[moosehead]

Beautiful shots. Imogene is a saucy wench, prettiest part of Colorado.

 

[rpoverland]

Cool pictures! I am going there and black bear pass on August or September.

I'll post pictures after.

 

[Meso]

Cool pictures! I am going there and black bear pass on August or September.

I'll post pictures after.

Are you taking your WK2 down Black Bear? It'll be interesting to see how that goes...it was closed when I was there. Seems like I saw some posted notes somewhere in Telluride last week that there was going to be some special up hill run of Black Bear this year. Not that I have the guts to try it either way. I have only seen BB from a distance in Telluride/Imogene. I've seen video of runs from the top, that first descent past the point of no return gets my heart going just watching it on YouTube! I would imagine it is doable, I just hear that you need either lockers of some sort (check) and/or decent articulation (not so much).

Anyway, look forward to those pics. I wish I could have made the trip later this month instead of so early. But even then, they had so little snow that way more trails were open than normally would be in early June.

 

[Dollar]

I agree and also wonder about Black Bear. I didn't get to run it or Imogene last year due to snow, but I wasn't in the Jeep. Dont think I would attempt BB in the Grand Cherokee.

And I thought that BB was run in reverse once a year.


Sent from a pay phone.

 

[NoBenz]

Love the front license plate. Airpower!

 

[Jimbo]

Meso,

What kind of tires do have for your WK2?

 

[Meso]

Meso,

What kind of tires do have for your WK2?

Bridgestone Dueler Revo 2 on the WK2. The other vehicle with us had Mickey Thompson AT tires.

 

[avalys]

What tire pressures did you run? The ORII ride height is great, but the ride is just ridiculously rough even on relatively smooth surfaces. You run over a pebble and you feel it. Thus far I have been too lazy to lug along a compressor and air down for the trails I've run. I'm curious how much of a difference airing down to ~20psi would make.

 

[Meso]

What tire pressures did you run? The ORII ride height is great, but the ride is just ridiculously rough even on relatively smooth surfaces. You run over a pebble and you feel it. Thus far I have been too lazy to lug along a compressor and air down for the trails I've run. I'm curious how much of a difference airing down to ~20psi would make.

I was not running lower tire pressures, probably 35psi. I never felt any wheel spin even when climbing some rocky out crops on Imogene which were kind of steep in places and my tires were often wet. I didn't air down this trip in the Great Sand Dunes Medano Pass road, but probably would have if we had gone all the way down the road. Last trip there I did go down to between 15 and 20psi if I remember right. And, I was glad I did, the sand was deep in spots and I saw a couple of slow moving vehicles get stuck who had not aired down. Just very glad I didn't run into the sand "Service 4wd " warning light issue on Medano.

I do carry a very small emergency electric pump, but it takes time to air up tires from 15psi to just 30-32psi and it struggles to do that. But, it does take up less than 1sq ft of space.

As far as OR2, yea rough, but, I was thankful for the extra lift and was creeping along at 1-3 mph in spots and didn't bottom out the suspension. If the trails allowed for speeds of 10 or better, you didn't need OR2 terrain wise anyway and OR1 was perfect. A couple of rock out crops crossed were abrupt enough when climbing or descending over that the rock rails came about an inch or so from contact, so, think that OR2 made a difference there.

Like I said before, these trails were rated mostly moderate at worst, except for Mineral Creek, and felt well with the WK2's capability. It's been better than a week since being there and we're still talking about the beautiful solitude there as we beat the peak season start up and were there on week days. We saw 2 other vehicles and 1 ATV on Yankee Boy and it is probably the most accessible and travelled.

 

[Cherodude]

Fantastic scenery! Thanks for posting your experience.

 

[seanster]

Thanks for sharing and posting your pics, they're great. I've done that area in a Touareg with air suspension and had a blast.

You're right, the weather there changes in an instant for sure. It's kind of funny seeing the Ouray tourists in the open-cab extended Jeeps in the rain. They actually look quite miserable, while the GCs, Rovers and Touareg are running those trails with heated seats, steering wheels and leather. Funny.

I love seeing all those old mines and tons of wildflowers. Amazing area.

Also, I was also corrected when I'd say YOU-ray, to you-RAY.

 

[rpoverland]

Are you taking your WK2 down Black Bear? It'll be interesting to see how that goes...it was closed when I was there. Seems like I saw some posted notes somewhere in Telluride last week that there was going to be some special up hill run of Black Bear this year. Not that I have the guts to try it either way. I have only seen BB from a distance in Telluride/Imogene. I've seen video of runs from the top, that first descent past the point of no return gets my heart going just watching it on YouTube! I would imagine it is doable, I just hear that you need either lockers of some sort (check) and/or decent articulation (not so much).

Anyway, look forward to those pics. I wish I could have made the trip later this month instead of so early. But even then, they had so little snow that way more trails were open than normally would be in early June.

Thanks, a friend says that I won't have any problems if I am careful, he goes there every year in his rubicon.
I can't wait to go.

Meanwhile I want to buy a nice Roof rack from Urban offroad and the winch we are all waiting for from ROcky Road.

 

[turbospartan]

Nice pics - please post more if you have any. Or from any other trips... I love seeing the WK2 off road.

 

[Dollar]

Thanks, a friend says that I won't have any problems if I am careful, he goes there every year in his rubicon.
I can't wait to go.

Yeah be careful. No room for error. The GC has a pretty good turning radius which will help on the switchbacks.

Not my Jeep.

Sent from a pay phone.

 

[seanster]

Yeah be careful. No room for error. The GC has a pretty good turning radius which will help on the switchbacks.

Yes, parts of Black Bear are not for the feeble. I'll admit, I don't think could do it (the Steps at least). Maybe it's a height thing, but I'll get out, walk down, and meet the gang at the switchback.

 

[Meso]

Yes, parts of Black Bear are not for the feeble. I'll admit, I don't think could do it (the Steps at least). Maybe it's a height thing, but I'll get out, walk down, and meet the gang at the switchback.

Even though I haven't been on this trail, with a little courage, not having people in the jeep freaking out, a WK2 with rock rails, QuadraDrive II and a small lift, or the factory air lift, dry weather conditions, could do Black Bear unscathed.

It "looks" with in the vehicle's capability, something like Poughkeepsie Gulch I don't think I would even bother trying in a stock WK2. I'd love to try BB, but I am usually with some family members who bail out at the first sign of a rock.

 

[Dollar]

I hear that. My 10 yr old daughter freaked out on Mineral Creek when I got a bit of wheel spin with wet tires on a rock outcropping. That has totally ruined off roading for her. She is already worried about "the roads" that we will encounter in two weeks.


Sent from a pay phone.

 

[cypressres]

Thanks for the memories. We ran the San Juan Mountains in one of the rented Jeeps which prompted me to buy my own WK2 when we got back. A friend and I camped in YBB and climbed Sneffels. Really like that that area! Great pics.

 

[rs153719]

Hey Meso, I love your tire/wheel combo. Could you please post the exact tires and wheels that your running on your jeep? Thanks

 

[Meso]

Those are Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2 tires. P265/60R18. They have 24,000 miles on them now. They've been pretty good both on and off road, not a very aggressive tread pattern so they have been really quiet for a AT tire. Very even wear so far.