US Rocky Mountain Project Zero: Rimrocker to Alpine Loop

[Attackpilot]

Veteran and First Responder Adventure Therapy Overland Adventure

View Rally Point

 

[Neal A. Tew]

May is pretty early in the season to expect the Alpine Loop to be clear. Do you have a backup plan?

 

[Attackpilot]

May is pretty early in the season to expect the Alpine Loop to be clear. Do you have a backup plan?

Great point! We know this schedule is a little sporty, but we do have an Enchanted Rockies event planned for the same weekend. We intend to watch the weather closely, and have alternate routes and trails planned for the weekend if the snow level/road conditions are still impassable this last weekend of May. Current conditions make it promising for early clearing, but we will gauge interest for a lower elevation/alternative route should the need arise. Thank you for the interest!

 

[Neal A. Tew]

Great!

Also, what is your planned route between rim rocker and the Alpine Loop? Are you planning to include the mineral Creek section that starts just south of ouray?

 

[Attackpilot]

Great!

Also, what is your planned route between rim rocker and the Alpine Loop? Are you planning to include the mineral Creek section that starts just south of ouray?

We intend to hit pavement from the Rimrocker terminus in Montrose to US 550. We will pit stop for a resupply and camp with showers and power in Ridgway, then pickup the loop just south of Ouray via Engineer Pass. Alternatively, we can continue via pavement to Silverton, and go up and over via Cinnamon Pass by Animas Forks.

 

[Neal A. Tew]

Great!

Also, what is your planned route between rim rocker and the Alpine Loop? Are you planning to include the mineral Creek section that starts just south of ouray?

We intend to hit pavement from the Rimrocker terminus in Montrose to US 550. We will pit stop for a resupply and camp with showers and power in Ridgway, then pickup the loop just south of Ouray via Engineer Pass. Alternatively, we can continue via pavement to Silverton, and go up and over via Cinnamon Pass by Animas Forks.

So you're probably aware that that section from 550 to animas forks (sometimes called mineral Creek) can be a good bit more difficult than all of the rest of the trails you've mentioned. It doesn't see the level of road maintenance that the true loop does. Perhaps we've had this discussion before. It seems familiar.

Have you ever done rimrocker?

 

[Attackpilot]

Great!

Also, what is your planned route between rim rocker and the Alpine Loop? Are you planning to include the mineral Creek section that starts just south of ouray?

We intend to hit pavement from the Rimrocker terminus in Montrose to US 550. We will pit stop for a resupply and camp with showers and power in Ridgway, then pickup the loop just south of Ouray via Engineer Pass. Alternatively, we can continue via pavement to Silverton, and go up and over via Cinnamon Pass by Animas Forks.

So you\'re probably aware that that section from 550 to animas forks (sometimes called mineral Creek) can be a good bit more difficult than all of the rest of the trails you\'ve mentioned. It doesn\'t see the level of road maintenance that the true loop does. Perhaps we\'ve had this discussion before. It seems familiar.

Have you ever done rimrocker?

Yes sir! I don't believe we've spoken before, but the trail difficulty on the mineral creek/Engineer Pass leg is exactly the reason that is our primary route, for a little bit more of a challenge (depending on the capability of the rigs our participants bring). We've been holding annual events in Ouray for the past few years, it is our favorite place to #getoutthere! Our annual Ouray Adventure is normally a stationary camp (in Ridgway or Ouray), and trail days on Black Bear, Ophir, Imogene, Engineer, and Poughkeepsie.

We did Rimrocker last year as an org event as well, which was very successful. These are definitely my two most favorite trail systems in this part of the country.