jeep

Trying NH Oil on Ruby Jean this year. She’s just turned 7 years old and we gotta keep her working and looking her best! Time will tell…

So this is our FIFTH Jamboree?!?!?

Well, what better way to test Ruby Jean’s new upgrades than a series of intense rock gardens and the famous “Roller Coaster” (which was more like a slip-n-slide after a night of rain?

As always, we learned lots of new things, but it is the people that make these events so freakin’ wonderful!

I like to camp. A LOT.

Zorro and Fletcher like it too. (especially Fletcher) And wherever we camp, Ruby Jean is there. Which is why after 7 years, it was time to upgrade to a proper towing suspension that’s still at home off-road.

Enter the Teraflex 3″ Outback Overland Suspension…

I think camping time is coming soon…

Today, Ruby Jean took me up. Higher than we had ever climbed before. The California Pass reaches 12,960 feet. And there just isn’t much up there.
Just silence. And beauty. In all directions.

Oh, and an old, abandoned mining town called Animas Forks. Now, that’s my kinda town!

This morning I awoke to find that the fall color was moving in. And quickly.

Many of the local mountain trails connect Ouray, Teluride, and Silverton, so if you’re in the area and you’re Jeepin’ around, you’ll most certainly end up visiting Silverton. Silverton is a former silver mining camp, most or all of which is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District called the Silverton Historic District.

Here’s a nifty little video describing Silverton and the surrounding area:

Corkscrew Gulch was built in 1882-1883 — during the race to get wagon roads from Silverton and Ouray up to the silver mines that had been discovered on the Red Mountain Divide. For me and Ruby Jean, it’s a glorious journey to the top of the world — just in time for the fall color to arrive.

Taking a few days to acclimate to the altitude…

One of the effects of high altitude is light-headed dizziness. Driving on narrow, rugged roads that are barely clinging on to the side of a mountain at 11,000 feet isn’t advised. So today, Ruby Jean and I decided to take an easy (non-technical) drive up Brown Mountain.

Even so, the views were spectacular.

Along the way, I found dispersed campsites — even near the top. I stopped and asked someone about them and guess what? He lives in Centerville, Ohio!

So, sitting high up in the San Juan Mountains, we had a strange (but fun!) chat about Bill’s Donuts and Marion’s Pizza.

Small world.

Nestled high in the San Juan Mountains, Ouray was established in the mid-late 19th century by miners in search of sliver and gold. The town sits at about 7,800 feet, but the surrounding mountains frequently exceed 12,000 feet in elevation.

Due to its unique history, the entire length of Main Street is registered as a National Historic District. Here’s a great video summarizing why Ouray is a desirable destination in 2018.

Wait! Did you say that Ouray is the Jeeping Capital of the World?!? Well, Ruby Jean heard you and is ready to go…

Did you know? There’s some excellent tent camping just over the NY border…

156 jeeps arrived in Killington, Vermont with more than 350 drivers and riders ready to hit the trails. Alison took the wheel so I got to enjoy the ride and admire the views. The pictures say it all.

And as with every Jamboree, it’s the PEOPLE that make it AMAZING!