We finally departed Utah in the mid-afternoon on Tuesday. After driving through a series of heavy downpours (perfect for rinsing the dust off the Jeep), we arrived in Telluride, once again without much of a plan in mind. The first order of business would be to secure a hotel room for the evening. After a brief search, we were soon rewarded with a great suite at the Ice House Lodge. With a friendly staff and great location, I would recommend this place to anyone!
Now it was time for a real shower, some fresh clothes, and a beer! As luck would have it, right across the street was StrongHouse Brew Pub, just what the doctor ordered! Given our short timeframe, we wanted to see as much of the town as possible, so we were one and done and off to our next watering hole.
We ventured up the hill to see the rest of this old mining town turned ski resort and weren’t disappointed. After a few more pubs and many, many conversations with new “friends,” we finished off the evening at Smuggler-Union Brewery & Restaurant. We were struck up numerous conversations, were challenged with trivia, and treated to a great meal and some well-made beer.
After a great evening and a peaceful night’s sleep in a very comfortable hotel, the day I had been waiting for had arrived. Imogene Pass! We spent a few hours that morning seeing the rest of the town, getting some great coffee and a delicious breakfast, and picking up a few souvenirs for the kids back home.
We loaded up the Jeep, checked things over, and off we went… up, up, up! Telluride sits at 8,750. By noon we would be standing at over 13,144! Only 4,394 to go! And go we did!
From the photos, you can see that we linked up with another set of travelers. Turns out they were fellow Pennsylvanians from Pittsburgh. Our newest friends, Jason and his father Lynn, were out running the Loop, as in the Alpine Loop. The Loop is a series of mountain passes that connect Ouray, Silverton, and Lake City. We were only running one of the routes, but these guys had been at it for days! What was more impressive, at least to me as a Land Rover aficionado, is they were roll’n in a new Defender 110!
The Land Rover Defender is a vehicle that holds a special place in my heart. And while I have owned many Land Rovers over the years, a Defender still hasn’t made its way into the garage… it may be time to order one after seeing how well it performed! This is the vehicle that made me fall in love with the whole idea of Overlanding and exploring roads less traveled.
To call the Imogene Pass a “road” might be a bit of an overstatement. As a Jeep trail, I would not call it overly challenging, but it certainly is not for the faint of heart. Classic Jeep trails like the Rubicon are highly technical and typically require heavily modified vehicles to navigate. What makes Imogene a challenge are the sheer drop-offs, tight turns, and two-way traffic. Plus, it takes tremendous discipline to keep your eyes on the road and not the views!
The conditions were perfect the day we drove over the pass. It rained the previous day, but the trail conditions and visibility were excellent.
Throughout the trail, there are wide and flat places where you can stop, let other travelers from the Ouray side come down, or just take in the views. There are abandoned mining operations along the route, including old equipment to dwellings. It is really a trip back in history.
As we stood on the edge of the old mining encampment, taking in the breathtaking vistas, we were greeted by a sortie of fighter jets running a series of dogfighting maneuvers in the canyon. It was a rather fantastic show.
Onward and upward! But first, we would let some fellow adventurers pass…
With these fine fellows past, it was time for the final push to the summit. As we approached the apex, we started to get into our first holds of winter. While the route was clear of snow, it was beginning to encroach on all sides. And while not a real concern in terms of forward progress, it made some of the tight switchbacks a bit more of an obstacle. Fun!
Shortly after noon, we finally reach the top and took in the views!
After reaching the summit, there was only one way to go, down! This is where the Jeep really shines. With the combination of low gears, a manual transmission, and a disciplined foot, the Jeep will roll down a mountain without much need for braking… just let her roll on. This is a great feature, as a brake failure coming down from 13,144 feet is not something I need to experience. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.
Of course, along the way, we had to stop for a few more photo ops… and to visit with some fellow travelers. We had a friendly interaction with the folks from Prodigal Overland, swapped some stories, swapped some patches, and wished each other well.
With some final “money shots” in the camera banks, it was time to finish what we came to accomplish. So down we went.
We ventured down off the mountain and entered the town of Ouray, Colorado. This old mining town reinvented itself as a kickoff destination for adventure travelers and is definitely worth considering if you find yourself in SW Colorado.
We joined Jason, Lynn, and River (the dog) for lunch and parted friends. I have a feeling this is not the last adventure I will be having with Jason, as we have already started plotting an excursion to the upper reaches of Alaska (date TBD)!
Happy travels…
Brandywine Overland 