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My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:01 pm
by 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
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Eventually the sun came up to reveal an overcast chilly day
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Hit PA
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Then OH
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Then Cleveland, it's like a whole 'nother world
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Knock knock...Who's there? NOT ZACK! :p
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It was shortly after leaving ZM Jeeps that my Jeep started to run warm. Maybe this trip wasn't such a good idea.
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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
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Hit roadwork near the 80/90 split, got turned around and about wound up in downtown Chi-town
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Much better
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Spent the night with friends in Illinois then got up bright and early to hit the trail again
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Mississippi River
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IA
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Iowa 80
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The Transformers landed in Council Bluffs
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Big Boy
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Random place
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Nebraska is freaking LONG
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Got corn?
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"Last flight from Saigon"
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Chasing sun
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Stayed with friends in Ogallala that night and got an early start to day 3
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It's about time!
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Cool shot
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Some ominous clouds
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It must have really sucked to do this in a covered wagon
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Getting closer to Denver on a clear day you *should* be able to see the Rockies from here but not today, too much smog
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Going up!
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Wonder if I can set the high score?
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Lake Dillon
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Jumping off the big road. 2 lane from here on out
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Didn't really have any altitude issues until I hit HWY 91 going towards Leadville. The Jeep REALLY started to dog
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Leadville
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Caught up with this FJ in Buena Vista. He's prolly going to Ouray so I'll just follow him
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Scratch that...Can't keep up
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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
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Getting close!
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We're there!
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Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:06 pm
by 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!

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:08 pm
by will e
But holy time warp batman. You left 1/1/2008 then drive until 2/1/2008. Arrival on 4/1/2008?

:)

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:24 pm
by Grand_Wag_85
will e wrote: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. :D

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:28 pm
by jsinajeep
Yep, he took the long way :D . Sean I have done that trip from Indiana to west of Denver many time. Good to see you had a good trip this time.

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:34 pm
by Grand_Wag_85
jsinajeep wrote:Yep, he took the long way :D . 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! :D

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.

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:41 pm
by Jjkage84
Man that's awesome! Great adventure and thanks for sharing the pictures!

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:56 pm
by 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.
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Leaving the KOA behind the MONSTER M715
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Rollin'
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Let's park the tourists where everybody has gone off the cliff
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1st stop of the day. The 715 and the GW were running hot
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Technically the hood's not open....
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Bryan was about ready to shove it off the cliff and headed back for camp
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On the move again. By this time Kenny had abandoned us for higher elevations. The FSJ's were on our own.
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Mining crew coming down
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Austin's very cool truck
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Another rest stop. We lost the M715 by this point.
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Hey the date says 401!
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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.
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Going UP!
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The FJ's were busy taking photos of US
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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
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A split second before this shot Kenny had the RR Wheel a good foot or two in the air
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SNOW!
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The views are really starting to get breathtaking
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On top of the world
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The road you leave behind you...
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Austin&Sarah
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Not exactly the interstate
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Heading back down. BOO!
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Back on Earth
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Will try and get some more up tomorrow.

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:03 pm
by Grand_Wag_85
Jjkage84 wrote:Man that's awesome! Great adventure and thanks for sharing the pictures!
Thanks man and you're welcome!

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:56 pm
by HOOT
Very nice !!!!!!!

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:06 am
by bigun
Who allowed you to have a squirt gun?

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:29 am
by jsinajeep
bigun wrote:Who allowed you to have a squirt gun?
The Boy is growing up. :D
And keep the pic. a coming they are great.

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 7:35 am
by Grand_Wag_85
bigun wrote: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.

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:25 am
by bigun
Grand_Wag_85 wrote:
bigun wrote: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? :lol:

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:45 am
by 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
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Shortbed vs longbed
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Heading out. I believe I'm behind SrobertsFSJ
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Jim has the Jeep running today
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We atleast got the 4WD
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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"
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From this point we split up and headed up
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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
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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!
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The smallest, and most capable, Jeep in our group
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Jesse
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Eli
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IT DOES EXIST! For years we've searched and until now never seen it. The elusive FJ Cruiser WITH the hood up
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Eli busted a brake line and we could not get it plugged. We left his rig right here then went up to the lookout.
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Right here things got complicated for Austin. Bent his track-bar mount
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Cruisin'
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My name a Borat and this is my mountain
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Back down
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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.
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What are all those weird looking rocks.....SHEEP!
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Gonna go catch us one
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Sheepherder
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Caught back up with Eli and Jesse. Rolled with them until the split to Animas Forks then we lost them again until Silverton
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Animas Forks
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FJ's coming down....Not going anywhere for awhile?
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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
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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
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What's a ghost town without a ghost crapper?
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As I peer out the window I see another J truck...Didn't realize it was Heimeken!
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Didn't realize the date stamp was on otherwise this woulda been a great shot
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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.
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Finally found the Texas guys down here
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The fun part is that Eli had just about no brakes on 550!
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Idarado Mine
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Back to where we started
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Cruisin'
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We all got back into town and had burgers at the brewery.

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:53 am
by Grand_Wag_85

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:40 pm
by bigun
Grand_Wag_85 wrote:Thursday


Gonna go catch us one
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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

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:46 pm
by jsinajeep
bigun wrote:
Grand_Wag_85 wrote:Thursday


Gonna go catch us one
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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 :D

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:48 pm
by jsinajeep
Next year I am riding or running with you. :D
Good photo

Re: My Ouray-venture(LOTS of pix)

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 1:27 pm
by 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. :D