Ouray To Lake City Colorado

[COBRAJET]

Have any of you guys made this trip going on the backroads through Capitol City? We plan on going to Ouray VIA Silverton, but would like a quicker way back to the Southfork area. Capitol City to Lake City looks pretty good on the TOPO maps, it's the other leg that looks a little iffy. Will the PSD listed below make it or is it a Jeep road only?

 

[dmurdock]

-fun valley?

can't help you on the route, but just got back from that area about a month ago... . ahhh, snow, gotta love it (especially when it's 100 degrees outside)...

 

[SLVRBLT]

COBRAJET-



Haven't been there in a few years but used to make those trips a lot in a Toyota 4x4 truck and then in an Isuzu Trooper. Both routes, either Cinnamon Pass or Engineer, are really beautiful. We usually made the runs from Lake City while staying there, one way to Silverton and the other that comes out a few miles from Ouray. Sometimes we went over one way, spent some of the day in Silverton and returned the other way. It is definitely a full day if you do that.



The roads vary from year to year depending on the weather and how much maintenance they have had. They get more care now than in the past due to tourist trade, jeep rentals, etc. Probably, the best bet is to ask the locals.



Some of the switchbacks are really sharp and you may have to make a couple of stabs at them in a large truck. The roads are definitely 4WD road, but if you take your time and watch the ruts and rocks you will be fine, just don't get in a hurry!



I haven't had the Dodge 4x4 there yet, but the next time I go, it will definitely go over those roads. Like I said before, I always ask the locals (not the ones that rent jeeps) about the road conditions. These routes are maybe the most beautiful 4x4 roads I have ever seen, hope you enjoy them and I hope this helped. Be sure and take your camera!



Dave

 

[COBRAJET]

dmurdock,

We hang in Leadville for about a week then drop down to Fun Valley for another. I talked to the park in Leadville a week ago and they still have a ton of snow around the area. It was real heavy this year. I hope it is still around in a few days. A family we are going with has a 4WD Durango. We will probably give the route a shot in that... CJ

 

[Papa Joe]

Hope this helps !!

I was in Telluride mid-june for the Blue Grass Festival (what a hoot) with my son (who lives there).

On an off-day we did the loop from Telluride, over Ophir Pass, Silverton, Ouray, and back to Telluride.

Two comments: The ride over Ophir Pass was breathtaking and a little white-knuckled. The wheel base is a little long, and though the jeeps sneered at us, we made it just fine. The ride from Silverton to Ouray will knock your geologic socks off your feet. Walls, tunnels, mine tailings, rich history, etc.



Enjoy. Joe

 

[joesoot]

Engineer was alotta fun in the Ram!

There is one section where the road forks(the escapes me right now)... the fork to the right looks very nice and inviting- do not take it in a full size as it is nice and inviting for about a mile then turns into some steppy- and off camber stuff... the fork to the left looks worse than the fork to the right, it isn't bad, you shouldn't have many problems in any weather but snow. All the nasty stuff is on the west side of the pass, after u make the pass, it's just plain old dirt road, a mining establishment, some cabins and Thoreau's cabin... . really gorgeous stuff.

Some of these outta town jeepin folks on the trail might not know the rules about right of way either... ie... the vehicle going up has it.

If you go to ouray, on the north end of town is a pizza place/bar called the Portal, most of the guys who run the Jeep tours hang out there, that might be a good place to pick some brains about which trails to run in your rig... BTW they had a good story about a fellow TDR member Bill Swails(EarthRoamer). Good luck!

heres some pages on the area:

http://www.google.com/search?q="engineer+pass"









PS: watch those diff covers

 

[DHatfield]

I just went four-wheeling there Labor Day weekend of last year. You will love it out there as there are lots of interesting mines and ghost town and also the senery of coarse. I don't think you will have to many problems, just watch out for blind curves and narrow roads which is kinda typical for that area. The roads are basicly must just gravel roads which I think is pretty easy.

 

[Mactruck]

see ya there!

I'll be out in that area in september. I'm planning a trip to Lake City over to Telluride then to Moab. Let me know how it goes or see ya there

 

[xplorer]

I spend several weekends every summer camping at Eureka and riding my ATV over the passes. I recommend that you take Engineer from the Silverton side. There are a number of switchbacks and they are easier going up hill.

 

[COBRAJET]

Thanks for all the info and great links. We will make the trip and see for ourselves. I will take a ton of pictures... CJ