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Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

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Gary Lewis

Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

We took Big Blue to my home town in KS yesterday and my nephew charged the A/C system, so there's one more to-do that is done. And, my brother drove the truck and pronounced it ready to go to Colorado.

So he and I are now planning to go sometime in August. He wants to take his RZR, so I'll stop by and pick him up and we'll pull the RZR with Big Blue. (I'm sure that is going to seriously impact the MPG.

)

Given that, I'm going to use this thread for planning the trip. Like what to take. Where to stay. Where to go, etc. Bob has written some very good guides to the trails, so we have a good jump on this. But there is still planning to be done.

As far as Big Blue is concerned, basically all that I know of that needs to be done is to install the on-board compressed air system. So hopefully 'twixt now and then I can get that done. Oh, and there are a number of other "little" things to be done, like line the behind the seat storage unit with foam to stop the rattles. And add hooks in the Highliner for the mike and cord. But those are little jobs and should be easy to do.

So jump in here with your ideas, please!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

ctubutis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Your destination is in a different time zone. :)

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

True. And a different state. And a very different altitude. And probably a different attitude.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Nothing Special

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Trailering the RZR means having a trailer to deal with once you're out there. And having a non-highway vehicle means needing to get it back to the trailer at the end of the day. I don't have "The Answer" for either of those, but definitely things to think about.

At least some (most? all?) of the places the trails leave the highway have areas you can leave a truck/trailer. Looking at the map below (from my earlier posts) I know there's a little bit of parking where Engineer Mountain Road leaves highway 550, and there are a lot of "dispersed" camp sites where Corkscrew Gulch leaves hwy 550, so there would be plenty of room to leave a trailer there. Many of the other entrances to the trails are easy enough dirt roads that you could easily pull the trailer in a ways to find a place to leave it.

But at some point you'll need to leave the trailer. Likely it'd be OK just left, but there's a better (worse) than zero chance it wouldn't be waiting for you when you return, so figuring out a way to secure it will help your peace-of-mind. And while there are some trees out there, finding one where you can lock a trailer might be a challenge, so being comfortable with however you can "secure" it in an open parking lot might be necessary.

Getting the RZR back to the trailer is easily accomplished if you always plan to come out on the same trail you went in. That's easy to do in some areas, but impossible in others (for instance, no way to go down Black Bear Road (which is one-way) and get back to the top without taking roads, not that Black Bear is on your list, but others are similar).

Or you can plan to leave the RZR where you come out and use Big Blue to retrieve the trailer. Distances are pretty large out there, so plan for that extra time. And it would require securing the RZR (or leaving your brother with the RZR and a book or something).

Another factor that I don't have any personal experience with is the possibility of driving the RZR on the roads. I see that a LOT in the Moab area, but I don't recall seeing it around Ouray much. And I'm pretty sure I've read that there's a limit coming off Black Bear where Telluride doesn't allow ATVs. So look into that, but I'm thinking it's not a great option.

Keeping the trailer hooked to Big Blue is another option, depending on the trail and the trailer. Probably not a good idea to count on this option (unless you satay on the easiest trails) but it might be the right choice at times.

So like I said, I don't have The Answer, but it's definitely something to think about before getting out there.

Bob
Sorry, no '80 - '86 Ford trucks
"Oswald": 1997 F-250HD crew cab short box, 460, E4OD, 4.10 gears
"Pluto": 1971 Bronco, 302, NV3550 5 speed, Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case, 33" tires
"the motorhome": 2015 E-450-based 28' class C motorhome, 6.8L V-10
"the Dodge": 2007 Dodge 2500, 6.7L Cummins

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

Bob - Those are excellent thoughts/concerns. I'd already thought about some of those but hadn't thought about nearly all of them. For instance, I hadn't thought about there not being a way back on some of the trails. That's a big issue. Do you know which trails are one way?

As for taking the trailer behind Big Blue, I don't want to do that. So we will need to leave it. And lock it. Not sure which trailer would be taken as my brother has one and his son has one. (Actually each has several.) His son's has the advantage of having brakes, which I really like. Anyway, I have a collar that fits over the Bulldog style coupler and that would help make it more secure. But I don't know what coupler either trailer has.

And you have to lock up the safety chains as some trailers have been stolen using the chains instead of the coupler. That sure makes me nervous. And while it won't be my trailer, it will be a huge problem to get the RZR home w/o a trailer.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Nothing Special

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Sorry, Black Bear is the only one-way. I guess I (incorrectly) implied there were other one-ways.

It's more that there are some trails that are pretty long. If you went over Imogene or Ophir passes you'd have a long haul back over the same route you had gone in on. And depending on what you wanted to do in the network of trails between Ouray and Silverton east of highway 550 you might also have to back-track a lot where you might take the highway if it was an option.

Pulling the trailer through Silverton to Animas Forks and using that as your "home base" might be an option. It's not a short drive but I'm pretty sure it's a pretty easy 2WD dirt road (you see cars in Animas Forks).

I don't know what's available but a "boot" that locks to the trailer wheel might be something to look into as well.

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

Ahhh! Ok, got it.

