Colorado Fall Color Tours 2017!! - Event Date: 17 Sep. 2017 - 23 Sep. 2017

Question: how far is the hot springs resort/hotel from the staging area/jump off point for this trip?

Might look into bringing my 1947 2a, my wife and my girls to a 2018 event if this tradition continues.

Never been, but we are looking forward to going.
Question: Just show up or is there a registration process?

My email is jnich30440@aol.com

Willys Guy

Thanks Rick, I came back from that trip a more relaxed and better person.  No name reveals until I get the jeep... The name might depend on the color.

Now that I'm back from the Colorado Wildfire Academy I'll try to catch up on the questions.  BTW that was a great week training a crew from Job Corps how to set up a spike camp to support about a hundred fire fighters in a mountain meadow.  It was great being some place with no cell signal. 

Anyway, there is no registration fee for FCT.  In fact there is no registration.  It's totally free.  Well, not quite.  You still have to pay for fuel, food, drink, lodging, repair parts, and bets lost.  Lodging is free if you stay at the Thirsty Dirt Ranch.  Well, not quite.  You have to buy a tent or a camper.  You could just roll up in blankets on the ground, but it wouldn't be too comfortable.  We have cactus here.

We live about 5 miles from Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and Resort.  A beautiful and slightly pricey place to stay.  But soaking in the hot springs sure feels good.    Even if you don't stay there, you can go soak in the pools, or in one of the natural pools in Chalk Creek, for just a few bucks. We have a local's pass so we get in pretty cheap.  We go there all winter long.

We'll go check out Chris's lemonade stand and talk with him about the Fall Color Tour.  I like to get local folks involved in our event.   And if it's an early CJ-5 we might let him ride along. 

Brad, good luck with the new job, and be sure to get back here any time you can.  I'm sad I didn't get to know you better, but we've got years into the future to fix that. 

I'll go anywhere Ron goes. Count me in.

Well I can't go this year dangit but just wondering if, say, a 1/4 ton-sized trailer might make the tour, for future planning?

Ron is thinking of taking the group up American Flag Mountain, and another trip up to Taylor Lake, not Taylor Reservoir.  Depending on conditions and time, he may try to go over the pass to Aspen.  Very rugged pass.  I did it in the Blue Mule back in college.  His plan is to take Tuesday and Wednesday of our Fall Color Tour week to do this.  That means it'll be very chilly up in the mountains camping overnight. 

If there isn't much interest in doing an overnight trip, he may try just part of the journey as a LOOONG day trip.  The only two passes that will be open between the Arkansas River valley where I live, and Taylor Park, will be Hancock pass and Tincup pass.  Cottonwood pass is closed for this year and next year while they fix and pave the road on the Taylor Park side.  So any trip into Taylor Park will have to be over one of those two passes. 

I'm up for an overnighter.  Just did a two nighter on White Rim.  Not cold but windy, got dust all over poor Jeep Sara!  Would like to stay at Thirsty Dirt, too, if there is room.

Mike,  Your Arkansas Crew is planning on making it back to take a few trails not taken last year.  When do you expect to post the schedule of trail rides for the week? Thanks, Jim