Colorado Trip/Tour - South Fork to Steamboat Springs (56K Warning)

[gaterose]

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.

 

[gaterose]

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

 

[gaterose]

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

 

[gaterose]

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

 

[gaterose]

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.

 

[gaterose]

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)

 

[Nashvillerunner]

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

 

[Uneek]

Awesome pics.

 

[KhanDFW]

Sweet pic's

 

[nated05]

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

 

[808inDenver]

great pics. thanks for sharing.

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

 

[Catfish]

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

 

[gaterose]

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.

 

[JB.]

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.]

Man, that was fun. Thanks.

 

[quicksilvr]

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

 

[gaterose]

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

Thanks, it's just a Nikon D40X with kit lenses (Nikkor 18-55mm & 70-200mm). I want to upgrade but I seem to still be getting great shots with this setup. The only exception is the 3 shots of the 4R on the trail at Mt. Zirkel, those were taken with a Canon 50D w/ Canon 10-22mm (I think.. it was a Canon wide angle for sure)

 

[Smog-guy707]

niiiiiice...for some reason i couldnt see all the pics but the ones i did see were awesome! thanks for sharing

 

[thegreatdivorce]

Nice photos! Man I miss CO. Freaking beautiful there.

You have one of my favorite 4R's, too. I'm impressed with what you do with it, given the lack of a pumpkin up front.

 

[gaterose]

Thanks a lot, I miss CO too.... Can't wait to get back out there again.

Thanks for the compliments about the 4R too. It'll have a front pumpkin eventually if things go as I plan, but for now it'll go much further than I originally thought it would. Like I said in Steamboat the Jeep had to lock in 4wd 2-3 times and attempt one obstacle twice to make it while I only spun once or twice and didn't have to make two attempts anywhere.

Hopefully I'll have some vids of the Wheeler Geo area trail and a couple of bike wrecks up by the end of the week... I had to upgrade my HD and RAM to make iMovie stop freezing when I try to edit video.

 

[ridefast]

man you have some great shots! I am about 4 hours away from wolf creek. Ive only been there in the winter. I gotta make it to wheeler geologic and last chance mine soon! Hopefully i can hit you up for some directions when the time gets closer!!!