Black Bear Pass

Cinnamon Pass is do-able in a regular p/u if you take it slow and the view is exceptional. 4WD makes it easier tho. We did it this last summer in our truck. I heard Black Bear is much more difficult but I'm not a local so my info may be off. I have a book on the passes but I'll have to see if I can find it. I don't think I'd try it this time of year tho.

Before you get anywhere close to where it goes down the steps there is a lot of rough terrain to cover, IMO, the answer is no unless your pickup is high clearance and 4 wheel drive.

TBammer wrote:
Can you drive to the top of the pass and then turn around and return to Hwy 550 in a regular pick up truck.

NO!

I've seen vids of the section from the Stairsteps into Telluride and I know my truck is not doing that, but I would like to see the view from the top.

Black Bear Pass

images

JMHP,

No you can't! You could walk it though. :)

Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride all have jeep tour companies that will take you over Black Bear Pass. You can also rent ATVs, which are allowed on both black Bear and Imogene Passes (but not on the highway!).

But to answer your question, no Chevy 2500, even with 4WD, is going to be able to get to the top--the road is too narrow. You might be able to drive it over Ophir Pass, but even on that you will have to do multiple turns to get around the hairpins. I've had to do that on Ophir and Cinnamon Passes even with a mid-size truck (Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier).

Not too many years ago, some idiot drove a 3/4-ton truck up one of the jeep roads in the San Juans and couldn't turn around, so he drove out onto the tundra to the edge of a cliff. Couldn't back up, couldn't turn around, and now he was really stuck. The truck was finally taken apart and hauled out by heavy-lift helicopter. He not only got the bill for that, but he also got fined $20,000 by the Forest Service for destroying the tundra!

Based on pictures it doesn't look too hairy aside from the dropoffs that don't really make it harder, just scarier. I dunno. If a full size Hummer can do it which many seem able based on pictures I don't see why a qualified driver in an adequate full size truck couldn't also (meaning some skills and good tires, obviously 4wd with low range - better yet with lockers and swaybars disconnected).

Years ago I had a mildly modded Xterra and there were a lot of guys with similar rigs from CO who ran it successfully. My current truck isn't as good offroad just from a size and weight standpoint, but it does have some advantages with bigger tires, more torque and solid axles on both ends compared to my old X.

You might be able to drive it over Ophir Pass, but even on that you will have to do multiple turns to get around the hairpins. I've had to do that on Ophir and Cinnamon Passes even with a mid-size truck (Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier).
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Yeah, we have a long bed F350 4FWD and took it over Cinnamon. On a few hairpins I had to do some backing and froing to get around. It seems like those were mainly after the pass on the way down to the Animas ghost town. It was well worth it tho. The view from the pass is incredible, like nothing you'll see driving the paved roads in RMNP or Glacier. Engineer's pass road was closed on the west side so we missed that. I had been told the interconnect between Cinnamon and Engineers was not to be done in a big 4WD so we didn't try it.

When we stopped in Animas to look around some of the jeep drivers were asking us if we had any difficulty with the road. We really didn't, but we've driven a lot of 4WD roads of less vertical nature so we were mentally prepared. WE also hit some roads in Canyonlands that we just turned around on after hitting some 18 inch steps. And one terrifying road in Capitol Reef that made me a real believer in stopping when you hit a "JEEPS ONLY" sign. That one had me praying non-stop that we would live to the other end.

There were a lot of rental jeeps and quads going over Cinnamon. Think the jeeps were like $220/day in Ouray (where we we staying). One of those would be a better option for you.

A decade ago I drove the area in a cutu-ute (Element).

In Moab I drove down Long Canyon without problem (low range would have been nice, but not essential)

In Teluride I drove a short ways UP Black Bear, just enough to get a good view of slope. Since there was a festival in town (Blues and Brews), the campground in town was full. Instead I drove up to Alta Lakes (typical Forest Service road) where we spent a blustery night.

I was planning on driving some of the easier passes (possibly even to the top of Black Bear as proposed by the OP). The Element doesn't have much clearance, but has a great turning radius - so turning tail when the going gets too rough is an option). But with the storm, I decided it was wiser to stick with paved roads, and instead looped around to Ouray and Silverton and down to Durango and Cortez.

On a previous trip I'd taken a S10 (extended cab, 4x4) from Silverton to Ouray via Animas Forks. I was intending to take Engineer Pass but there was snow on the north side.

I do not think the rental companies will rent a Jeep for Black Bear. Or at least so I have read.

Don't Colorado West Tours and Telluride Outside use full size pickup trucks for their tour businesses? If so, that proves a pickup is not too wide.

I have seen a lot of vids of the road(?) into Telluride, but had not seen anything about the drive from the highway up to the pass. Sounds like Cinnamon pass or a tour ride. Thanks for the advice.