San Juan Mountains, Colorado

[sarah]

WOW!!! Black bear pass, helicopter rides - Alycia you look so cold half the time! Amazing pics, and I know how hard those group shots are to get sometimes - everyone's pics are amazing, PLEASE PHOTOSHOP ME IN!!!!

[RAT]

wow!!! I know how hard those group shots are to get sometimes!

like herding cats!

[HookandLadder]

I haven't post pic yet...been busy cleaning deer from my truck and getting it fixed. And not to mentioned we sold our house and need to move out by early sept. I need a vacation! Will post pics soon

[RAT]

I haven't post pic yet...been busy cleaning deer from my truck and getting it fixed. And not to mentioned we sold our house and need to move out by early sept. I need a vacation! Will post pics soon

Hey, save that deer meat. Sausage anyone??? Congrats on the house too!

[FishPOET]

On Friday August 10 we ran 8 trails. The first was Mineral Creek

The entrance to the trail is very close to Ouray and we decided to stop in the big vista area on the Million Dollar Highway to check out the Idarado Mine.


The Idarado Mine has a tunnel over 5-1/2 miles long that goes all the way to Telluride

Fun shelf road next to the Uncompahgre River


The Mickey Breene Mine


The Mickey Breene Mine has an old tram cable strung across the road that limits any tall vehicles from using the trail.


Almost to the next trail


The YJ with a Cummins Turbo Diesel engine out of a Frito Lay truck was way cool. Jeep porn!


More Mineral Creek photos can be seen here

To be continued...

[Mike]

Friday

Man! This is painful waiting for you to get to the best trail of the trip!
Come on Doug, get to Poughkeepsie!

Fine! I give...

Here's a video.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTFtI...1&feature=plcp

[sarah]

Sweet vid!! Those winch points are new! When we went up that it was raining, and they made me drive the XJ up it because I was the "lightest one" - we made it but the other groups didn't. I love the turquoise lake on that trail too!!

[FishPOET]

About 1/2 way up the Mineral Creek trail we turned right onto Poughkeepsie Gulch

Until today most of the trails we have been on are of the fire road type. Very scenic but not much technical challenge. Mineral Creek has some tougher sections and Poughkeepsie Gulch has a genuine black diamond obstacle.

Waterfall near the start of Poughkeepsie Gulch


This could easily be a magazine cover


The Obstacle - the middle line


The Obstacle - line to the right


The Obstacle - line to the left. Mike made it look easy and never spun his tires once.


Lunch at Lake Como


More Poughkeepsie Gulch photos can be seen here

To be continued...

[FishPOET]

Man! This is painful waiting for you to get to the best trail of the trip!
Come on Doug, get to Poughkeepsie!

Linda is still on vacation and not sure when she will get back. I have all her photos I am sorting through as well as my own. Together we had over 600 shots on Poughkeepsie Gulch alone I already have 30+ hours invested in photos and trip reports up to this point and we have a pretty big week at the shop.

My one regret from the 2009 trip was that I did not sort my photos better and I am remedying that this trip but it takes a while.

BTW that is an awesome video you and Sharon have from Poughkeepsie and I can't wait until more of the videos start rolling in. Every photo and every video is like reliving the adventure all over again

[Jason]

Great pictures and stories so far, keep 'em coming. Like Sarah said, somebody please photoshop me in a picture.
Did anyone get altitude sickness? You folks spent alot of time way above sea level. More than most people can handle for a day.

[Mike]

Great pictures and stories so far, keep 'em coming. Like Sarah said, somebody please photoshop me in a picture.
Did anyone get altitude sickness? You folks spent alot of time way above sea level. More than most people can handle for a day.

Everyone had some adjusting to do for the altitude. Chuck is the only one that seemed to struggle for a bit, but he adapted pretty quickly after the first couple of days. The cool part was on the way home, we stopped at Mesa Verde and the rangers were talking about how people have difficulty with the tours due to the 7000 foot elevation. We weren't even winded from the tours.

[Jason]

I'm glad to hear that. I wondered about you guys on that trip. A day or two is one thing that high up. Russ, he's a traveling animal, but the rest of you....

[FishPOET]

Poughkeepsie Gulch ends at a 3 way intersection with Hurricane Pass and California Gulch. We took California Gulch

At California Pass 12,960'


View of Lake Como from California Pass


2009 Elevation sign


2012 Elevation sign


Trail from California Pass down into California Gulch


Frisco Mill in California Gulch


More California Gulch photos can be seen here

To be continued...

[FishPOET]

Heading down California Gulch we took the fork to the right which put us into Placer Gulch

Looking down Placer Gulch towards California Gulch


Sound Democrat Mill is the highlight of Placer Gulch






There are a couple of different tramways located in Placer Gulch


More Placer Gulch photos can be seen here

The climb out of Placer Gulch


To be continued...

[RAT]

Chuckys climb on Poughkipsee

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ratpatimages/7808803308/