I took a road trip to CO at beginning of August and took a ton of pics so I figured I'd share a few here. We started out at my friends' ranch on Wolf Creek Pass in Mineral County, CO and stayed a few days before driving north to Dillon and Steamboat Springs a couple more friends. I figured I'd share these pictures.

I've been to Wolf Creek several times so I already have a lot of pics of the area, so there aren't as many pictures of the area in this album.

I included a bunch of panoramas as well, but I'm using thumbnails for those so they don't make the posts a funky wide size.

Bachelor's Loop







More pics of Bachelor's Loop (including winter snow shots here)

Last Chance Mine





Wheeler Geologic Area
Last year I drove a couple of miles up the 4x4 trail to Wheeler Geologic Area, on Pool Table Mountain near Creede, CO, but turned back because it was almost dark, I was all alone, and I was unsure about how difficult the trail got and I was running stock tires and running boards. So I knew when I went back this Summer (as the trail is inaccessible in Winter) that I would give it a shot. I have videos of most of the trail but need to edit and upload those so here are a few pics for now.

Just after the trail started


The trail took almost two hours to complete, and I was driving a lot faster than the Jeep I ran into so I can't guess how long it took him. The only other traffic we saw on the 15 mile trail were a couple of groups of ATVs. Luckily we ran into the Jeep, about 2 miles past where I stopped last year, going up and since he had 35s I wasn't too worried about getting stuck and/or stranded. Needless to say we blazed up the rest of the trail and with the exception of scrubbing the skids and sliders I had no trouble.

4x4 Trail End/Hiking Trailhead


Austin & Dogs on formation


The bigger formations






There were better shots to be taken but my passengers were complaining about rain so I only got a few before realizing I was alone; they headed back and I had the keys.

The Jeep that followed me


The only real action shots we took on a couple of flexy parts of the trail.

End of the trail


I'm really surprised a lady at the visitor center looked at me like I was crazy (as did the Jeep driver) when I told her I was going up there in a 2WD.

More pictures of Pool Table Mtn and Creede here

Monday Morning we drove up to the top of the Lobo Overlook and grabbed a few shots of the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek

Lobo Overlook




This guy was part of a Pagosa Springs charity painting group, there were 3 members there painting the pass to auction for charity.

More pictures here

That day we went back to Creede to go mountain biking on Deep Creek trail, 13 miles, 3,000' of elevation drop, almost all down hill.





Panoramas from above location, off of Lime Creek Road




Trailhead hope no one steals the 4R in the next few hours...


I ride often and have ridden this trail twice but had 2 first time bikers with me and we all managed to wreck at one point even though I've never wrecked there before, I guess it was the rain. I of course busted worst and managed to slide down a 12-15' rock slider and got pretty beat up, but nothing a little alcohol (rubbing and drinking) wouldn't fix once we got back. It was a blast and I have a couple of videos of that to post as well once they're edited and uploaded.

Jess biking around the rock slide


Finally out of the woods




Wagon Trail Memorial at the lower trailhead

"Here Lies A Small Girl Who Died Of A Sickness On The Wagon Train West. In Memory of All The Children Who Died Going West."



No one stole the 4R


Random 4x4 Trail near the trailhead




Panorama from the lower trailhead


More pictures here

Mineral County too small to have a lot of stores, so we rode to Colorado Springs with my friends to get some supplies for the ranch. We decided to stop at the Garden of the Gods while we were there.


















Wednesday we decided to drive up to Summitville Mines because I went in January but couldn't drive all the way due to the snow. The gold mines originally opened in the 1870s and ran until the early '90s when they were shut down for poisoning much of the local drinking water and the Alamosa River with cyanide. They were reopened around '05 when new purification methods were developed, so there is an old mining city surrounding the new mines.


Summitvile Mining City, new Summitville mines in the back






Next stop, the top






Radio Tower at the top




The first switchback going back down was intimidating for someone from 600' above sea level.


There was a Jeep on 33" BFG ATs at the bottom who was afraid to drive it to the top, my gf said he looked angry when I told him that I made it and was only 2WD.

Rio Grande near Summitville, along CO-160




More pictures here

After the trip to Summitville we decided to go camping on Metroz Mtn., near Big Meadows Reservoir, Hunters Lake, and Shaw Lakes
We stopped at Hunters Lake and got to see a moose, unfortunately there was too much brush and I couldn't get a good shot without getting too close for comfort so here's his rack from 20-30 yards


We didn't get camp set up until late but here is the site.


Shaw Lake




Big Meadows Reservoir



Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass


Treasure Falls


We took I-285 so we passed through Buena Vista, the Collegiate Peaks, Leadville, Dillon, Silverthorne and several other picturesque areas but the weather was bad most of the way so I didn't get many good pictures. Here are the ones I did get.





Scenic area near Breckenridge






Another friend from back home just started working in Dillon so we stopped by his place for a bit and I took this picture of Lake Dillon from his front porch.



The drive from Dillon to Steamboat Springs was also pretty nice so I grabbed a few pictures along the way.

We spent Friday taking some ATVs up Mt. Farwell to see the view from the top
Hahn's Peak




Pictures from the top of Farwell


















There were actually some people sledding here, in August


Friday we decided to go do some off roaring at the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness area but unfortunately most of the trail was closed down for some reason. Here are a few action shots my buddy took on the trail and some other pictures of the area.














Sunday night, on the way back home I met up with a couple guys from the forum to have a couple of drinks in Kansas (zstampe & camdz)

Wow man awesome pics!! Looks like you had a good trip!

Awesome pics.

Sweet pic's

Great pics, thanks for sharing!! I was in CO last month and I am ready to go back (actually never really wanted to leave).

great pics. thanks for sharing.

one of these days, ill need to get out of the office and take a trip like this!

Awesome pics! I'll be up in Colorado in a couple of weeks. Nice to see that a 2wd can handle that stuff!

Thanks guys, it really was a great trip! It was very hard to for us to come home, especially since we were heading back to the humid Alabama heat after the great temps and views in the Rockies.

Man, that was fun. Thanks.

Awesome post! The pictures were amazing. Quick question: what camera, and what lens?