|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Event Coverage: Colorado 4Runner Jamboree
|
||||||
| Http://www.4x4Wire.com/toyota/events/co4rj/ | Short Cuts | |||||
| Author: Ziad Matloub, Edited by: Phil Roemer. July, 2001 | ||||||
Much like the East Coast event, the Colorado 4Runner Jamboree was a huge success!
| How did it come together? |
Much like the EC4RJ, this event came about from discussions on the Outdoorwire Toyota SUV forum. With Colorado's beautiful country and trails, it was just a matter of time before a trip like this took place. Jeff took the lead and put together a list of trails and camping/lodging areas. We were expecting 8-12 people to show up.
Finally the big day arrived on Thursday July 8th, two groups of people met separately. One met in Longmont and the other in Boulder. The whole group finally met in Boulder in a McDonald's parking lot, all together we had 6 3rd Gen 4runners. After a "healthy" breakfast at McDonald's, the group headed out of Boulder through the gambling town of Central City en route to the trails, and the beginning of the adventure.
| The Trails |
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
The first trails were at the Yankee Hill area. Look at the map to see how many options we actually had. The Scenery was breathtaking, mountains and canyons in every direction, the sheer grandure of the location was truly awe inspiring. The temperature was in the mid 80s. The Drivers were ready, and the 4runners were able. After tackling some of the "easier" trails, we stopped for lunch.
 |
| At the top of the hill |
 |
| St. Mary's Glacier |
From our lunching spot, we could see the ski runs of St. Mary's Glacier
After lunch we doubled back to tackle the steep trails going
up to the top of the Hill. For many of us, this was the first test to determine the capability of our
4Runners.
Along the way a few shallow water crossings were anxiously negotiated by the group. "Where's the water crossing?" the CB's were screaming... wait, that was me. I expected to see deeper water for this time of the year, with the spring runoff. But, alas, it was drier than I thought.
We then headed North to the Kingston Peak. Somewhere along the way, we managed to take the wrong turn and ended up in a really narrow trail blocked at the end by a very steep mogul.
 |
 |
|
| The Mogul and a puddle crossing. | ||
The lifted 4runners went through without
incident, the others had some minor scraping on the skid plates and front
bumpers.
Kingston Peak is a moderate trail. Jeff had been up there a couple of weeks earlier and the trail was choked off by snow at one point. Lucky for us, it had all melted away. We were at a very high altitude, air was scarce way up here past the tree line, but the scenery was beautiful. On the way back down to I-70 we could see a huge rain/slush storm dumping across the valley. It wasn't long before we drove through it. From a distance, it was really cool to watch.
 |
 |
 |
| Kingston Peak, scenery and the first wave of 4Runners | ||
 |
| Camp |
After coming back down to earth from Kingston Peak, we headed to Buena Vista and to our campsite. We arrived at the campground late in the afternoon and set up camp. Later that evening we went into town and got some dinner.
On Friday, we met up with Sundawg, Andrew and his dad. That made a total of 8 vehicles, 7 with lockers. We headed out to Mt Antero. The trail was very narrow, very steep and full of sharp switchbacks. Some of the switchbacks required reversing to get a tighter turn. Halfway up to the 14000 ft top, Sam elected to park his non-locked but otherwise very capable 4Runner and hitched a ride with me. He was experiencing some traction issues which may have been due to his tires.
 |
 |
 |
| Mount Antero | ||
The trail was long and the vertical distances between the switchbacks were vast. At one point we passed an area where we could see Sam's truck parked way down the mountain and it looked like a little ant.
