Cinnamon Pass and Crested Butte with Eruption Green 7MT Badlands

[MtnRanger]

Lake city, start of the trip with a clean Bronco :

On the way to :

American Basin:

Cinnamon pass:

Top of cinnamon pass

Drive down to Animas Forks:

A stop in switzerland

Crested Butte/Emerald Lake:

Emerald Lake:

Drive home with a dirty bronco:

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[Durangatan]

NICE! Pics of a Bronco that is actually on a dirt road, and not in a driveway or parking lot!

The weather has been stupendous. You just missed Monsoon action. We just did a one day lap on the Loop on mtn bikes. While I live here, I still find the setting amazing.

 

[MtnRanger]

NICE! Pics of a Bronco that is actually on a dirt road, and not in a driveway or parking lot!

The weather has been stupendous. You just missed Monsoon action. We just did a one day lap on the Loop on mtn bikes. While I live here, I still find the setting amazing.

Most of these roads don’t seem to need a bronco or an off-roader. I was surprised, amazed and impressed to see a Ford Taurus and a Tesla on the schofield pass to emerald lake with 6 inch ruts and dips. I was in the same boat 7 years ago but I had a rear locker, 4wd and a tiny little more clearance. I drove half a mile up cinnamon pass from animas forks and went back after scraping the bottom a few times. I told myself I’ll come back with a better vehicle and here I am 7 years later

 

[RC Bronco]

Awesome photos! Bet you had a wonderful time

I’m heading that way for a 10 day trip in just a few days now - so stoked!

 

[Durangatan]

Most of these roads don’t seem to need a bronco or an off-roader. I was surprised, amazed and impressed to see a Ford Taurus and a Tesla on the schofield pass to emerald lake with 6 inch ruts and dips. I was in the same boat 7 years ago but I had a rear locker, 4wd and a tiny little more clearance. I drove half a mile up cinnamon pass from animas forks and went back after scraping the bottom a few times. I told myself I’ll come back with a better vehicle and here I am 7 years later

I hear you. And it depends. I have really, really pushed the design limitations of my Audi SQ5. Since I travel extensively through the area, both in the air, backpacking, mtn biking, etc. I have great visibility and can pick and choose based on conditions.

I have several dark slots that I go to where it is 30 minutes to and hour or two on pavement, maybe an hour on gravel, and then things get sporty. I'll be going to one of them next week, and will be heading into a few areas where the Audi would get stuck, or destroyed, so I take the Bronco. One 1.6 mile section takes an hour in the Bronco. Several places that I go in the 4 Corners are like that - hours of benign driving, followed by a few rocky, slow going miles that really require a more substantial rig. In summer it is typically high alpine destinations. In winter, typically canyons.

In reality, any vehicle that has reasonable ground clearance can get to 90% of the places. The "want" for a fully outfitted 4WD is totally fashion driven for the vast majority of buyers.

And you are correct about going to Animas Forks, that is a very well maintained section that is totally OK in a 2WD. Much of the way up to Stony or Ophir Pass from the Silverton side as well. I have definitely seen less substantial vehicles on the Telluride side of Ophir Pass. On the Rio side of Stony - you will get spanked in anything other than 4WD / high clearance.

 

[sjp]

Most of these roads don’t seem to need a bronco or an off-roader. I was surprised, amazed and impressed to see a Ford Taurus and a Tesla on the schofield pass to emerald lake with 6 inch ruts and dips. I was in the same boat 7 years ago but I had a rear locker, 4wd and a tiny little more clearance. I drove half a mile up cinnamon pass from animas forks and went back after scraping the bottom a few times. I told myself I’ll come back with a better vehicle and here I am 7 years later

Is that a Suzuki SX4? I just sold mine a few months ago! Hated letting it go...Those things can go just about everywhere. I drove all over Colorado - including plenty of Jeep roads - and wrote seven guidebooks out of that thing. Even slept in it a few times (not comfortable). Took it camping and climbing all over New Mexico, Arizona, and California, too - with a passenger! And people complain about Bronco 2-doors being too small. Pshaw. If only Suzuki made a body on frame 4x4 truck. Sigh.

 

[MtnRanger]

Is that a Suzuki SX4? I just sold mine a few months ago! Hated letting it go...Those things can go just about everywhere. I drove all over Colorado - including plenty of Jeep roads - and wrote seven guidebooks out of that thing. Even slept in it a few times (not comfortable). Took it camping and climbing all over New Mexico, Arizona, and California, too - with a passenger! And people complain about Bronco 2-doors being too small. Pshaw. If only Suzuki made a body on frame 4x4 truck. Sigh.

Yep Sx4 MT! I had so many off pavement adventures in TX, NM, CO and UT. I used to sleep in it also along with my dog. It was quite a rattle box and trim pieces were falling off when I let it go. It used to drink 1Qt of oil every 1000 miles! I was super happy to sell it and got a ford escape but immediately started missing the manual transmission soon after.

 

[DUSTYcazOREGON]

Lake city, start of the trip with a clean Bronco :

On the way to :

American Basin:

Cinnamon pass:

Top of cinnamon pass

Drive down to Animas Forks:

A stop in switzerland

Crested Butte/Emerald Lake:

Emerald Lake:

Drive home with a dirty bronco:

Great photos and you had your buddy along for the ride!

 

[MtnRanger]

Great photos and you had your buddy along for the ride!

I brought my whole family along, I just didn’t want to post their pics on the interwebs The factory tint is doing a good job hiding them in the back

 

[SamC]

Great pics.
I'm heading there next week. Will be on the west side, Silverton, Ouray area for a week or so.

 

[MtnRanger]

Great pics.
I'm heading there next week. Will be on the west side, Silverton, Ouray area for a week or so.

Awesome photos! Bet you had a wonderful time

I’m heading that way for a 10 day trip in just a few days now - so stoked!

Hope you get some fall colors, not sure if it’s still too early or it’s time!

 

[CHorn22]

Love the pics! What're the running boards you have that attach to the factory rock rails?

 

[MtnRanger]

Love the pics! What're the running boards you have that attach to the factory rock rails?

They are mabett https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BWF37LBD
I don’t think I’d get them again. They might be perfect for a Sasquatch. For non sas, they stick out a bit further than standard flares

 

[Freebird32]

If only Suzuki made a body on frame 4x4 truck. Sigh.

They have a mini truck 4x4 called the Jimmy. Lot of folks like them but a bit small for long haul.

 

[sjp]

They have a mini truck 4x4 called the Jimmy. Lot of folks like them but a bit small for long haul.

Woah, didn't know that. Apparently, they're not street-legal in the US? But they look cool!
(Sorry, OP, I swear I am not trying to hijack your thread. I love Crested Butte and have spent a lot of time there the past few years - including some of those places in your pics. It's why I clicked on this thread!).

But look at the Jimny!

More here...
Every Suzuki Jimny at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon

(OK, no more distractions)

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