Just 2 months before this one kicks off. How is everyone doing on this?

 

Hi Jack. Clyde should be out of the body shop by mid June. I figure a couple weeks to get it all back together then hopefully we'll be ready to wheel again by 4th of July. We are still leaving 7/27 for All 4 Fun. We have to leave CO on 8/5 because my son has to fly back to VA on 8/6. He made it into the high school marching band and band camp/practice starts during All 4 Fun. So he'll miss a week of practice. Anyway, if you want to hook up in the latter part of the week (8/2,3,4) that'll prolly work.

 

Guess what I was trying to find out is who was going to be where and when? I'll be movin kind of slow and would welcome a co-driver for Green. Chris it looks like All 4 Fun is busy with stuff through Saturday morning the 4th. Guess it depends on when other folks plan to arrive. Thomas will you be there on the evening of the 8th or on the evening of the 7th and ready fro trails on the morning of the 8th?

 

Will be there the evening of the 8th.

 

True Jack, but All4Funners can run whatever trails they want, or form their own groups. So if you or anyone else is near Salida on the 3rd or 4th I can break away and wheel with you/them, or maybe you/they can hook up with our group. If you show up I'll wheel with ya OK? My GF will be with me early in the week but going home 8/2. My son will be with me and can maybe ride shotgun w/ you a while but he's 13 so you prolly don't want him driving!!

I sure wish I didn't have to get him to the Abq airport on the 6th, or I'd stay a couple extra days.

 

That's really nice of you Chris. Thanks. Let me see when others plan to arrive and I try to work something out.

 

This is what I have been thinking.

Folks we are going to run out of easy trails near St. Elmo in 2 days. There is the big loop. Northwest over Tincup Pass to Tincup. Then South over Cumberland to just North of Pitkin. Then East to the Sherod Loop. At that point we will most likely go Northwest to the Alpine Tunnel. Then back track to the same spot and take a narrow rocky trail Northeast over Han**** Pass back to St. Elmo. http://www.st-elmo.com/rentalmap.html That is just one long day. Mt. Princeton is a long 1/2 day. Mary Murphy Mine is easy but just a short trip. If we open it up to moderate to difficult (from Sherod Loop up over Han**** is moderate to difficult) we can add Pomeroy Lakes to the Mary Murphy to make a half day and Mt. Antero and Baldwin Lake will add a day. That's just three and 1/2 days of wheeling. I'm pretty sure we can get folks over those trails. This will all be inside what folks have done before at Tuttle. Just some of the technical sections are at 12,000 ft above sea level and have thousands of feet to the bottom of the first steep if you deside not to stay on the road. We could add Grizzly Lake. It has one slick ledge after a creek crossing at the beginning that will give some folks a problem. I have been able to get up this in the past and we may or may not have to winch on that. That is another 1/2 day. With a 1/2 day thrown in the middle for going to get showers and gas and supplies that will be 4 and 1/2 days total.

I was thinking at the end of that time we could break camp and head North to Leadville and go over Mosquito to Fairplay and stop off and see Mr. Hanky at South Park. Then on up to Kenosha Pass to camp. That would have moved us a bit closer to Thomas if he could have made it out. And it wouldn't hurt us much for the folks going back to KS. Then we have a bunch of new trails to do in that area. Georgia Pass is easy. North and Middle fork of the Swan are not bad. Boss from Texas will be out starting the weekend of the 12th. But he will be Southwest in Telluride. He wants to try to work Redcone into his trip so we'll just have to see how that works out. Larry wants to do that Miners Loop for a magazine article but that will be before or after our trip.

The only problem with the move over to Kenosha that I can see would be what to do with the tow vehicles if we went over Mosquito. It would be time for showers and such again and we could just take the day off and site see. Then Chad could head back on Thursday. Curtis and Rollie and I could drive back and do Mosquito on Thursday.

Just some ideas and nothing in stone yet.

Chad do you plan on being at camp Friday evening and wheeling Saturday?

Curtis, when do you plan on being at camp and what day do you plan on starting to wheel?

Rollie any idea on days you will be out and where you are going to stay?

 

My truck would be on the road by then but I have a couple concerns. First, I don't have alot of experience wheeling and am not sure about the more difficult trails. Second, if I have any problems with the truck (like loosing that rod that's been knocking) how will I get it back here? I guess I'll have to wait and see how money plays out for me.

 

I will be wheeling in the area all week prior to most of you arriving. I can give you all a trail report on the trails I run that week if it helps. I haven't wheeled in that area since '89 so I'd have no prob running some trails more than once in the week. I did just that on my 2 previous All 4 Funs.

 

Cory, this is a great place for a first time wheeler. Much could be done with a 2wd farm truck that has a rear locker and a granny low gear in the tranny. 4X4 and low range just make stuff a lot easier. The trails will have been traveled by thousands of folks by the time we get out there. So you just need to watch the road and follow the tire tracks. You will see the correct line. Most of the time the big deal will be avoiding or going over rocks on the road. They can take out a tire if hit too fast or wrong. Sometimes you slow down and put a tire on the rock and drive over it. Other times you can do around or stradle the smaller ones.

As I said I'll have an open front seat if someone wants to drive out in a car. I don't know if others will have extra room or not but it don't caost nothin to ask.

Just me, but I would not want to take a truck that had problems out that far. Like I said your welcome to ride and share the driving with me.

 

With all the folks that will be in that area due to All 4 Fun and regular folks going up for the weekend it will take some doing to get a campsite that everyone will fit in. We can camp higher up 10,000 ft. or so but that can be hard on folks driving in from KS in one day. So we will need to take it easy the first day or so. Or see about staying in a fee campground a bit lower.

I was thinking about driving out to Denver or Pueblo on Tuesday. All 4 Fun seems to give you guys off on Wednesday afternoon and maybe meet you and your family somewhere around Salida that afternoon for a visit. Then I would spend Thursday and Friday checking campsites. I could ask when folks would be leaving campsites and try to get a good one when they left if non were open.

Then I was thinking about Williams on Saturday. I'd really like to do it from the top down, but my rememberer seems to have something that says part of it is one way. That is a VDL(vehicle damage likely) trail. If we could start at the top near the Alpine Tunnel I would be open for that. After you say your good byes and with All 4 Fun on Saturday morning we could be at the Sharod Loop about noon. Only thing is that a lot of guys with rock buggys seem to do those trails on the weekends and are not very curtious.

Another option would be one of the easier trails that you did not do with All 4 Fun. Mt. Princeton, Pomeroy Lake, ect. I could let Chad and Taylor take it easy that morning and meet you in St. Elmo about noon.

 

Whatever you want to run on Sat Jack, I'm in! It'll be nice meeting up with you on Wed also. It's kid's games, vendor day, etc. I'm sure you could mingle around on Wed, even though you won't have the official bracelet on.

 

Not really looking to mingle. Someplace cool we can set and chat and have a cold drink or icecream would be nice. Remember I'm not real big on walking.

Looks like Chads Explorer will be locked front and rear. 4.56's and 31's. Saturday will be a busy day on the trails though. What trails are you planning to do with A4F?

 

I haven't done the research I want to do on the area yet. But hopefully Iron Chest and Mt. Antero at least. And also the trail by the campsites you mentioned. I'll figure it out soon.

 

HappyJack, I have family vacation during this time so will have to pass. but will be watching for the November run.