Looking into Colorado 2027 trip - suggestions welcome.

[ChrisNLA]

You mentioned a stock Gladiator on 33s, so I'm assuming you have a Rubicon or Mojave? Either way, Mineral Creek and n Poughkeepsie Gulch can be a challenge in a stock JT. Do you have a winch? You may want to reach out to the Western Slope Four Wheelers club based out of Montrose or the Creeper Jeepers Gang out of Durango as between the two clubs, they have adopted and do most of the maintenance on all the trails in that area. Mineral Creek sees a lot of two way side by side traffic because they have to turn around when they hit US550. Also, you plan on doing Engineer to Lake City and then Cinnamon Pass back to Animas Forks/Silverton the day after doing Animas Forks/California/Poughkeepsie. You may want to skip Poughkeepsie and Mineral Creek and pick up Engineer Pass as there is dispersed camping below Engineer Pass if you're okay camping at altitude? If not, I'd look into take Hurricane Pass to Corkscrew and then camping at the bottom of Corkscrew. Much easier trail in a stock JT. AFternoon storms are common in the mountains in August, so keep that in mind and of you have a radio that gets the NOAA Weather Channels you can get any alerts while your in the area. Also, check the signs at the trail heads as some have GMRS frequency monitoring should you get into trouble and need some help.

Not a Mojave or a Rubicon, but I have a lot of experience wheeling. Truck has a winch. I checked Mineral Creek and Poughkeepsie over and didn't see anything too concerning.

I'll look at your order for the trails - whatever is efficient within reason sounds good. Any Jeep BoH trails I'll be hitting for sure provided there isn't any closures. I may drop Medano / Great Sand Dunes from the start and focus on Creede (some of the old history there looks interesting) and then move into the Alpine Loop, Lake City/Silverton/Telluride/Ouray area.

I think I am going to book a site at the Ouray KOA for a fall back plan / base camp, but I'll keep my backup gear in the truck in case I find a spot on the trail I just can't pass up for a night.

I have a couple of HT ham radios, GMRS, and Starlink - so I should be able to pull in information readily. Good call on that.

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