I have lived in Colorado most of my life, and I have never been at such altitudes. There seemed to be nothing higher than us. The oxygen was so scarce that even the flies were lethargic. The last half mile or so of the trail was very steep with large loose rocks and very sharp switchbacks. This section is marked "For Experts Only" in the "Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails". Andrew parked his 4Runner at the very beginning of this trail and hitched a ride to the top.
 |
 |
 |
| The Last half mile at Antero | ||
The are two routes to the very top: a longer, more moderate trail and a shorter, steeper and very slippery trail. While most of the group took the sensible route, Lee and I took the hard line. I went first up the hill in the third picture above. It was close to a 30degree grade and the crest was covered in snow/slush/ice. I started up the hill slowly. It took all the S/C and the BFG KO's had to get me to clear enough of the slope to make it to the top. While I was busy spinning the wheels as fast as I could, I missed seeing everyone else darting to take cover. Lee came up after me. He pulled up to the bottom of the hill, backed up and floored it. He hit the crest with such fury, his front right tire was up in the air. We then met at the top and had lunch.
After lunch we headed back down and collected the other two 4Runners and headed down the Baldwin Lake trail to an old mine. The last section, which was rather steep, became more difficult with loose gravel and various sized rocks. Traction was a problem with the stock tires.. We got to the old mine and spent some time flexing our suspensions, and taking some very cool photos.
 |
 |
 |
| Antero map and Baldwin Trail | ||
After the visit to the old mine, we headed back to camp. That evening, after dinner, we met up with the last of our group. John and his wife Anna were in their lifted 4Runner and Angela showed up in her TRD Tacoma. We lined up the trucks and headed out to Tincup Pass for a night run.
Tincup Pass is a easy/moderate trail. It was fairly bumpy with lots of moguls just shallow enough to give the trucks a pleasant bounce. The last part of the trail just before the pass was narrow and had a 4 foot snow drift that was plowed with just enough room for a 4Runner to fit through. Someone's voice came across the CB thanking the heavens that we did this at night so we wouldn't see the horror that lay a mere 6 inches away.
 |
 |
| Tincup Pass | |
We parked at the top of the pass and hung out for a while. Some people reported seeing UFO's, some saw satellites, and others were blasting the mountain side with a million candlepower Q-Beam.
On the way down the pass, there were some scary moments as some tires slipped on the snow and loose rocks. After we cleared the snow drifts we split up into two groups, the crazies and the sensible ones. The four crazies, Jeff, Ziad, Lee and Sam sped down the trails at close to 20 MPH. Every once in a while I would feel a CLUNK as a big rock smacked my skid plates. Sam was very impressive in his stock 4runner keeping up with the other three with lifts and bigger tires. We all got back to camp and got some much needed sleep.
Saturday was the big day for the difficult Wheeler Lake trail. Jeff had definitely saved the best for last. We headed out to the Wheeler Lake where we met a couple of Jeff's friends: Corbin in his tricked out Isuzu Amigo and his passenger Aaron, and Scott in his lifted Jeep TJ.
Right from the start, the trail looked more difficult than any trail most of us have wheeled on in the past. The first obstacle looked menacing. Jeff had previously made it through it. This time though, the front skid plate smacked up on the radiator and caused a leak. It was a bummer to see the most armored truck in the group back down the hill and park. This was a mixed blessing for Jeff and the group. Jeff rode with me most of the way and he was able to spot and help others all over the trail.
 |
 |
 |
| The menacing obstacle | Corbin Making it look easy | The Bypass |
Luckily for the rest of us, this obstacle had a not so easy bypass to the left, which the rest of the group gladly took. The trail is very rocky and care must be taken at all times as large rocks 10-12" in diameter are frequently searching for the lowest point on your truck.
Next was the wedge. Again, there was an alternative to going past this obstacle. Corbin and I went up the hard way, while the others took the alternative, which was by no means easy. It was truly a sight to behold. 10 4Runners, mostly stock, climbing huge rocks and steep roots, in what would typically be thought of as a Jeep trail.
There are several stream/puddle crossings and one large mud pit. The mud pit seemed to be low for this time of the year, but nonetheless, it was fun to cross. We split into groups on either side of the mud pit, where we stopped for lunch.
 |
 |
 |
| Wheeler Lake Trail | ||
After lunch, the trail continued up in what seemed like a very long and shallow stream. It was wet, slippery and required a different approach to avoid smacking the skid plates. The last part of the trail before reaching Bowling Ball Hill requires driving thruogh a moderately deep stream. Again some of us chose to cross it and some stayed on the other side. Word came down from the hill that a Bronco was broken down and was blocking the one path we hoped to take to the top. Corbin and Jeff proceeded to go all the way to the top, while Yuri, Lee, Dave and Angela went out exploring.
