Trip Report: The Perfect Family Trip!
EDIT: I wanted to add this link here at the beginning. Ragusa's Summer 2014 Trailer Hello friends! We have been home for two months, but I am just now feeling like getting to the trip repo...
Forum Discussion
For those who have 4WD pickups, the Engineer, Cinnamon, and Ophir Pass routes can been done fairly easily with your truck. Engineer Pass is between Lake City and Animas Forks/Silverton and is a very good gravel road except on the west approach to the pass. Cinnamon Pass has a fairly narrow (can't pass anyone coming the opposite direction), very steep initial grade out of Animas Forks, but then is long, but easily driven, on to Lake City. Many 4-wheelers use the Engineer/Cinnamon Pass route as a one-day, in-and-out loop from Lake City. I wouldn't tow any tent, camper, or travel trailer over either pass. However, a pickup camper could probably do both passes if you can make it up the west approaches to either pass.
The west side of Ophir Pass is narrow and steep, as shown in the photos. I have combined Engineer Pass and Ophir Pass into a "short-cut" between Denver and the Rico-Dolores area when I wanted to drive something more interesting than US 50 and US 160. But I have never seen and don't think I would try to take a pickup camper, and certainly no trailer, over it.
BUT, beware of taking any 4WD over anything named "Black Bear" or "Imogene" unless you have a Jeep Wrangler/CJ (no pickups!) AND are very experienced in driving very steep, very narrow, very muddy, and very rocky mountain roads located above timberline (i.e., no trees to slow a 1,000-foot sheer drop)! The best way to see those two passes these days is to use an ATV. If you do, you will have lots of company.
The west side of Ophir Pass is narrow and steep, as shown in the photos. I have combined Engineer Pass and Ophir Pass into a "short-cut" between Denver and the Rico-Dolores area when I wanted to drive something more interesting than US 50 and US 160. But I have never seen and don't think I would try to take a pickup camper, and certainly no trailer, over it.
BUT, beware of taking any 4WD over anything named "Black Bear" or "Imogene" unless you have a Jeep Wrangler/CJ (no pickups!) AND are very experienced in driving very steep, very narrow, very muddy, and very rocky mountain roads located above timberline (i.e., no trees to slow a 1,000-foot sheer drop)! The best way to see those two passes these days is to use an ATV. If you do, you will have lots of company.
