[JJMAC1]

I have an 07 Lifted Nissan Frontier and a lifted Fleetwood Cobalt Popup camper. (Its the small version 8 ft. long.) I am planning a trip from Denver to Telluride through the non-paved mountain roads with the family. Some have told me it would be easy to do, others have told me that it would be extremely dangerous. I am looking for specific feedback on the following passes and weather or not I could get up and down safely with a popup in tow....

Passes include......
- Mosquito Pass
- Hangerman Pass
- Pearl Pass (or Taylor pass as alternative)
- Kebler Pass
- Ohio Pass
- Los Pinos Pass
- Cinnamon Pass (or Engineer Pass as alternative)
- Imogene Pass

I am concerned with the switchbacks and if I can make some of the turns....I have been almost all the way slate river, washington gulch until I hit the snow line in july. This trip will be mid august.

Can I do this trip in 5 days?

Anyone have any advice?

Thanks. Mac

 

[NCFronty]

Going by paved roads you'll be fine. Offroad no. Dirtroads some maybe. well some you are definitly not going over with a camper. I lived in Breckenridge for 6 years and Woodland Park for 3 years. I've been to quite a few different places and somethings are very 4x4 once you get to the right place. Just to start on your list with Mosquito Gulch here--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4owzKpG4JPU

Hagerman http://continental-divide.net/hagerman-pass-colorado.htm

Pearl Pass http://www.atvtrails.org/pearlpass.html

To be safe, I would say, tow your camper to wher eyou want to be, then head out on a trail to do 4x4. The trails out there are no joke especially with a camper behind you. Besides with how slow you'd have to go to get over some of the passes you will not make it in 5 days. I mean don't get me wrong, some parts of trails can be very easy but then you may hit a hole or a large stream and then what? Turn around?

 

[Curt_CastleRocker]

I agree with NCFronty it depends on conditions... especially with a trailer in tow. Even the good forest service roads are washboarded and rough. 25mph is probably a safe top speed. We took the pop-up out Friday night in the snow and rain at 9,700 near Guanella Pass. It took us 20 minutes to go almost 7 miles back to the paved road and its a decent road.

Kebler Pass is graveled on the west and paved on the east & Hagerman Pass are RV friendly. Mosquito Pass, no way that's Jeep territory and nasty on a mountain bike. The others... I'd do a lot of checking. Nothing worse than being stranded far away.

Sounds like a fun trip. Maybe we'll see you out there!

 

[the007forum]

TrailDamage.com <------------- check it out.

Ill be hitting alot this summer. Kebler is gorgeous. I wouldnt say it will be an easy trip but alot of the roads are doable at low speeds.

PS Curt. Got any plans for the truck? Im over south of Sedalia right now. Been romping my truck up and down these dirt roads.

 

[hi-ho_silver]

TrailDamage.com <------------- check it out.

Ill be hitting alot this summer. Kebler is gorgeous. I wouldnt say it will be an easy trip but alot of the roads are doable at low speeds.

PS Curt. Got any plans for the truck? Im over south of Sedalia right now. Been romping my truck up and down these dirt roads.

Dang beat me to that website. Another good one for very current information: Colorado4x4.org Forums - Powered by vBulletin

Also, you can get these books:
4x4 off-road guidebooks.


Towing a camper your going to limit yourself in my opinion, but you will still have lots of options regardless.

 

[hi-ho_silver]

Looks like the guys at CO4x4 gave you some good answers! Looks like i need to go run some new passes

 

[JJMAC1]

Denver Spring and Suspension is going to add more lift to my camper. I also have the PRG coilover package that should be here soon.....

 

[Glacier08]

PS Curt. Got any plans for the truck? Im over south of Sedalia right now. Been romping my truck up and down these dirt roads.

In Rampart Range lol?

I live like 20 minutes from there.

Come over and lets turn my truck into the:
POLAR BEAR!!!

Any ways, back on topic:
Consider going over cottonwood pass to Taylor park, perfect for a pop-up.
Mosquito pass - negative with a trailer
Kebler and Ohio are gorgeous
Los Pinos pass - windy dirt road, should be ok
Imogene - probably not, very high pass, almost at 13,500 feet


Its hard to say to be honest, it really depends on the trail conditions. Most are probably pretty rutted out with the warm temps, huge rain fall, and fast snow run-off this year. I was just up on the divide on my Griz, and it was nasty! I just was on Kenosha, trout creek, and all around up there

 

[Curt_CastleRocker]

TrailDamage.com <------------- check it out.

