My trip to Ouray, Colorado!

[Wolf_Girl]

At first I didn't want to post pictures, but the more I think of it, maybe you guys would like to see my very first 4runner adventure!
My boyfriend and I spent 3 days up there, and it was last July. I'm gunna post the pics that I think are pretty cool.
Heading into Silverton, can you spot the cool ol' train?

Main street in Ouray

Heading up to Yankee Boy basin, I had to scoot over so a Jeep could go down.

Pee break, then old people showed up in a rental Jeep. My Toy looks better IMHO.

First water crossing! Yes I was over excited lol.

Some old mine ruins & nice cloud touching the mountain

Finally! Yankee Boy basin. My altimeter was maxed out, I think we were around 12 thousand feet.

Found MORE water! Yay.

 

[KidVermicious]

I've heard such awesome things about that whole area - I gotta get one of you Colorado folks to take me up there some time.

 

[Gerdo]

That looks like a great trip in a great area in a great vehicle.
1st gen 4runners are so cool!

 

[Wolf_Girl]

I'm actually a New Mexican ..Not mexican. NEW mexican lol ^^
But I do love going to Colorado for weekend trips especially now I have a 4cyl. I'm glad I sold my '88 suburban!
Thankyou Gerdo! It was a blast.
Next time I go to Ouray, I'm going to do the Black Bear pass run.I heard it's scary

 

[BucknutBob]

Congrats on the truck and the trip, WG! I have been checking out that area for the last few years, wanting to go there and explore. I made it to Telluride about a year ago, and man, was that place sweet. Black Bear Pass is right at the top of my to-do list when it comes to trails around there, and yeah, it could definitely be considered scary--those switchbacks are very tight, with hundreds of feet down just a couple feet from your tires. Just my kinda' ride! I can post up some pics if you'd like--I got a good look at it from the bottom (in Telluride). I have a guidebook and maps of the entire Ouray-Telluride-Silverton area. Have fun out there!

 

[thatoneguy]

That's a quite cool and scenic trail. Maybe i'll try to go to it if I go to Pike's Peak this year. That looks like a nice quaint town. Colorado is the only other state i've seriously considered living in.

 

[GMZ]

Looks like an amazing time. I took a family trip up that way (Telluride/Ouray/Silverton) when I was a kid about 20 years ago and loved it then I can only imagine how much I would like it now, still have a piece of coal I picked up from the Durango-Silverton train. Is there still a house in Ouray with crazy flowers everywhere?

 

[SwiftRunner]

Thanks for the pics. I used to rent jeeps in Telluride in the early 80's before the 4-runner came out. The photos bring back memories. You have to go to Tomboy, though.

 

[jirehn]

Awesome trip and I think you really enjoy it, and I really appreciate your photos thanks for sharing it.

 

[Wolf_Girl]

Awesome. The reason why I didn't post these when I got back from Ouray was 'cuz I didn't want to seem... er.. idk.. boastful? I'm a pretty shy person so I must think in a weird way. I had visions of "Why did you post this?" replies. Lol, I'm dumb.
And YES the house with the flowers in Ouray IS still there! I didn't take a pic though, sorry
This year I hope to go back, except this time I will have a Crawler cam and some other goodies (yay tax refund!)
Buck, I'd love to see some pics!
Oh, off topic but - Is a cold air intake kit worth buying? Looking at it, I'd say it's easier for water to get sucked in.. but I want it to breathe better to get the most outa' the cam. Would a header make more of a difference? I already have a larger exhaust pipe with hi-flow cat and muffler.

 

[77'911]

Very nice, thanks for posting those. Reminds me of my younger years spent out in Keystone/Montezuma. If like those, you should trek up to BC/Alaska. That truck looks in nice shape. Again, thanks for posting the pics.
regards

 

[BucknutBob]

Requested Telluride pics

Wolf Girl (and others), here are just a few looks at Telluride and the switchbacks of Black Bear Pass (as seen from below when snowed under). I cannot claim the one pic looking down from the trail in Summer, as I have not had the pleasure of being on the trail yet. The others are from my all-road trip last Feb.

 

[Wolf_Girl]

Holy.
Moly.

I'M SO DOING THAT!!!!
:O

 

[KidVermicious]

Oh, off topic but - Is a cold air intake kit worth buying? Looking at it, I'd say it's easier for water to get sucked in.. but I want it to breathe better to get the most outa' the cam. Would a header make more of a difference? I already have a larger exhaust pipe with hi-flow cat and muffler.

You already have a cold air intake. If you're talking about a cone filter, that'd actually be converting to a warm air intake unless you boxed off the cone filter from the rest of the engine compartment. And yeah, it'd be easier for water to get in unless you sealed it all up, and then why not just get a snorkel?

I haven't upgraded my intake or header yet, but I read that all you get from a bigger intake is throttle response, and the real gain is with the exhaust header. Especially if you've got a cam.

 

[BucknutBob]

I second the snorkel suggestion, especially given your interest in big water crossings! A snorkel will do everything the standard "cold air" intake will do, plus add a bit more ram effect, and the obvious safety factor of pulling in air from so high up.

 

[rlpjw1959]

WOW - You made my day! Thanks for the pics and story... beautiful .

 

[Cajun911]

WG nice photos that is some beautiful scenery it looks like you and your boyfriend had a blast thanks for sharing the pics!!!!

 

[austintaco]

It sounds like you were there the same time we were there. We came up from Austin, through Santa Fe and camped on a trail on our way to Creed. The next day, we finished that trail and did the Alpine loop into Silverton.
It started pouring rain when we hit Silverton, so we headed up to Montrose, and camped outside of Ouray for the next two days and then made our way back to Austin, TX.

For anyone that is looking for ideas on what to do and where to go, expeditionportal has many trail reviews and completed trips to go through. I picked up a book from half price on the different trails and we just picked a few of the easier/scenic. My fiance gets scared easily, and when she gets scared, she gets "annoying". For the sake of our marriage and future, I have to miss out on the hard stuff.

 

[SwiftRunner]

Telluride

Bucknut, thanks for the pics. In the second picture you can see a Mesa below the mountain range. It's sunshine Mesa. I lived on a ranch there for a week working taking down fence. It's private land and the views incredible. I also lived in town for a long period. All those pics bring back memories!!! We used to go to Ouray often to swim in the hot spring's pool. However, we usually drove over Dallas pass, the thirty mile paved road. The picture of the ski lift is that of the newer lift #9 which probably has a name by now. It starts out directly in town. I once skinned up that trail and skied down on a powder day using the Telemark technique. It is one of my most memorable experiences on skis. You picture will always give me a warm feeling. Now that I own a 4runner I so want to go back, but it's a long way from Cape Cod.

 

[BucknutBob]

Glad to hear you liked 'em, SR, and that they have significance beyond just showing how pretty the area is. I can't even imagine going up that lift hill by foot! I rode the gondola, which as you mentioned, takes off from right in town--that was fun. I have a much larger set of the pics I took on my Facebook page, if you'd like to see more (plus albums from Moab, UT, the Black Hills of SD, etc.). Send me a PM if you're interested.