Colorado BDR

[Luinil Explorations]

The end of September some friends and I spent ten days exploring the area along the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. We had a great time. Here are some highlights of the trip. You can read the full report and see additional photos on our travel blog. I will get some video posted on YourTube of the trip in a few weeks.

The western wildfires were still burning when we started the trip. As a result we had only one clear and starry night.


We stopped at Woods Lake for lunch and to enjoy the view.


Some of the mine ruins on the way to Animas Forks.


Animas Forks ghost town sits in a beautiful valley.


There were many high mountain streams with beaver lodges and dams in them.


Ophir Pass


On the way to Animas Forks we came across a sober reminder to drive carefully, a wrecked ATV, and pay attention to the road. It is easy to get distracted by the scenery.


There were lots of cold high mountain lakes.


We traveled over 11 mountain passes ranging between 10,000 and 13,000 feet.


The views were fantastic.

 

[Luinil Explorations]

This the first in a series of real time videos showing what it is like driving the high mountain passes on the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route.

In this video we are traveling west to east from Ophir Colorado over Ophir Pass to U.S. Highway 550.

The video shows the entire drive in real time. It is from our September 2020 trip. Please be aware that the road conditions have probably changed by the time you watch this video. This video is for your enjoyment only and should not be used for any other purpose.

You can read about this and our other adventures as well as see photos of our trips on our travel blog, www.luinil.com/travelBlog.

You can help support the production of more remote travel videos like this one by becoming a member of our Patreon team, www.patreon.com/larrieeasterly.

Going up and down Ophir Pass

 

[Luinil Explorations]

Here is the next video in my Colorado Passes series. Like the previous one it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Going up Corkscrew Pass

 

[Luinil Explorations]

Here is the next pass video. Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Corkscrew Pass to Hurricane Pass

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

The end of September some friends and I spent ten days exploring the area along the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. We had a great time. Here are some highlights of the trip. You can read the full report and see additional photos on our travel blog. I will get some video posted on YourTube of the trip in a few weeks.

The western wildfires were still burning when we started the trip. As a result we had only one clear and starry night.
View attachment 174530

We stopped at Woods Lake for lunch and to enjoy the view.
View attachment 174531

Some of the mine ruins on the way to Animas Forks.
View attachment 174532

Animas Forks ghost town sits in a beautiful valley.
View attachment 174533

There were many high mountain streams with beaver lodges and dams in them.
View attachment 174534

Ophir Pass
View attachment 174535

On the way to Animas Forks we came across a sober reminder to drive carefully, a wrecked ATV, and pay attention to the road. It is easy to get distracted by the scenery.
View attachment 174536

There were lots of cold high mountain lakes.
View attachment 174537

We traveled over 11 mountain passes ranging between 10,000 and 13,000 feet.
View attachment 174538

The views were fantastic.
View attachment 174539

Looks like some spare tires waiting for someone to retrieve. LOL
Beautiful place and great pictures. That lake is awesome !

 

[Luinil Explorations]

Here's another pass video. Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Hurricane Pass to California Pass in Real Time

 

[LanderGoat]

@jsopiela, @MrChris , @sportsguy , @SoCalDom , @Yaniv05 -- This is on my radar for spring anyone else?

 

[MrChris]

@jsopiela, @MrChris , @sportsguy , @SoCalDom , @Yaniv05 -- This is on my radar for spring anyone else?

Where is it? I'm interested!

 

[Luinil Explorations]

Animas Forks is a ghost town north of Silverton at an intersection on the Alpine Loop. In this video we work our way down from California Pass to Animas Forks. Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

California Pass to Animas Forks in Real Time

 

[Luinil Explorations]

The trip up and down Cinnamon Pass is now up on YouTube and my travel blog. Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Up and Down Cinnamon Pass in Real Time

 

[Selectivelynoncompliant]

The end of September some friends and I spent ten days exploring the area along the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. We had a great time. Here are some highlights of the trip. You can read the full report and see additional photos on our travel blog. I will get some video posted on YourTube of the trip in a few weeks.

The western wildfires were still burning when we started the trip. As a result we had only one clear and starry night.
View attachment 174530

We stopped at Woods Lake for lunch and to enjoy the view.
View attachment 174531

Some of the mine ruins on the way to Animas Forks.
View attachment 174532

Animas Forks ghost town sits in a beautiful valley.
View attachment 174533

There were many high mountain streams with beaver lodges and dams in them.
View attachment 174534

Ophir Pass
View attachment 174535

On the way to Animas Forks we came across a sober reminder to drive carefully, a wrecked ATV, and pay attention to the road. It is easy to get distracted by the scenery.
View attachment 174536

There were lots of cold high mountain lakes.
View attachment 174537

We traveled over 11 mountain passes ranging between 10,000 and 13,000 feet.
View attachment 174538

The views were fantastic.
View attachment 174539

Great photo, how would you rate the route? Wife and I are looking for a spring RV trip

 

[Luinil Explorations]

The route is actually pretty easy although they’re are some very rough and rocky sections as well as tight switchbacks some of which are pretty beat up. We only hit one spot coming down Tincup Pass where we had to spot vehicles that did not have a lift.

An important thing to consider is where you are going to camp. We found camping above 10,000 feet to be hard on our bodies. We all live at or below 5,000 feet. Some of our group had to leave and head for lower elevations for a few days. They rejoined us after we got out of the mountains. Two of us woke up in the middle of the night with difficulty breathing and with low blood oxygen levels. We both had supplemental O2 with us that helped. None of us had trouble when sleeping below 9,000 feet.

 

[Luinil Explorations]

The drive up and down Los Pinos Pass is now up on YouTube. This was definitely the easiest of the pass with only about 1,260 feet of elevation gain. The easiness of the drive was offset by the groves of aspens that were turning yellow. Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Up and Down Los Pinos Pass in Real Time

 

[Luinil Explorations]

Am a bit over half way posting the Colorado BDR pass videos on my travel blog and YouTube. This one is going up and down Cumberland Pass. Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Going Up and Down Cumberland Pass

 

[Luinil Explorations]

The Tincup Pass videos are now up on YouTube. This was without a doubt the slowest drive both up and down. It seemed like most of the road was embedded rock with a bit of dirt and gravel here and there.

On a side note, there is a bit of confusion on exactly how to spell Tincup. On some signs and websites it is spelled Tin Cup. On others it is spelled Tincup.

Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Going Up Tincup Pass

Going Down Tincup Pass

 

[Luinil Explorations]

The Weston Pass video is now up on YouTube. The road to this pass was littered with small loose rock making JR rattle and vibrate on the way up. The way down had more embed rock.

Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Up and Down Weston Pass in Real Time

 

[Luinil Explorations]

The Hagerman Pass video is now up on YouTube. There are some really rough and rocky sections on this road as well as one section with an off camber obstacle that you need to work through. The views of Turquoise Lake are spectacular.

Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Up and Down Hagerman Pass in Real Time

 

[Luinil Explorations]

Crooked Creek is the last of the passes we went over. You can think of it as a lovely drive through the woods on a decent gravel and dirt road.

Like the others it is for your enjoyment and should not be used for any other purpose.

Crooked Creek Pass in Real Time

 

[Luinil Explorations]

The previous videos focused on what it was like driving the passes. The next several videos will be in a trip report format highlighting the route between the passes and the beauty of Colorado.

Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route, Episode 1: Fires to Golden Horn

 

[Luinil Explorations]

After one week without power and three weeks without internet service (due to an ice storm) I am able to continue posting the trip report videos.

Colorado BDR Episode 2: Golden Horn to Hidden Valley Campground