Ill be hitting alot this summer. Kebler is gorgeous. I wouldnt say it will be an easy trip but alot of the roads are doable at low speeds.

PS Curt. Got any plans for the truck? Im over south of Sedalia right now. Been romping my truck up and down these dirt roads.

I got Kebler confused with Cottonwood. Cottwood is paved on the east side, not Kebler.

007forum....No plans right now, maybe when I wear out these new all-season tires I got with the truck! Where are you driving around? Up Dakan Road? Rampart with the motos?

 

[slothrs]

Kebler is fine for trailers. People bring horse trailers up there all the time.

Cottonwood will be fine for trailers. People bring travel trailers over it all the time as long as the snow has melted.

Ohio Pass is not able to be traveled with a trailer. Many spots are one lane for quite some distance. It is also a very rough road. f

I'm sure others will chime in for the others.

 

[ATLtoCO Frontier]

I drove up Argentine Pass and Mclennan Mtn last week and had so turn around on both because of deep snow. The day wasn't wasted though, I still had a good time checking out the old Santiago Mine and I made it most of the way up on both trails before I had to turn around.

Its hard to say to be honest, it really depends on the trail conditions. Most are probably pretty rutted out with the warm temps, huge rain fall, and fast snow run-off this year. I was just up on the divide on my Griz, and it was nasty! I just was on Kenosha, trout creek, and all around up there

The trails, especially Argentine, were much rougher than I remembered. I made it up just fine in my stock SE (with 265/75/16 Destination A/Ts) though, I just had to be careful in spots. I did bottom it out twice, but not damage done. One time I picked a really bad line and bottomed out the front. The other time I accidentally knocked it into second on a steep downhill in 4 low. No harm done though and most importantly no body damage. My mud flaps took a beating, but they are still all intact.

Sorry for the shitty Blackberry Pics

 

[ATLtoCO Frontier]

I'm headed up this morning to check go up Chihuahua Gulch, Peru Creek, etc. I'll let you guys know how those trails are...

 

[ATLtoCO Frontier]

I drove up Argentine Pass and Mclennan Mtn last week and had so turn around on both because of deep snow. The day wasn't wasted though, I still had a good time checking out the old Santiago Mine and I made it most of the way up on both trails before I had to turn around.



The trails, especially Argentine, were much rougher than I remembered. I made it up just fine in my stock SE (with 265/75/16 Destination A/Ts) though, I just had to be careful in spots. I did bottom it out twice, but not damage done. One time I picked a really bad line and bottomed out the front. The other time I accidentally knocked it into second on a steep downhill in 4 low. No harm done though and most importantly no body damage. My mud flaps took a beating, but they are still all intact.

Sorry for the shitty Blackberry Pics

Finally made it to the top. I went up last week and the snow had melted. I made it up this time without bottoming out or scraping once. I've wheeled it a few more times and I know the truck better now.

So Mosquito Pass isn't too bad without a trailer right? Its next on my list and I heard its not too bad. Let me know if its worse than say Argentine Pass. I don't want to tear my truck up. It made it up and down Chihuahua Gulch twice, but in stock form it was very borderline and I don't think I'd do it again (stock). It was kinda rough on it...

edit:

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f15/chihuahua-gulch-61190/

 

[Glacier08]

So Mosquito Pass isn't too bad without a trailer right? Its next on my list and I heard its not too bad. Let me know if its worse than say Argentine Pass. I don't want to tear my truck up. It made it up and down Chihuahua Gulch twice, but in stock form it was very borderline and I don't think I'd do it again (stock). It was kinda rough on it...

You'll be just fine on mosquito pass w/o a trailer.

 

[ATLtoCO Frontier]

Thanks man.

 

[NCFronty]

Mosquito Gulch isn't bad, but there were a couple big diagonal holes that were from people spinning their tires, ie front drivers side and rear passenger side at the same time or vice versa making it a little bit tricky without locking differential. Its been a while since I was up there so maybe the holes have been fixed. Lots of funs stuff out there. I lived in Breckenridge for al most 6 years.

