (which is used for back woods camping and for cattle to open range). The trails in the forest were narrow, step, covered with cow-pies, and full of dry ruts. Just above the first photo is where I had to use 4-low to get up a hill due to loose dirt and large rocks (again my 4-low popped out). In fact I even got to try out one of my skid plates here! I am definitely putting this on my list to spend more time visiting in the future... the area had a lot of trails!

Yesfan70 · 08-20-2006, 04:23 AM

WOW! I would love to be out there. Some really cool scenery! Thanks for sharing the pics.

**billy mo** · 08-20-2006, 07:09 AM

What an amazing trip. That scenery blows me away. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

Bishop Creek · 08-20-2006, 07:39 AM

Great pics! Looks a lot like the High Sierra here in California.

2005X · 08-20-2006, 09:11 AM

awesome pics, im heading to Colorado the end of Sept., these pics just get me pumped for the trip. i just bought a new truck so i can haul the jeep out there(Family of 4 in a jeep ain't gonna cut it for 17 hours of driving)

**grogie** · 08-20-2006, 09:44 AM

Thanks all. Glad you like the photos!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeepcurious

awesome pics, im heading to Colorado the end of Sept., these pics just get me pumped for the trip. i just bought a new truck so i can haul the jeep out there(Family of 4 in a jeep ain't gonna cut it for 17 hours of driving)

Yeah, my wife and I are talking about trading in her KJ in for a WK or XK so we can tow the TJ in the future. The back of the TJ was full! We had a third passenger on a few occasions, so I had to unload everything to put the seat down. But still, we had just a great time.

Next time I am in Ouray, I also want to do Black Bear. There are so many trail options in that area that we just ran out of vacation time.

MT3Geiger · 08-20-2006, 09:56 AM

Those pics are amazing. Thanks for sharing.

Pottymouth · 08-20-2006, 10:44 AM

Those pictures truly are worth a thousand words. Absolutely awesome, thanks for sharing!

silvergreentj · 08-20-2006, 02:20 PM

cool pics, and i like the jeep in front of the Silver Nugget in town.

thejafe · 08-21-2006, 12:10 AM

AWESOME

. I've been dying to get out to Ouray with my TJ. Not so easy living out here in NY and all... thanks for sharing those pics, now I'm even more motivated to make a trip happen

.

69440dart · 08-21-2006, 03:40 PM

Thanks for the Pictures!!!!!!! Awesome!

**grogie** · 08-21-2006, 07:26 PM

So I just took a pressure washer to my TJ, and gave it a good hand wash to get the dead bugs all off the front. I also had some cow-pies underneath! That's what I get for wheeling in open range in Wyoming... LOL

I also crawled underneath to look over the skid plates. The WARN oil/ transmission skid took a good hit right over the transmission. It has a nice scratch, and it did suffer some (I admit I was warned... but I got a good deal on it!). Then the rock that hit that also hit the stock transfer case skid. I can see the need for a lift next! But nothing a can of spray paint can't cover for now.