Planning For Big Blue's Trip To Ouray

[Gary Lewis]

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!

[ctubutis]

Your destination is in a different time zone. :)

[Gary Lewis]

Your destination is in a different time zone. :)

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

[Nothing Special]

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

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.

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n13170/OurayTrails.jpg

[Gary Lewis]

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.

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n13170/OurayTrails.jpg

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.

[Nothing Special]

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.

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]

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.

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.

[Nothing Special]

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.

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]

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.

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.

 

[Bruce moose4x4]

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.

 

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