Completed a trip through much of Colorado's mountain passes with Signature 5th wheel

[Grizzly]

Mrs. Grizzly and I went to our niece's wedding in Bayfield, Colorado, which is near Durango, then on to Breckenridge and Vail, Colorado. The shorted way would have been across Wolf Creek Pass, but due to fires in the area Wolf Creek Pass was closed both ways. So we went north through Silverton, Ouray, Montrose, Gunnison, Ponchas Springs to Breckenridge.



We spend a few days around Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Vial and Frisco. The air is very thin in those places, 10,000+ feet elevation. We went through many passes of 10 and 11,000 ft with switchbacks. The BrakeSmart and PacBrake were great on those passes. Thanks Jim, (jelag).



From there we went to Chama, NM and rode the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Narrow Gauge Railroad from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO. We rode the Deluxe Tourist Car, which is a worth while upgrade from the Coach Class. We got a fantastic meal at Osier, which is about the half way point. The meal is included in the price. It's an all day trip. Click Here



What a great vacation.



Truck and trailer did well. Mileage improved from 10. 5 mpg to 11. 12 mpg overall, which is hand calculated. Overhead read 12. 0 mpg.



george

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I rode that train some years ago. It is a nice experience. The Durango train was also great.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Wow, I have to envy your trip, have been through there but never pullled a trailer form Durango thru Ouray. Have camped at Durango, Ouray and Gunnison. We got trapped up on the road coming from Silverton to Ouray one day north bound and had to wait a few hours for a frontend loader to push some rocks off the road. That road is scary to drive a car on much less a truck and trailer. bg

 

[Bill Stockard]

Wow, I have to envy your trip, have been through there but never pullled a trailer form Durango thru Ouray. bg

I haven't towed a fifth wheel either, but have hauled our Lance campers without a problem with the short switchbacks.



It's a beautiful drive in the winter too.



Bill

 

[Grizzly]

Wow, I have to envy your trip, have been through there but never pullled a trailer form Durango thru Ouray. Have camped at Durango, Ouray and Gunnison. We got trapped up on the road coming from Silverton to Ouray one day north bound and had to wait a few hours for a frontend loader to push some rocks off the road. That road is scary to drive a car on much less a truck and trailer. bg

That's Red Mountain Pass, elevation 11,018 feet. It's full of switchbacks and no guard rails. My wife won't drive it pulling the 5th wheel nor our Lance camper before the 5er. There were many passes the way we went. Another like Red Mountain was Hoosier Pass going into Breckenridge at 11,541 feet. The highest pass in Colorado I've drove through with the Lance camper is Independence Pass near Aspen, which is 12,103 feet, which is the highest pass in the state.



There's no problem with the passes as long as you're in the right gear going up and going down. The PacBrake does a great job going down however.



george

 

[Grizzly]

Joe, we've rode the Cumbres & Toltec three times and the Durango/Silverton twice. We like the Cumbres & Toltec better because it go through high mountain passes, two tunnels and a high trestle bridge. Plus we think it's more scenic. The Durango/Silverton pretty much stays flat paralleling the river.



Besides, they don't feed you on the Durango/Silverton.



george

 

[BIGNASTY]

Fantastic Trip Grizz glad to see all went well for ya, the million dollar Hwy that you drove on is a nice stretch of road for sure.

BIG

 

[Grizzly]

Fantastic Trip Grizz glad to see all went well for ya, the million dollar Hwy that you drove on is a nice stretch of road for sure.



BIG

And it is a million dollar view BIG. Hoosier Pass going into Breckenridge is just as breath taking.



Pics of the shadow of the train on the trestle bridge, the trestle bridge, which burned down 3 years ago and the locomotive.



grizz

 

[BIGNASTY]

Oh NO!!!! looks like I have some competition for the picture department NICE SHOTS GRIZZ.



I have been on the train from Durango to Silverton, once when I was a little guy and then here again not long ago. I think you or someone else told me about the train in New Mexico will have to give that one a shot some time.



Again, good to have you back and safe from them fires in CO



BIG

 

[RVTRKN]

Grizzly, I had a hard time riding my Harley on the million dollar highway, those hairpin turns were a challenge with two riders on a 1000 pound Harley, and staying in my lane, you must have had to use both lanes to make those turns.

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly, I had a hard time riding my Harley on the million dollar highway, those hairpin turns were a challenge with two riders on a 1000 pound Harley, and staying in my lane, you must have had to use both lanes to make those turns.

No, I had no problem keeping my truck and 5er in my lane through those switchback turns. Just had to gear down a lot. We've been through those Red Mountain pass and the other passes many time with all my trailers and campers as we like going to Telluride a bit. Now riding on a 1000 pound Harley may be a different story, which I've never done and most likely never will.



