My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

[Grand_Wag_85]

Bunch of you guys have been bugging me for my photos. I'm in the process of uploading all of mine to Photobucket but I took several thousand so sit tight...LOL!

In the meantime here's my Ouray-Venture. Will update this as I get the photos up.

Day 1, Sunday

Jumped in the Jeep at 0200 and put in 100 miles before topping the tank off


Eventually the sun came up to reveal an overcast chilly day


Hit PA


Then OH


Then Cleveland, it's like a whole 'nother world


Knock knock...Who's there? NOT ZACK! :p




It was shortly after leaving ZM Jeeps that my Jeep started to run warm. Maybe this trip wasn't such a good idea.






Had originally planned to gas up on the Indiana Toll Rd until I saw the gas price which was $.70+ higher a gallon so I jumped on I69N for one exit and ran out of gas within sight of the truck stop. Thankfully I had a full can with me


Hit roadwork near the 80/90 split, got turned around and about wound up in downtown Chi-town




Much better


Spent the night with friends in Illinois then got up bright and early to hit the trail again


Mississippi River


IA


Iowa 80






The Transformers landed in Council Bluffs




Big Boy


Random place


Nebraska is freaking LONG




Got corn?


"Last flight from Saigon"


Chasing sun




Stayed with friends in Ogallala that night and got an early start to day 3




It's about time!


Cool shot


Some ominous clouds


It must have really sucked to do this in a covered wagon


Getting closer to Denver on a clear day you *should* be able to see the Rockies from here but not today, too much smog


Going up!





http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/ ... 12d609.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/ ... fbb7fd.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/ ... 0ae5b8.jpg



Wonder if I can set the high score?


Lake Dillon


Jumping off the big road. 2 lane from here on out


Didn't really have any altitude issues until I hit HWY 91 going towards Leadville. The Jeep REALLY started to dog


Leadville


Caught up with this FJ in Buena Vista. He's prolly going to Ouray so I'll just follow him


Scratch that...Can't keep up


Right after that photo was taken I came across flash flooding and Colorado State Patrol doing what they could to keep the idiots away from the raging waters

Monarch Pass




Getting close!






We're there!

[will e]

EPIC. I won't complain about my 10 hour drive ever again. The 'Welcome to Colorado' sign must have been a major relief!

[will e]

But holy time warp batman. You left 1/1/2008 then drive until 2/1/2008. Arrival on 4/1/2008?

[Grand_Wag_85]

But holy time warp batman. You left 1/1/2008 then drive until 2/1/2008. Arrival on 4/1/2008?

No Doc, I'm back from the future!

Couldn't figure out how to turn that bloody time stamp off but SteveD was riding shotgun and saved that camera from getting thrown off a cliff. By the 2nd or 3rd day the time stamp went away.

[jsinajeep]

Yep, he took the long way . Sean I have done that trip from Indiana to west of Denver many time. Good to see you had a good trip this time.

[Grand_Wag_85]

Yep, he took the long way . Sean I have done that trip from Indiana to west of Denver many time. Good to see you had a good trip this time.

Thanks Jerry. It was great to see you and thanks again for all the help!

Sometimes it's just nice to get out on the road with no log book, no governor and just GO!

Forgot to add that I got called across the scales in both Nebraska AND Colorado. Total weight on the Jeep and trailer was 5400lbs. 4550 for the Jeep and 900 on the trailer axle.

[Jjkage84]

Man that's awesome! Great adventure and thanks for sharing the pictures!

[Grand_Wag_85]

Wednesday

Yankee Boy Basin

Wednesday got off to a slow start. SVO42 was having issues with his Jeep so we (he) turned wrenches and we sat around and told him how he was doing it all wrong :p

All lined up. Yanked the steps off my J10 just so if they got ripped off they wouldn't take out the rockers. While I was up under there I saw a good photo op.


Leaving the KOA behind the MONSTER M715


Rollin'


Let's park the tourists where everybody has gone off the cliff


1st stop of the day. The 715 and the GW were running hot








Technically the hood's not open....


Bryan was about ready to shove it off the cliff and headed back for camp




On the move again. By this time Kenny had abandoned us for higher elevations. The FSJ's were on our own.




Mining crew coming down




Austin's very cool truck


Another rest stop. We lost the M715 by this point.


Hey the date says 401!


After my running, and I mean running, back and forth to take photos I was really starting to feel altitude drunk. Steve had some energy gummies which helped out and with a ton of water I was good to go, eventually.






Going UP!




The FJ's were busy taking photos of US








After that traffic jam I see dust getting kicked up and it's none other than our own Kenny! Literally went nose to nose before I yielded to the guy with the bigger cigar


A split second before this shot Kenny had the RR Wheel a good foot or two in the air


SNOW!




