An important message from the San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters: “It is your responsibility to know before venturing into the backcountry, whether hiking a trail, or driving on a pass, if the area is open and can be traveled safely. Black Bear Pass is dangerous, and you need experience and the right vehicle to navigate it safely. Some people have it together and know what they are doing, but some who venture up there are complete ass clowns.“
Koda and I have been looking forward to this trip for months. There are four major Colorado mountain passes that I haven’t done yet. The reason, I’ve always went too early in the year. So while I was able to do Engineer Pass and Ophir Pass, the elusive passes (Black Bear Pass, Poughkeepsie Gulch, Holy Cross, and Imogene Pass) have been on my todo list.
Here are links to some YouTube videos…PLEASE like and subscribe all of them!
I just finished packing the Jeep. The fridge is packed with fruits, snacks, juices, and water. I topped off my Scepter 2.5 gallon water can so I’m ready to cook and clean. It’s a six (or seven) day trip, so I have three freeze dried meals per day in my Dometic GO Hard Storage 50L box, along with all my cooking utensils, water kettle, collapsible sink, etc. My Camp Kitchen double drawer unit stores my cast iron pans, dog food, plates, cups, spices, etc. Since this trip is less than a week, I was able to put my bathroom stuff into the box as well.
I upgraded to a Wavian 5 gallon NATO fuel can and my 5 pound propane tank is topped off. Koda’s RuffLand intermediate kennel is strapped down using four FrontRunner Stratchit Shorties and a proper strap down kit (I was using long bungee cords before). My tent, sleeping bag, and pillow provide fill for all the gaps in the back.
I updated my Garmin Overlander, I charged my HAM/GMRS handhelds, my GoPro will get set up before I hit the first mountain pass. My plan is to attach it to the bull bar, with a long USBC cable running into the cab, connected to my 1000w pure sine wave inverter (so it’s constantly powered). With any luck, the GoPro settings will prevent it from sleeping. FWIW GoPro is an overrated toy that is a terrible camera for wheeling/overlanding (will be replacing it soon).
The dealer topped off all my fluids, and gave the Jeep a clean bill of health. I haven’t installed an oil pan and transmission pan skid plate yet. I might regret that. 🙂
Ok, Koda and I are going to sleep. Tomorrow’s drive will be a little under 500 miles.
Overlander at large 