After Corbin and Jeff came back down we learned that the path was indeed blocked. We decided to head back to camp. This meant that we had to go back down the wedge and other obstacles. Tackling the big rocks from a different direction made it seem like a whole new trail.
 |
 |
 |
| The wedge. Going Up and coming Down | ||
Coming back down the wedge was somewhat of an adventure. A group of Jeepers was parked on the ledge that everyone used to come up. One of them was broken down so we all had to go down the hard line. Corbin and Jeff spotted everyone through successfully. No one had any damage, except for some skid plate scrapes. There were, however, some scary moments. As the picture shows, the best line down the wedge is to get really close to rocks on the left. As you cranked the wheel to pull away from the rocks, the trucks got really off camber and required some very careful driving. Every one made it through with flying colors.
Next, after a little work to stabilize Jeff's radiator leak we headed down to a gas station to air and gas up. We split into multiple groups; one group headed back to camp to prepare for the BBQ, another group went to get food for the BBQ while Sam and I stayed with Jeff all the way back to camp. We all met back at camp and had a fun BBQ and got a chance to stay up and swap stories.
All in all it was a very successful Colorado Jamboree. It took a group of awesome people with friendly personalities to make this event as fun as it was. We all had fun and we're going to make sure that we do this again soon.
| Related Links: | Sources: |
|
Maps are courtesy of:
|
| Site Index
| Product Expo | Search
ORN | Please support ORN by visiting our featured sponsors
|
This site and all original materials contained herein
are Copyright © 1999,2000 by OutdoorWire, Inc. - the Outdoor Recreation Network™
(ORN), All Rights Reserved.
The use of this website, ORN, or any of its publications or services is subject to the terms of use agreement.
You may link freely to this site, but no further use is allowed without the express
written permission of the owner of this material.
All corporate trademarks are the property of their
respective owners and are used to refer to those specific products or activities related
to those products. ORN's use of these trademarks in its stories in no way infers that any
relationship exists between ORN and the trademark owner.
Any or all activities and/or actions depicted in this site may be hazardous, the authors
of this material only relate their personal experiences and this publication does not
endorse or recommend any particular activity or action. Please use common sense and your
discretion before engaging in any activity. Please, at all times remember: Safety First.
This publication and the Outdoor Recreation Network assume no liability for your use of
the material contained within this site.
The OutdoorWire, 4x4Wire, SUVWire ATVWire, MTBWire.com,
CycleWire, MXWire, SnowWire, BoatWire, TrailCraft, JeepWire, TrailCalendar, CampWire,
HuntingWire, FishingWire and RVWire are all trademarks and publications of The Outdoor
Recreation Network (ORN) a wholly owner division of OutdoorWire, Inc. ORN is not
affiliated with any print publication. ORN is not responsible for the content of pages
that are independently hosted on ORN and not part of our publication.
ORN is an independent affiliate of The AutoChannel.
Content Keys: The Outdoor Recreation Networks e-zines cover auto truck 4x4 suv jeep toyota. 4wd trails camp hike recreation outdoor atv ohv rockcrawl pwc boat kayak canoe. Paddle rock climbing mountain water snowmobile sled snow trail mountain biking dirt bike motorcycle bmx parts accessories service. Pictures video 4wd cherokee wrangler cj cj7 cj5 grand cherokee photo vacation travel fun river sand dune event rv mx tech projects how to reports news magazine tires suspension pack tent radio picnic land use access conservation environment fun suv awd toyota honda polaris ih bronco ford chevy dodge nissan isuzu mitsubishi gmc amc goodyear mtr arca extreme warn competition championship rock crawling pic travel destination vacation driving training school guide trip
