Moab and Ouray in (somewhat) stock FJ Cruiser?

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cwaters

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The title could also be "Balancing lift/tire upgrades versus daily driver road handling for overlanding more than rock crawling so my wife will still ride with me.", but I figured that might be too long of a heading :)

I am working toward my FJ Cruiser being more set up for overlanding and not extreme rock crawing for a few reasons: 1) budget, 2) lifestyle, 3) keeping my wife happy as a passenger, 4) my FJ is my daily driver. For me this means keeping a lower center of gravity to carry stuff, but having enough flexibility in the setup to do the occasional fun (more challenging) obstacles. Any vehicle specific experiences and recommendations on keeping that balance are welcomed.

So with all of the context, we are planning a trip to Ouray CO for FJ Summit this year and I would like to take in other trail systems while out west (we live in GA). Moab is on the short list for the trip this year. Any recommendations on what trails to take with a stock suspension with 33" tires? I do have skid plates and rock sliders :) At most I am looking to move to 34" tires and a 3" lift, but that will most likely be after the trip due to budget constraints.

Any recommendations out there? Thanks in advance!
 
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cwaters

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Sand Crawler said:
Stock FJs are fine for many of the trails around Ouray.

If you are going to the FJ Summit then you will be in good hands. We have attended 4 or 5 of these over the years.
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Yes, we are planning on Summit this year. Want to hit up Moab before Ouray.



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indycole

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You should be fine on all the well known trails around Ouray, though I wouldn't suggest Poughkeepsie (because of some technical portions) or Black Bear (because it can be nerve-wrecking) alone. There are a couple areas on Mineral Creek that require a specific line. Corkscrew can be gnarly when wet. It was downright spooky last summer. The closest we got to getting stuck was on Last Dollar Road - go figure. There was deep mud at the top and we were in a rainstorm.

Favorites:
Black Bear
Imogene
Yankee Boy and Governors Basin
Alpine Loop (Mineral Creek, Engineer, Cinnamon)
Corkscrew
Poughkeepsie
Ophir

You'll be fine with the stock FJ on all of those. AT tires at low pressure will go a long way. Poughkeepsie is the only Trail where a locker may be handy and that obstacle may even have a bypass.
 
cwaters

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Good to know. Thanks for the recommendations! I've been impressed with aired down 33" KO2s even on wet Georgia clay. The rear locker and ATRAC also help when needed. Skid plates help when IFS clearance is a problem - a 3" lift with larger tires will eventually fix that.

Black Bear is definitely a no-go due to the wifey. How many trails should I plan on per day at Summit? Do I need to have the specific trails mapped out for each day before registration opens? I've heard something about needing to select the trails during or after registration. Thanks again for the info.


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indycole

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That's too bad about Black Bear -- IMO there are two places that are particularly tricky where you may need a spotter and my wife simply walked (even though it was raining) those parts. You'd be more than fine if you go with people that have done it before. My wife was pretty scared but loved it after we did it. I think people exaggerate about how scary it is but downplay how breathtakingly beautiful the views are from the trail.

I don't know much about FJ Summit so I can't help you there. In general, if you're with a group then the order of the trails don't matter too much. The guide book mentioned above is a great start and it covers a wider variety of trails in the area. The ones I listed above are my personal favorites.

If I were guiding someone new to the area, I'd probably sequence the trails like this (assuming you're staying in Ouray):

Day 1: Alpine Loop: Mineral Creek > Engineer > Lake City > Cinnamon > Animas Forks > Silverton > Highway back to Ouray
* One caveat: Mineral Creek gets a little tougher every time we go on it. Just take it easy and pick good lines.

Day 2: Imogene to Telluride: Yankee Boy > Imogene > Telluride > Ophir
* If we're being aggressive, I'd drive to Silverton from Ophir, head toward Animas Forks, and do California Gulch / American Basin (I may off on the name of this trail) and then take Corkscrew back down to the highway.

Day 3: Black Bear to Telluride: Black Bear > Telluride > Last Dollar Road > Ridgway

Day 4: Poughkeepsie: Mineral Creek > Poughkeepsie > Corkscrew
* If you use your rear locker anywhere it will be on Poughkeepsie.
* If you want to skip Poughkeepsie, consider repeating the first half of the Alpine loop and come back via California Gulch/Corkscrew.

Day 5: Revisit Yankee Boy and go all the way up to the basin around Mt. Sneffles and/or explore Governor's Basin

Man, the San Juans are amazing.
 
cwaters

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indycole said:
That's too bad about Black Bear...
Click to expand...
I have some time to get my wife warmed up to the idea of Black Bear, so I won't completely rule it out yet. Glad to know it's worth the effort though. I appreciate the trail sequence recommendations. I will definitely take all of this into consideration with further planning. Can't wait for July!
 
luchaDor

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I'm somewhat in a similar boat...wanting to get to CO and do Black Bear Pass. I know my wife will freak when she see's the step portion..but the views!

Thanks indycole for the recommended loops. I did have the thought of hiring a guide or...throwing out a meet up to have a group of OBer's go. I would feel better with someone experienced leading the way as well.

There's a nice narrated youtube vid of Black Bear that does take off some of the fear of that trail.

Good topic @cwaters
 
cwaters

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If you find the video, please share here. I've watched a couple on Black Bear, but I'd like to also have my wife watch one that removes some of the fear of the trail. We will be out there toward the end of July and trying to do Moab before then. My guess is there are some OBers in the area that would be willing to meet up. Since I'm in GA, the timing for me would have to coincide with FJ Summit, but I'd love to meet some fellow adventurers.
 
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cwaters said:
If you find the video, please share here. I've watched a couple on Black Bear, but I'd like to also have my wife watch one that removes some of the fear of the trail. We will be out there toward the end of July and trying to do Moab before then. My guess is there are some OBers in the area that would be willing to meet up. Since I'm in GA, the timing for me would have to coincide with FJ Summit, but I'd love to meet some fellow adventurers.
Click to expand...

This is the one I've watched...the guy does a nice job of walking through each part.

 
cwaters

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luchaDor, we just watched the video and she said she would like to do that. And then she said, "Do we need to update our will before we go?" Thanks for your help.
 
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Cavo

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When do you plan to go, I plan to be there around around the end of May- beginning of JUNE
 
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cwaters said:
I'll be in Ouray July 19-23 for FJ Summit. Moab most likely on the 18th.


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Click to expand...
Right on! Well, I will post some pics and vids.......hope my wife does not freak out like that one on the video in "Black Bear Pass"...lol.....I know you will have a great adventure
 
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