Yes, it is a long haul over Ophir. And, IIRC, Ophir town doesn't allow things like RZR's through. As for Telluride, it had a sign outside of town but there were RZRs in town. Maybe I didn't understand the sign? ATV vs UTV? OHV? I thought an ATV is a single-person 4-wheeler where a UTV is a side-by-side. Right? And an OHV is either?

Animas Forks might be a good "home" base. It is easily accessible out of Silverton. In fact, we drove half way there in the other couple's Beemer last fall. So maybe that's what we should do.

And a boot might be a good option, especially if you had locking lug nuts on the wheels.

I'll have to have a conversation with my brother about all of this. Not sure exactly why he wants to take his RZR, but it will certainly cause us to think about things.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Nothing Special

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

I have no idea what the initialisms apply to. "ATV" stands for "All Terrain Vehicle", which seems overly ambitious to me, but otherwise applies equally well to things like RZRs and the old-style "four-wheelers."

"UTV" stands for "Utility Terrain Vehicle". I don't know what "utility terrain" is, so I would think it would apply to a utility vehicle that could cope with terrain. And that's what it first meant, things like John Deere Gators and Kawasaki Mules that were primarily meant as utilitarian farm, ranch or hunting vehicles. So what is a RZR? It's hard to imagine anything being LESS utilitarian that a RZR, so "UTV" doesn't seem to fit it. And they can go just about anywhere s "ATV" is VERY fitting. But in size and shape it's more like a Gator than an old Suzuki Quadrunner.

But that's why I say check what the rules are. Maybe you're fine, maybe not. But I will say that I've never seen anything other than vehicles that are typically street licensed on Black Bear, either in person or in videos. I've seen them everywhere else on those trails, but not on the one trail where you CAN'T get back to the start without driving on roads.

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

Well, I found a good resource - the Alpine Loop OHV Brochure, embedded below.

It shows where things like the RZR cannot go, and it is pretty obvious that they don't want them on Ophir, Black Bear, or Imogene pass roads as there are no-go stretches at the ends of them. But they can go on the Alpine Loop and all of the stuff around Animas Forks. And there are designated OHV staging areas where the trailer could be dropped.

So we could do one or two days of the stuff off toward Telluride with Big Blue, and then a couple of days on the east side of 550 with both Big Blue and the RZR.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Bruce moose4x4

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Can his Razor be licensed? Seems that would be the easiest.

Bruce aka Moose--1978 F250 LWB Flareside, Dana 60's w/ 4:10's, 460, c6

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

Good question! I'll ask.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Nothing Special

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

I don't know about Colorado, but in Canyonlands National Park (yes, I realize that National Parks are probably the most restrictive places there are) it said something like ATVs, UTVs and OHVs are not allowed even if licensed for street use. I'm not sure where to find details like that about places in Colorado. Or maybe it's better to plead ignorance and ask for forgiveness (hey, it'd be his ticket anyway!).

ctubutis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

https://www.colorado.com/articles/7-popular-colorado-atv-jeep-trails

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

Chris - Thanks. But we've pretty well set our sights on the Ouray area, and with one exception those 7 trails are elsewhere. And the one exception, Lizard Head Pass, appears to be a horse and hiking trail. At least that's what I found when I clicked on the link.

However, there is good info in the various links that are on that page or pages you get to by following various links. For instance, Stay The Trail has links to lots of maps, including the Motorized Vehicle Use Map that was mentioned in the videos. And Trail Tips & Etiquette and OHV's On Streets & Roads. So it was a useful link anyway.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ctubutis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Cool, I'm glad it helped. :)

I've been to Red Feather Lakes when I was at CSU in Ft. Collins 1990-95 FWIW.

ctubutis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Cool, I'm glad it helped. :)

I've been to Red Feather Lakes when I was at CSU in Ft. Collins 1990-95 FWIW.

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

Talked with my brother yesterday after sending him the information regarding where OHV's can't go. He hadn't been aware of that and is now questioning whether it is worth it to take his RZR.

I told him taking it would be fine, but that we might want to shift our hotel to Silverton if he does take the RZR as then we could spend at least two days checking out the stuff east of 550 quite easily. In fact, depending on where we stay we might be able to leave the trailer there and drive the RZR up from Silverton as some of the streets are open to OHV's.

Anyway, he's thinking about it so we don't have that bit nailed down yet.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

grumpin

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

I was shocked when I saw people driving OHV’s on the roads in Lake Havasu City.

Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona

Gary Lewis

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

Administrator

I don't know about AZ, but it appears in CO that it is up to the city/town to decide. Telluride has said no OHV's. Silverton has gone part way and said it is ok to drive them on a few streets. And Lake City says it is ok to drive them anywhere.

And that decision is probably at least partially determined by the visitors they want to have. Telluride seems to be wanting to be an upscale tourist town, especially in ski season. Silverton is more a wild mining town and has lots of 'wheelers that come for several days and spend money. Lake City is at the end of the Alpine Loop and is thrilled just to have anyone come.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Nothing Special

Re: Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

... and I think you can guess how Moab handles this

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