The LR4 is the bees knees

[GoLoaf]

Just got back from a short weekend in the San Juan Mountains (Colo.) and wanted to share with you guys my thoughts on how awesome this vehicle is. It's amazing how this truck can do so many things so well. Here are some highlights:

- Drove from Denver to Gunnison and on to Lake City. Plenty of mountain passes, and passing on two lane highways. The LR4 is a monster on the highway.

- Took the southern section of the Alpine Loop to American Basin. Mostly flat dirt roads, and the LR4 eats those up.

- Used the truck as my base camp. I ran up Redcloud Peak on Sunday, and then hiked Handies Peak on Monday. Slept in the truck, and it worked out great. Cracking the sunroof kept the interior from turning into a sauna, and the mesh shade kept the bugs out. I'm not the tallest guy, so I was able to sleep fully stretched out on just one side of vehicle. A sleeping pad and sleeping bag is all I needed.

- Completed the Alpine Loop on Monday with traverses of both Cinammon and Engineer passes. Lots of steep blind switchbacks, and the LR4 climbed them with no problems at all. I think I was getting a lot of looks from all the Jeeps, as if they were shocked to see a newer (2012) Land Rover out on the trail.

- After tackling the passes on the Alpine Loop, I still had long stretches of dirt road in front of me to get back to Lake City. I put on my rally car hat and crushed that drive. Probably drove too fast, but that was the fun part.

- Highways back to Denver.

What a great truck. I'll post some pictures of the '4 on top of the passes a little later.

 

[AxelR]

Sounds like a lot of fun.
I do agree the LR4 is great at everything!!!

 

[danrhiggins]

Awesome! Looking forward to the pics. (Or maybe a Youtube video?)

Seriously, we are headed there in 3 weeks! I won't be camping as I'll have my wife and father along. But we plan to do the Alpine Loop - though we'll need to do it in a day so I may need to do some of that rally-style driving. We're staying in Ouray so that should help.

How were the shelf roads on Engineer Pass and Cinnamon Pass? That is my one concern as I have a fear of heights. (Maybe I should let my wife drive those.)

As for sleeping in the truck, I'm 5'8 and I could stretch out. (See pic) It was also nice that I could sit up, kneel, move around. I would even start out with the rear seat (the one on the side where I was going to sleep) set up so I could sit an read for a while. Once it was time to turn in for good I would fold it back down, lay out that pad and sleeping back turn out the lights (LED lanterns, not the vehicle lights.)

BTW, I also picked up a couple of mosquito netting sleeves for the rear door windows in case the moon roof wasn't enough to keep things cool.

 

[mbw]

Engineer Pass looks both fun and absolutely terrifying. I don't particularly have a fear of heights, but some of those mountain side trails ... eeek.

 

[danrhiggins]

Engineer Pass looks both fun and absolutely terrifying. I don't particularly have a fear of heights, but some of those mountain side trails ... eeek.

I watched a couple of GoPro/YouTube videos by people doing these passes in Jeeps. It didn't look to bad until you had to let someone get by you who was coming the other way - and you were on the outside - the side where you could fall off the cliff. You really want to be good with placing your outside wheels.

We may pass on Engineer's Pass going into Ouray. I've heard that is nasty on that side. We'll go in and out of Silverton.

 

[umbertob]

Of all the passes I ran up there, the one with the highest pucker factor - but most spectacular as well - was definitely Black Bear. Man, I can still remember some of those switchbacks, downright intimidating.

 

[danrhiggins]

Of all the passes I ran up there, the one with the highest pucker factor - but most spectacular as well - was definitely Black Bear. Man, I can still remember some of those switchbacks, downright intimidating.

You are the man! From what I've seen of Black Bear it is insane. Switchbacks down the side of a cliff. It would intimidate me just to walk it!

If I do anything on that side it will be Imogene.

BTW, the National Rally is supposedly going to be there next year.

 

[GoLoaf]

The shelf roads didn't bother me too much, but that's because I was driving and I tend to be very focused on the path in front of me, and not the drop offs on either side.

In terms of the loop, it's very doable in a day. It took me about three hours to do the north segment and the harder parts of the south segment. The easier parts of the south segment wouldn't take more than an hour.

Here are some pics:

American Basin

Cinnamon Pass

Toward the top of Engineers

Engineers

 

[GoLoaf]

Mama bear and cub across the valley

Zoom on mom and cub

 

[Finlayforprez]

Hey GoLoaf... Thanks for the great write up and wow, those pictures are amazing. I have never been there and would love to do that run. It's on my list once I get some time.

Although, like Dan, I am pretty afraid of heights, though being on a mountain or high road doesn't bother me. Buildings and bridges freak me out.