Making the treck to Ouray in August from Illinois. Looking to do the following trails on day 1:

Mineral Creek - Engineer Pass - Cinnamon Pass & Wagner Gulch

Looking to do these trails on Day 2:

Ophir Pass - Imegene Pass - Yankee Boy Basin

Can I fit all of trails on day 1 in 1 day and likewise for day 2 or is this too much to get done per day?

Are all these trails similiar in that once you do one all look the same or is it worth doing all...just asking because heading to Moab area for day 3 and thought I might cut the colorado trails short and do more Moab trails.

Would also like to meet up with any locals that might want to head out with me.

Thanks

 

Cinnamon Pass fits your question about "looking the same"....If you're starting up Mineral Creek and want a beautiful run with a little challenge, turn up Poughkeepsie Gulch and run it. You can turn it into a loop by running California/Placer/Picayne and then back down Mineral Creek (turn left on Animas Rd when exiting Picayne)....Then on Day 2 with your setup, hit Black Bear Pass early and you'll have time to have lunch in Telluride (Smuggler's Brewery is awesome)...then over Imogene after lunch....you should have time to run Yankee Boy with no problem. Yankee Boy isn't hard, but has amazing views of 14'ers all the way around you. Sounds like a fun trip. Enjoy!

BTW....the wall on Poughkeepsie can be ran with no locker and no winch....Not sure what your gearing is and or if you have lockers, but it can be done with a little extra skinny pedal. Stay on the line second from the right against the sage brush. If you have a locker....all the way over to the right.

 

Yes I would like to hit Black Bear but I made mistake of showing the wife.....and I got no way period. I thought about at least running part of it until the switchbacks then turning around.

Thanks

 

Might want to check back with these websites before you go, Says Black Bear is closed...

http://www.ouraycolorado.com/Jeeping
http://www.ouraytalk.com/2010/04/24/...eason-updates/

 

http://bushducks.com/tripreps/passopen.htm#blackbear

Open according to this site...

Also...best thing to do is get there and ask.

Last trip we took to Ouray we took a very new jeeper and his wife. They did BB. Best thing for your wife to do is run the camera inside the jeep.....she'll have to look through the camera the whole time which will help. But....leave early and try to find someone in Ouray who will run it with you. There are a couple of spots on the stairsteps that you might need just a little spot.

 

I did Ouray last fall. Some of these trails get up over 13,000 feet. If you are from Illinois, a
"flat lander" so to speak, you might want to spend a day resting in the town of Ouray, 7,000 feet, to
allow your family to get acclimated to the altitude. Read all you can about being at high altitudes.
Drink lots of water and eat a snack every couple of hours. There are dozens of more things you need to know. That all being said, you should have a great time.

 

Thanks all. Actually the day before Ouray we will be in Colorado Springs and will be driving up Pikes Peak then down to Ouray. This should probably be a good test for the altitude and effects on us huh?

 

just got back from there..... i would definatly do black bear instead of ophir I did all three and yankeboy and i could have done without ophir. black bear is not as trecherous as everyone makes it out to be. the wife loved the waterfalls on black bear which made it all worth it

 

With a name like CrazyCasey your definition and others definition of not trecherous is probably two entirely different things..LOL!

Part of my original question that has not been answered is would I be better off running multiple days is Ouray or heading out to Moab area after running 1 solid day in Ouray. Have very limited time to hit many trails and wanted to hit both spots since so far from home. Anyone help with this.

Thanks

 

Just got back From ouray
You will have a blast. You can do Engineer pass to Lake City and Cinamon pass back to Poughkeepsie and then on to Ouray. I took this route on my dirt bike.
Here's a pic of my wife driving on Poughkeepsie the day before.