Thanks for the info Neal, apologies for my ignorance as I'm so much not familiar with the terrain here. The attached pic is the kind of terrain I'm familiar with.
US Rocky Mountain Colorado and beyond
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I get it. No apologies needed.
The difficulty in the majority of the popular Colorado high mountain passes often comes from the pucker factor of the high elevation shelf roads and not a loss of traction or big obstacles. Having said that, many of these passes are often just rocky enough to cause slow travel and sometimes require careful tire placement, but they can usually be traversed in a stocker with an experienced driver. I see stock vehicles on them every time I'm there. Black Bear Pass is one that's still on my bucket list where my stock clearance could be a challenge. Maybe this year. :D
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@Kep01 , I've done the bulk of the more famous TAT sections such as those west of Lake City. Most of the rest are largely dirt roads.
One interesting section that I haven't done is Hancock Pass which is just west of Salida / Buena Vista. We had hoped to do that at the June Jam, but it wasn't yet cleared of snow. (I've since seen notice that it is clear now.) Hancock Pass difficulty is rated similarly to Imogene Pass. More info on it here: Hancock Pass - Colorado Offroad Trail
Having said that, I am aware of different TAT routes through Colorado so lets be sure we're on the same page. Here's a Gaia screen shot of the orange TAT route I have through Salida. Does yours match this? Salida is right in that u-turn at the south end:
photos.app.goo.gl
One interesting section that I haven't done is Hancock Pass which is just west of Salida / Buena Vista. We had hoped to do that at the June Jam, but it wasn't yet cleared of snow. (I've since seen notice that it is clear now.) Hancock Pass difficulty is rated similarly to Imogene Pass. More info on it here: Hancock Pass - Colorado Offroad Trail
Having said that, I am aware of different TAT routes through Colorado so lets be sure we're on the same page. Here's a Gaia screen shot of the orange TAT route I have through Salida. Does yours match this? Salida is right in that u-turn at the south end:
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photos.app.goo.gl
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I have 3 different ones and one of mine match yours. I have run the Tat from Tennessee to Nevada. Had to skip Colorado due to snow but I can say that Utah is by far the hardest section so far. Switchbacks like black bear pass.@Kep01 , I've done the bulk of the more famous TAT sections such as those west of Lake City. Most of the rest are largely dirt roads.
One interesting section that I haven't done is Hancock Pass which is just west of Salida / Buena Vista. We had hoped to do that at the June Jam, but it wasn't yet cleared of snow. (I've since seen notice that it is clear now.) Hancock Pass difficulty is rated similarly to Imogene Pass. More info on it here: Hancock Pass - Colorado Offroad Trail
Having said that, I am aware of different TAT routes through Colorado so lets be sure we're on the same page. Here's a Gaia screen shot of the orange TAT route I have through Salida. Does yours match this? Salida is right in that u-turn at the south end:
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As for the Colorado part, I haven’t run any of it at all. But based on past experiences anyone who travels with me needs to be prepared for anything.
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You're likely to see significant switchbacks here as well. Have you decided which TAT route you'll follow?I have 3 different ones and one of mine match yours. I have run the Tat from Tennessee to Nevada. Had to skip Colorado due to snow but I can say that Utah is by far the hardest section so far. Switchbacks like black bear pass.@Kep01 , I've done the bulk of the more famous TAT sections such as those west of Lake City. Most of the rest are largely dirt roads.
One interesting section that I haven't done is Hancock Pass which is just west of Salida / Buena Vista. We had hoped to do that at the June Jam, but it wasn't yet cleared of snow. (I've since seen notice that it is clear now.) Hancock Pass difficulty is rated similarly to Imogene Pass. More info on it here: Hancock Pass - Colorado Offroad Trail
Having said that, I am aware of different TAT routes through Colorado so lets be sure we're on the same page. Here's a Gaia screen shot of the orange TAT route I have through Salida. Does yours match this? Salida is right in that u-turn at the south end:
0 new items by Neal Tew
As for the Colorado part, I haven’t run any of it at all. But based on past experiences anyone who travels with me needs to be prepared for anything.
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Made it to Trinidad Colorado tonight. Hitting the trail tomorrow after breakfast. Nice cool night tonight for camping!
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Will do. We are in Durango now. Jumped off the trial this morning and headed this way to do a meet and greet with a customer.
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I have led multiple raw neophytes over Black Bear in bone stock XJ's before. You might scrape just a bit if you don't do good tire placement on the steps above the falls but it is nothing hard. The biggest issue is the switchback after the falls. If you know how, it is a piece of cake but for a flat lander it has a high pucker factor.
Hope you guys are having fun, just came back and had tons of fun myself. Made the Ophir Pass with no issues in my stock Armada following the lead of some awesome fellow overlanders. Can't wait for my next trip. Cheers
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Congratulations on your trip through Ophir. That’s a great ride for sure. We ran everything but black bear pass.
