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COLORADO JEEP TRAILS ?


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93* here today, forecast for the 90's the rest of the week. Butcherknife and I have been thinking about the mountains, high above Ouray Colorado, and how nice it must be sleeping with the windows open, and burrowed deep down in the Winter side of our Travasak !

We are thinking about leaving after work Friday evening the 20th of June, arrive in Ouray, spend one night in a RV park, dumping and topping off. Then scout for a place up higher where we can boondock, maybe BLM or USFS. Then spending our days driving jeep trails and visiting the old townsites and mines. Maybe moving the campsite after a couple of days for easier access to other jeep trails. Nine days total away from home.

This is something that we have never done, and would appreciate advice and input on it. Any body else up for some Colorado jeepin ?

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Hi y'all,

In Pecos TX heading to Boerne to meet up with Pete n Oscar and then on a minirally to Lake Corpus Christi then home. Sorry I'm heading the wrong way but we will have to get together there sometime. Think you'll find some good sites on line at Colorados website.

Metal detector AND geocaching!!!!! Could be the start of somethin' new!!!

Good travelin' my friends!

An envious Chuck!!!

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Hey Mountainborn and Butcherknife....

 

That does sound like fun. Tali and I hope to be picking up our Oliver the very day you plan to leave. We got our new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited this afternoon so we're all set, just need a trailer now. We have that very trip planned for later this fall, probably around the first couple weeks in October. We want to go up around Moab also. We were out there a couple of years ago and really loved it.

 

Thanks for talking with me on the phone earlier today. Your advice is appreciated. Hope to get to meet you somewhere soon out on the road. Would love to do some geocaching or, maybe someday, some diving with you.

 

Keep us posted and take lots of pictures...

Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Maggie, Lucy and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 

 

             801469912_StatesVisitedTaliandSteve08-23-2021-I.jpg.26814499292ab76ee55b889b69ad3ef0.jpg1226003278_StatesVisitedTaliandSteve08-23-2021-H.jpg.dc46129cb4967a7fd2531b16699e9e45.jpg

 

 

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Here is a link to the nearby Portland Trail area Cache:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f18e4d32-3e4e-4197-b782-6f21d8007d16

Three mines, beautiful scenery, cool Mountain air, and a geocache ! SWEET !!

Be sure to scroll down through the cache find reports and view the photos ! When you click on the link to show all of the log entrys on one page, then scroll down, there are some good photos. The earliest log entry is in August of 2002. The geocache started off as a tupperware container, but was replaced with an ammo can. Likely the wildlife kept chewing on it. :o He, he, think Marmots, not Bears ! :lol:

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Not too far from Silverton is the Animas Forks cache. The earliest log entry is from mid 2004. A friend and fellow geocacher found it also. (July 19, 2006 by nonnipoppy (4230 found) ).

Here is a paste from the cache page on geocaching.com:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=7bc3d46d-aac0-4c6a-bb62-c55107a2e8a3

EL: 11,357' Accessibility: May thru October

 

One of our favoerite ghost towns in the San Juans because so many different 4x4 trails converge here. The only approach not requiring four wheel drive (hence, the 2.5 terrain) is from Silverton on Colorado 110. We placed our cache, an ammo can, out of town up above the Columbus Mill and Mine where you will have a great view for photos. It's possible to park within 300' of cache.

From BLM description: "Animas Forks, named for the three forks of the Animas River, which flows through the townsite. Animas Forks is tucked away twelve miles northeast of Silverton, Colorado, at 11,200 feet — more than two miles — above sea level The town's first log cabin was built in 1873; by 1876, this bustling mining community boasted 30 cabins, a hotel, a general store, a saloon, and a post office. The population of Animas Forks grew to about 450 people by 1883. The town also had a newspaper, The Animas Forks Pioneer, published from June 1882 through October 1886 at the highest newspaper printing plant in the history of the United States. Every fall, most residents left in a mass exodus to "warmer" Silverton. In 1884, Animas Forks suffered a blizzard that lasted 23 days and dumped 25 feet of snow on the town. Residents dug tunnels to get from building to building.Before Silverton became an incorporated town, Animas Forks was the San Juan County seat, where court cases were heard. One man who didn't like the outcome of his trial promised, "I'll take this to a higher court!" Responded the wry judge, "There is no higher court in Colorado."

There are about ten well preserved buildings, note the Duncan Mansion with the Bay windows. Enjoy this great history lesson. Amy & michael

>

Two miles above sea level ! Now, as cool as that is, we will park Ollie at a much lower altitude so that us ancient flatlanders can get a good nights rest and be ready for the next days adventure !

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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Did you note the last line in the paste from geocaching.com ?

> :o

There are about ten well preserved buildings, note the Duncan Mansion with the Bay windows. Enjoy this great history lesson. Amy & michael :shock:

>

This stop and glimpse into our History could consume quite some time ! 8-)

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Steve, enjoyed our visit and look forward to seeing you and Tali out on the road. One trip to Colorado just won't be enough ! Maybe we can hook up for more of it sometime. I forgot to ask, while we were talking on the phone, is there any chance that your new Wrangler is white ? :shock: I would like to see a photo of those two jeeps and Olivers parked side by side !! By the way, I just thought, Jim Oliver also has a White Wrangler, wouldn't a photo with three of them towing Olivers be something ! :shock:

>

Jerry, get it in gear now ! Bring a expert photographer and go with us. You know that the early summer light, at two miles above sea level, would do magical things to those old ghost towns on infrared film !! I wonder how a photo of the old Mansion, just after sunset, with the building still holding the heat of the day and the landscape around it already cooled off, with the moon rising in the back ground would look on infrared film ? 8-) Say hey to Pete n' Oscar !

>

Geri, you mentioned a metal detector, we have a simple one that doesn't descriminate very well between ferrous and non ferrous metals. Yep, that would be ever so cool. 8-)

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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