On Tuesday I took my LR4 with 19" Cooper Zeon LTZs over both the Cinnamon and Engineer passes, otherwise known as the Alpine Loop, in between Lake City and Silverton/Ouray, Colorado. The east side of both passes is fairly easy, but the west side is a little more rocky and steep, with Engineer being the more difficult of the two. I did the route east-to-west on Cinnamon, then back west-to-east on Engineer, meaning I was going uphill on the toughest part of Engineer. It was raining, to boot.
The Coopers performed great. I did not air them down at all, though, as I think airing down a tire like this is just asking for sidewall trouble. On some of the faster portions of the roads, there are still fist-sized rocks imbedded in the dirt. Having tires that you could air down would make traveling over these a lot smoother. You've also got to be smart where you place your tires and stay (if at all possible) from rocks that jag out sideways.
Yesterday I drove to the edge of Scholfield Pass, in between Crested Butte and Marble, Colorado. I had no intention of going down this trail, however, as it would require a bit more modification to my vehicle. I also do not believe I'd trust the thin sidewalls of the Zeons on what is regarded as one of the more dangerous trails in Colorado (look up videos of the Devil's Punchbowl, and keep in mind the maxim that video never makes things look as extreme as they are in real life).
Today we are in Snowmass. I may look for some more tails to hit around here. Suffice to say, if you keep it easy-to-moderate and know what you are doing, 19" tires are doable. But you also have to recognize some risks. Having a flat on a steep rocky segment of a trail would be a major bummer.
If I keep my LR4 long-term, 18" wheels are probably in my future.
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