2016 Ouray / Moab / Taylor park mega trip - Event Date: 30 July 2016 - 13 Aug. 2016

This years summer jeeping friends get together and trail ride trip is going to be mega fantastic. Each year for the past 3 our group has grown as word has spread of our trips to colorado to go jeep trail riding and off roading. This years trip is shaping up to be the best and biggest one yet. Last summer we visited the Ouray area and all had a great time exploring the famous passes and trails there. To say the scenery was amazing would be a understatement as shown in some of jpets videos he filmed during the 3 days he was able to join us there. Black bear pass, Immogene pass. Engineer pass, california pass, Ophir loop and ophir pass just to name a few. Lots of old mine sites and ghost towns lakes and streams and waterfalls. There were a few in our group who did not get to do some of these passes and the rest of us who want to do them again so we are going to revisit the area to start off this years mega trip. We plan to arrive saturday july 30 and hit the trails starting sunday the 31st. At this point we plan to spend 3 or 4 days in Ouray area before making the 3 hour drive over to moab utah. We then plan to spend 4 or 5 days in moab exploring the fantastic scenery of the completely different type from colorado in that area. Somewhere about the first of the week we plan to trek back east over to Taylor park area and spend the rest of the second week revisiting our old stomping grounds there. We will be revisiting the amazing view off the top of flag mpountain, as well as some old favorites such as tin cup pass, cumberland pass and hoefully some we have not done in a jeep yet such as taylor pass etc.
Some of us plan to do this trip staying in our rv's and campers at campgrounds in these three areas, but motels and cabins are avail but dont wait to long to reserve them. If we have many doing motels or cabins let me know asap as o know they will need to have more solid dates for each location. Right now we are leaving location dates flexible so we can deal with any weather issues if any. Moab in august will probably be hot, but dry hot, but if its unpleasantly hot then we can cut it shorter and either go back to ouray area or taylor area sooner.
Now we know some cant do 2 weeks, and thats the part thats kinda cool about this trip. it can be attended in sections also. Week 1 being mainy Ouray and Moab, or week 2 Being Moab and Taylor park.
We are not extreme off roaders, we do not go out and run trails that require highly moodified rigs and have high risks of damage, but we do like to occasionally challenge our primarily stock jeeps and their drivers so these rides will have a mix of terrain types from pavement, to gravel to dirt to rock and small boulders. There will be some water crossings and probably a few muddy spots if its rained. There will be some narrow shelfs with steep drop offs, some tight switchbacks, very high elevations, steep grades, out of this world scenery, fantastic fellowship with friends both new and old, incredible photo ops, and tons of fun both on the trails and in the camp grounds. We would love to have more old willys join us as so far the round fenders still out number us flatty owners, but all who think they would fit in with our group are welcome to contact me to discuss it. This is a family oriented group, so bring your wives and kids if you like for a last hoorah before school starts up again.
Once we have talked a bit and it appears someone is wanting to join us, we have a private facebook group page that you will be invited into where we BS with each other and share pics and stories, and discuss the trip between now and trip start, and then share pics taken on the trip. Its a fun way to get to know everyone better before the trip starts as well.
Here are a few pics we took last year, and a couple showing some of what we hope to see in moab this summer to give you a idea.

Hey if you can find me a job out there and a place to live, I'll be the first one up in morning of the trail ride haha .  I would love to go out there, those are some great switch backs. 

Stan, it would be great to get to meet and ride some of the fabulous trails in the ouray area with you, but, most of us wont be starting in ouray till wednesday it looks like now. We had to reverse the order and do moab first part of the week as some of our group couldnt start till mid week and wanted to do ouray for black bear and immogene passes. There might be a couple in ouray the first part that could meet up with ya tho if your not able to join the rest of us starting wednesday. Ill look for ya on facebook so we can add you to the page.

I really do not know. Just want to see as good a scenery as i can without being destructive to wilbur. Ive never been there or anywhere with that terrain before.

Its looking like the moab part of this year trip will be starting july 30 and running thru aug 2nd, then we will move over to ouray and run black bear and immogene etc for the rest of the week before heading over to taylor area the following week. Would be great to have another flatty join in. Mine is pretty much stock so the trails will have to be within its capabilities...but i do like a bit of challenge now and then but not at the price of tearing up my jeep.

Mike, if your into old jeeps or enjoy off road adventures your not a outsider. We are not a hardcore rock bouncing bunch, we like to challenge our old jeeps but not to the point of damaging them...unless we make a mistake, but mainly we like to explore and enjoy the scenery along the way. The Ouray portion of this years trip will be starting the morning of august 3rd and will run thru saturday or sunday...kinda flexible on the end of it as from there we will travel a little ways east and north to the gunnison beuana vista area known as taylor park the the remainder of the following week. Your welcome to join us if this type of jeeping sounds like something youd like to join in on. We will have everything from old willys like mine up to brand new JKUs and some in between. Some of us are staying in motels and cabins and some like myself will be camping in RV's. PM me for additional info if your wanting to come along.
Steve.

0311DoC wrote: I did a google search for runs in Ouray, this page came up. Are you accepting outsiders on this trip? If so is there an itinerary/further info for the Ouray leg of the trip? Thanks in Advance Mike

Edited by kansascat - 31 May 2016 at 3:04pm

Fins N Things, up the same pay to get in road as Hell's, is also a good trial to mention. It's rated a tad lower than that of Hells Revenge but still has great scenery and lots of slickrock.

Thanks for the good trail info guys. Ill probably try to do those as they are well known and very scenic. Sounds like i might need to do less goofing around when we head that way wednesday eve and try to get myself out there friday for a extra day to play. Its to bad lions back is closed. It sure looks like it would have been a fun one too.

Edited by kansascat - 31 May 2016 at 3:23pm

I doubt my wife will be riding along much in moab. Thats why we are taking the RV so her and the grand daughter can stay back and play.