Bill Stockard, have you been across Independence Pass to Aspen with your Lance? That 12,103 foot pass is a great experience.



george

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

Back in '03, I traveled on most of those passes while hauling asphalt from the Sinclair refinery in Sinclair WY to various construction sites in CO. They were all pretty challenging with the '93 Freightliner and even worse in the boss' 379 extended hood Pete!!!



However, the beautiful scenery was well worth the white knuckle trips IMHO!!

 

[Bill Stockard]

Bill Stockard, have you been across Independence Pass to Aspen with your Lance? That 12,103 foot pass is a great experience.



george

Yep, and without an exhaust brake. It was on that trip to CO that I discovered that our new at the time '03 dually with the 48RE transmission will lock the torque converter when manually shifted to 2nd gear.



Bill

 

[pwerwagn]

Sounds like a fun trip George! We spend ~10 days or so in silverton every year. The pass from durango to silverton is a fun one, as is the million dollar highway. I usually unhook the jeep from the back of the 5th wheel once we get out of durango.

Its such a beautiful area up there. We are leaving here on the 19th of this month and not coming back until the 28th. Should be a fun trip! We usually the trails to lake city, telluride, ouray, etc. My grandpa was a tour guide up there (those of you local NM guys might remember him, Chuck Peeples... he was a TDR member forever), his ashes are now spread on Kendall mountain in silverton.

Reading this thread just got me way more excited to go in 3 weeks!!

Oh, Ive been on the cumbres n toltec and the durango-silverton train. I prefer the durango train going down. Its faster, and far less crowded. I think the cumbres one was more fun for a "day trip" kinda thing. But the durango one is fairly enjoyable for an afternoon excursion, then some dinner in Durango and a quick bus ride back up to silverton.

 

[BIGNASTY]

When we took the Durango train we went both directions, took all day but was well worth it have to watch those burning embers from the coal lots of people didn't understand what was going on? We stayed in the campground just North of Durango Haviland Lake a real nice campground we had spot 102 or 105 something like that we were the only one on the loop and had water just outside of Trailer.

OOOP's that last one at the bottom with truck and TT was from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park when we went on the trip we stayed is several places along the Million Dollar Hwy ended up at Mesa Verde Nat. Park then to Grand Canyon Nat Park and home to calif when we live there.

 

[Grizzly]

Sounds like a fun trip George! We spend ~10 days or so in silverton every year. The pass from durango to silverton is a fun one, as is the million dollar highway. I usually unhook the jeep from the back of the 5th wheel once we get out of durango.



Its such a beautiful area up there. We are leaving here on the 19th of this month and not coming back until the 28th. Should be a fun trip! We usually the trails to lake city, telluride, ouray, etc. My grandpa was a tour guide up there (those of you local NM guys might remember him, Chuck Peeples... he was a TDR member forever), his ashes are now spread on Kendall mountain in silverton.



Reading this thread just got me way more excited to go in 3 weeks!!









Oh, Ive been on the cumbres n toltec and the durango-silverton train. I prefer the durango train going down. Its faster, and far less crowded. I think the cumbres one was more fun for a "day trip" kinda thing. But the durango one is fairly enjoyable for an afternoon excursion, then some dinner in Durango and a quick bus ride back up to silverton.

Good to hear from you Pwerwagn. Enjoy your trip to Silverton. It is a great and cool place to go.



I've never heard of your grandfather and I've been going to Durango, Silverton, Ouray and Telluride for many years.



george

 

[Grizzly]

BIG, you outdid me with the pics. You're the the better photographer.



This pic's in Vail, CO.



grizz

 

[RobertHiltz]

Did any of you folks stop at the place that sells pizza by the pound when you were in that area. I don't remember the name of the town (maybe Idaho Springs). I worked that area of CO. for several years testing mostly Rams and Jeeps. Many Sundays in the summer I would run our mountain routes with one of our Vipers. More like fun than work.

 

[Grizzly]

Did any of you folks stop at the place that sells pizza by the pound when you were in that area. I don't remember the name of the town (maybe Idaho Springs). I worked that area of CO. for several years testing mostly Rams and Jeeps. Many Sundays in the summer I would run our mountain routes with one of our Vipers. More like fun than work.

Idaho Springs is in the western edge of the Denver Metro area on I 70. We went as far east as Silver Plume, which is about 25 milles west of Idaho Springs.



george

 

[BIGNASTY]

BIG, you outdid me with the pics. You're the the better photographer.



This pic's in Vail, CO.



grizz

All pics are good Grizz does the wife know that you are taking pictures of good looking gals on bridges???? you sly devil you, ill bet you say its all in the interest of ART don't ya :-laf