Out and about Colo

[FINOCJ]

Getting some Colo wheeling in this week...started mon with birdseye to mosquito to wheeler. Wheeler is getting more difficult...maybe it has been wet but the ledges at the base of the rock slabs are really dug out and the short cj5s didn't like them. It was getting late so we turned around at the last slab/v notch obstacle.
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/02/IMG_20220802_213118.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/02/IMG_20220802_213104.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/02/IMG_20220802_213054.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/02/IMG_20220802_213045.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/02/IMG_20220802_213040.jpg

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Tues was Williams pass....it's only open for the month of August and only way to the west portal of the alpine tunnel with the Palisades damage a few years ago.
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/IMG_20220803_214706.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/IMG_20220803_214717.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/IMG_20220803_214712.jpg

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Wed the group split in two...some went to antero, and some (me included) went to Chinaman.
From antero:
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/IMG_20220803_214723.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/IMG_20220803_214730.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/IMG_20220803_214738.jpg

And from chinamans...such an ideal mix of hard but doable obstacles.
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/PXL_20220803_170031246.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/PXL_20220803_180701345.jpg
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/03/PXL_20220803_191050676.jpg

[Tom]

Looks like a great time James.

[Jim]

Very nice - `like the scenery with older jeeps.

The Wheeler Lake gives me a bit of pause - I was contemplating running it solo to camp up there. How do you think I'd fare with the trail conditions you encountered?

West side of Alpine Tunnel - I should stick that on my ToDo list.

Have you had any time to travel many trails in your new area?

[FINOCJ]

I think you'd be fine...but if it's wet (and it's been raining every day), you'll appreciate the extra 13inches of wheelbase, fully locked front and rear and larger 35s to get up the ledges.

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Oh, and not doing much back road exploring yet in MT. We've done 3 day trips, but only one was in the jeep, the other 2 in the f150 as side trips when on another purpose. The truck is kind of fun to wheel....lots of electronic buttons to push that I am still learning what they do.

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A couple pics from halfmoon creek today...the champion mill is the big historic mining building...fyi...lots of cool stuff, but use your own judgement about legality and looking around up close. Heading up past the mill towards the mine...
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/04/IMG_20220804_221526.jpg

Making the final climb to the mine:
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/04/PXL_20220804_185125560.jpg

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By Fri we were down to 4.... between poor weather forecast and last day of the week long gathering, a short trip up hagerman was the run. What was really cool was NOT taking the usual east side approach up county Rd 4 to FR 105 from turquoise lake, but an alternate approach on FR 105.A. You don't really miss any of the traditional pass Rd, and get a few steeper climbs and some mining stuff instead of flat graded rd along the lake.
We thought about exploring the Ivanhoe stuff on the west side, but weather came as forecast so it was an early return for happy hour drinks at the Scarlett and silver dollar.
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/06/PXL_20220805_174510258.jpg

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Also, if you are in the halfmoon creek area (champion mill and mine), it's worth the side trip up 110.J to the iron mike mine. There is one chunky obstacle for sure...some built rigs coming down said it was a no go as they couldn't do it on 37s etc. We went anyway...all 4 old jeeps that tried it made it running 32-33s, but one nicely bent tie rod. The photo shows the entrance rock, then there is a similar exit rock at the top blocked by the trees.
https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2022/08/06/IMG_20220806_130435.jpg

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Just a fun short vid...this is my friend Scott from FL. Jim may remember wheeling red cone and radical with him a few years ago. He's really gotten into wheeling and building his old CJ. He got it 4 summers ago...it didn't have any decent gearing or crawl, no traction device etc, so he learned to drive it with momentum etc....the jeep came with a squirrely YJ spring conversion. Between the overly flexy springs and Scott's go for it driving style, he was 'entertaining'. In 3 years he's really built a capable rig...granny 4speed, locked front and rear, cleaned up the YJ spring conversion (and added detachable sway bar), and after blowing up the odd fire v6, replaced with even fire v6 and added TBI for fuel. He cut the fenders and built skids and sliders etc....jeep is super capable, but the driving style hasn't changed...the hard line at the rock garden on chinamans:
https://youtube.com/shorts/RlP6A7yG_Vc?feature=share

[Jim]

the driving style hasn't changed

A fun vid - momentum still for the down side.

Sounds like he made some nice changes. The starter motor should be getting a rest.

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In case you want to see lots of pics of the trip...the complete set....try not to fall asleep...Unfortunately without Jen riding along on Chinaman, I don't have many good pics - hopefully someone else got some.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TrDhE1RmPEr42QeV7