 

[Glacier08]

Mosquito Gulch isn't bad, but there were a couple big diagonal holes that were from people spinning their tires, ie front drivers side and rear passenger side at the same time or vice versa making it a little bit tricky without locking differential. Its been a while since I was up there so maybe the holes have been fixed. Lots of funs stuff out there. I lived in Breckenridge for al most 6 years.

Those are the peat bogs on the west side of the pass and the head waters of the Arkansas River. Its an incredible site, the Arkansas just seeping out of the ground there and turning into a major river states away.

Being a tad longer than a jeep, and since most in the state run by TJ, CJ's, old Cruisers, and other jeeps, SAS, or ATV's, the fronty can usually flex through them, especially with with my LWB if you pick your line. This is assuming the mile high jeep club did some maintenance on the trail other wise there is only a hand full of trucks on this forum and driving ability that can get through it.

Otherwise, just flex that $hit out!

 

[mrgrayaz]

Made it up Imogene Pass with a stock Offroad Armada, long and low. its got some switch backs, but you'll probably be fine with a trailer....hardest part is going to be some of the grades, I was pretty deep in the throttle in the armada in some spots just to keep momentum. Even a 5.6l has a hard time breathing at 13k feet

 

[ATLtoCO Frontier]

A couple of videos going down Argentine Pass a few weeks ago.

Actually, its not that difficult of a trail, but a fun, fairly challenging trail (in a few spots) for a stock 4wd with decent ground clearance. The trail I'd done before it (Chihuahua Gulch) was much more challenging.

I should have videoed it on the way up, which was a little bit more challenging. The only place that I spun was going up the big rock at the end of the first video. It spun the first attempt, but on the second attempt I gave it more gas and the brake limited slip kicked in and it climbed right up it. It is a lot more steep in person than the it appears in the video.

Descending Argentine Pass
Truck :: 1stDownhill.mp4 video by johnbesch - Photobucket
Descending Argentine Pass

Truck :: 2ndDownhill.mp4 video by johnbesch - Photobucket

Its a lot steeper/more challenging than it looks in the videos. I passed by a group of lifted JKs on the way down that didn't believe me that I made it up and I was on my way down. Its a one way trail. One guy said I must have come up from the other side. The other side has been closed for years and is extremely dangerous. They were a bunch of stereotypical Jeep douche bags. I used to own them so I know the type quite well. The rock at the bottom/end of the first video is up to the height of the front bumper on the way up. I saw some dirt bikers struggling like hell to get up that trail earlier.

Video going up a rough side trail off of the Mclellan Mountain trail.

(NWS Language)
Truck :: UpHill.mp4 video by johnbesch - Photobucket


Yes, its shaky and not that exciting. It was actually pretty rough and I kit the skids a few times. It was pouring and the trail was pretty rough with several inches of water flowing down it. I need larger tires and a leveling kit. 10.1" of ground clearance is borderline on a lot of the trails I've been doing.

And yes I'm a dork. Lol.

That is hail in the beginning of the video. No damage though...

 

[ATLtoCO Frontier]

I spent a few days up in the mtns and ran Mosquito Pass today. Its rough as ****, but its not all that challenging except for a few spots. Its totally doable in a stock '09 Frontier. There was one tricky part on the way up that I struggled with a little bit, but after a few attempts (and more throttle lol) the brake limited slip kicked in and it walked right up it. It was almost all the way up on a sharp switchback so it was a little bit tricky. My wife was a little bit scared lol. On the way down it was a little bit rougher in spots, but I just was very slow and careful with the lines and it was fine. With larger tires/leveling kit it would be easy.

We went up yesterday and camped in a beautiful spot off of Weston Pass. Weston Pass is easy, any 4wd can do it, but its very scenic. We made a nice trip of it, we drove up 285 through Fairplay. We camped halfway up Weston Pass and then finished it up today. We drove through Leadville over Mosquito pass and took hwy 9 over to Breckenridge. Then we had a late lunch in Breck and drove home. We've only been out here for a year so we got to explore a lot of beautiful country.

I took a lot of great pics. I'll post them after I get them all hosted. A few quick pics