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Colorado or Front Range Gladiator owners

johnchabin

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Hi Colorado People,

I'm looking at the "Badge of Honor" app, and I see a grouping of trails near Ouray:

Engineer Pass
Poughkeepsie Gulch
Black Bear Pass
Imogene Pass
Ophir Pass

How many days would you recommend to do all five in summer weather? I know Imogene really well, we ran over it a few years ago from Ouray to Telluride. Seems pretty tame.

Stock Rubicon ok on all 5?
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Ward

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I live in Durango & have been on these trails for the last 30 years. I worked surveying out of Silverton on ATVs & in my 97 TJ with lift, tires, 4.10 & front & rear lockers. It's been awhile but I'd venture Poughkeepsie Gulch would provide sufficient pucker & challenge to a setup Gladiator. Black Bear has multi point turns on the downhill and with the ledge/open air visual is a memorable trail.
The biggest issue nowadays is proliferation of vehicles, opposite direction squeeze, inexperienced drivers, & rentals being driven like rentals. Hint, get the early start & avoid much of the congestion.
 

GMITCH

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that too, also I'd like to know why @GMITCH didn't invite anyone with him originally šŸ˜¢
My Bad. I wasn't planning on doing anything crazy, it just kinda happened. I'll make to post here if I do decide to go wheeling. I want to give a huge shout out to wildhobo for helping me get out. Can't thank him enough.
 

johnchabin

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I live in Durango & have been on these trails for the last 30 years. I worked surveying out of Silverton on ATVs & in my 97 TJ with lift, tires, 4.10 & front & rear lockers. It's been awhile but I'd venture Poughkeepsie Gulch would provide sufficient pucker & challenge to a setup Gladiator. Black Bear has multi point turns on the downhill and with the ledge/open air visual is a memorable trail.
The biggest issue nowadays is proliferation of vehicles, opposite direction squeeze, inexperienced drivers, & rentals being driven like rentals. Hint, get the early start & avoid much of the congestion.
So, Poughkeepsie Gulch is a no go with a stock Rubicon, and tough with a setup one? Setup just lift & tires? Thanks for the reply!
 

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johnchabin

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Here's a Gladiator... they skip "The Wall." I'm probably more of a bypass guy myself:



The video is a little dramatic for me.
 
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Ward

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In the 2nd video the narrator states that the bypass was created in in 2016. I was working the area from '95 to about 2002. I sure wish the bypass had existed then. My wife & I like to start backroading about the middle of September, less likelihood of meeting that 1 ton dually on a narrow ledge trail.
 

WILDHOBO

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My Bad. I wasn't planning on doing anything crazy, it just kinda happened. I'll make to post here if I do decide to go wheeling. I want to give a huge shout out to wildhobo for helping me get out. Can't thank him enough.
No thanks needed. I had a great time. That was some deep snow. The winches got a workout. :)
 

SightsOfIron

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My Bad. I wasn't planning on doing anything crazy, it just kinda happened. I'll make to post here if I do decide to go wheeling. I want to give a huge shout out to wildhobo for helping me get out. Can't thank him enough.
No thanks needed. I had a great time. That was some deep snow. The winches got a workout. :)
So.....when you going back?! Winches sounds like a good ol time! I assume the snow will be there for some time if it was already pretty deep.
 

SightsOfIron

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WILDHOBO

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I want video!
There might be some after I go through the go pro, but the most interesting part of the recovery was blocked by my hood. Everything went well, and no damage to either Jeep, but it was a good one. Front passenger tire off the shelf. Couldnā€™t pass his Jeep to winch directly. Had to use an extension to a tree well past him, with a snatch block back to his front. But the rear of his wanted to slide into a tree, and we didnā€™t want damage. So ended up with a 30ā€™ tree strap from a different tree to his rear to prevent that. His wife was in mine handling the brakes on mine while I was running the winch remotely from a safe distance in front of his, while spotting and radioing with @GMITCH.

Then we had to figure out y turns uphill into a snowbank to turn around. That was pretty fun.

But thenā€¦I led out, and got stuck 200 times. The snow started rapidly melting and it was knee to thigh deep slush. And it was uphill on the way out. Iā€™d say winches were used at least 6 times, including once with my rear winch and a watch block hooked up to @GMITCH b hind me to get me out of one backwards. Pretty good stuff. But no damage and met some new fiends. Great day.
 

SightsOfIron

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There might be some after I go through the go pro, but the most interesting part of the recovery was blocked by my hood. Everything went well, and no damage to either Jeep, but it was a good one. Front passenger tire off the shelf. Couldnā€™t pass his Jeep to winch directly. Had to use an extension to a tree well past him, with a snatch block back to his front. But the rear of his wanted to slide into a tree, and we didnā€™t want damage. So ended up with a 30ā€™ tree strap from a different tree to his rear to prevent that. His wife was in mine handling the brakes on mine while I was running the winch remotely from a safe distance in front of his, while spotting and radioing with @GMITCH.

Then we had to figure out y turns uphill into a snowbank to turn around. That was pretty fun.

But thenā€¦I led out, and got stuck 200 times. The snow started rapidly melting and it was knee to thigh deep slush. And it was uphill on the way out. Iā€™d say winches were used at least 6 times, including once with my rear winch and a watch block hooked up to @GMITCH b hind me to get me out of one backwards. Pretty good stuff. But no damage and met some new fiends. Great day.
This sounds like the perfect recovery, no damage, no injuries, and lots of brain power. Well done sir!
 

WILDHOBO

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This sounds like the perfect recovery, no damage, no injuries, and lots of brain power. Well done sir!
Team effort for sure. It wouldnā€™t have worked without the extension. Glad I had it, as itā€™s a recent addition and was still in plastic.
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