The views are really starting to get breathtaking






On top of the world


The road you leave behind you...








Austin&Sarah


Not exactly the interstate


Heading back down. BOO!






Back on Earth


Will try and get some more up tomorrow.

[Grand_Wag_85]

Man that's awesome! Great adventure and thanks for sharing the pictures!

Thanks man and you're welcome!

[HOOT]

Very nice !!!!!!!

[bigun]

Who allowed you to have a squirt gun?

[jsinajeep]

Who allowed you to have a squirt gun?

The Boy is growing up.
And keep the pic. a coming they are great.

[Grand_Wag_85]

Who allowed you to have a squirt gun?

I'm thinking that was Rick's kid. He was like watching Wyatt Earp in action, anything that moved got shot.

[bigun]

Who allowed you to have a squirt gun?

I'm thinking that was Rick's kid. He was like watching Wyatt Earp in action, anything that moved got shot.

So he was faster at the draw than you?

[Grand_Wag_85]

Thursday

Decided to run Engineer Pass thru to Animas Forks and come back VIA 550 from Silverton.

The day started off with some fine tuning


Shortbed vs longbed


Heading out. I believe I'm behind SrobertsFSJ


Jim has the Jeep running today














We atleast got the 4WD




Noticed this super sweet and brand spanking new Airstream pull in with a strong smell of burning brakes. Went to talk with the owner and was told "I don't care"




From this point we split up and headed up


Thru here there was a swath of enduro bikes coming down. Had one dude actually hit my J truck as he tried to squeeze between me and the mountain with my right wheels being on the ledge






Stopping to take in the scenery. We caught a guy coming down in a CJ5 with no roll cage and windshield folded down and otherwise bone stock...Right on!




The smallest, and most capable, Jeep in our group




Jesse


Eli










IT DOES EXIST! For years we've searched and until now never seen it. The elusive FJ Cruiser WITH the hood up
















Eli busted a brake line and we could not get it plugged. We left his rig right here then went up to the lookout.








Right here things got complicated for Austin. Bent his track-bar mount


Cruisin'


















My name a Borat and this is my mountain






Back down




Can't see Austin. Apparently he went back to camp. Left a note on Eli's windshield we didn't find until we got back to Silverton or Ouray. Eli and Jesse split off to head to Silverton to get his brakes fixed.


What are all those weird looking rocks.....SHEEP!




Gonna go catch us one














Sheepherder




Caught back up with Eli and Jesse. Rolled with them until the split to Animas Forks then we lost them again until Silverton




Animas Forks


FJ's coming down....Not going anywhere for awhile?


As I was taking this photo a white Bronco blew thru heading down to Silverton...IT'S OJ SIMPSON! Turned out to be Ronnie aka GreenGoat














Numbered planks that I believe were formally used in one of the mills up here that were built off site then hauled in with mules






What's a ghost town without a ghost crapper?


As I peer out the window I see another J truck...Didn't realize it was Heimeken!


Didn't realize the date stamp was on otherwise this woulda been a great shot




On the way down from Animas Forks I decided to hotrod thru the Animas River and the J10 and I hit it way too hard because it just died right in the middle of the river. After a minute or two it fired back up.


Finally found the Texas guys down here












The fun part is that Eli had just about no brakes on 550!


Idarado Mine




Back to where we started


Cruisin'






We all got back into town and had burgers at the brewery.

[Grand_Wag_85]

Videos from the Engineer run

Me coming back across The Animas River
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=672839586118444

Andrew(?)'s XJ
http://vid23.photobucket.com/albums/b36 ... 2155ae.mp4

http://vid23.photobucket.com/albums/b36 ... c4cd1d.mp4

The Summit
http://vid23.photobucket.com/albums/b36 ... 69cc47.mp4

[bigun]

Thursday


Gonna go catch us one

There is a joke there I'm just not sure I want to be the one, to wonder why you thought you needed a sheep

The fun part is that Eli had just about no brakes on 550!

Been there done that passenger seat in Crom still has the pucker marks

[jsinajeep]

Thursday


Gonna go catch us one

There is a joke there I'm just not sure I want to be the one, to wonder why you thought you needed a sheep

The fun part is that Eli had just about no brakes on 550!

Been there done that passenger seat in Crom still has the pucker marks

X2

[jsinajeep]

Next year I am riding or running with you.
Good photo

[Grand_Wag_85]

I know what you're getting at...LOL! That was Andrew(?) with the XJ. We were gonna have a BBQ right there on the trail but them critters were just too fast :p

Passenger seat is always open for ya Jerry.