Colorado Overlanding - Ouray, Telluride, Silverton - July 2022

#bronco #overlanding #davidgray
View and purchase my photos at: davidcgray.smugmug.com/
Colorado was the destination for the 6th trip of the 2022 season, and specifically the Ouray, Telluride, Silverton area in southwest Colorado. There was no backpacking on this trip - overlanding/offroading was the adventure this time. I joined up with Jeremy (KZbin channel @All Things Out Doors) and his amazingly capable Ford Bronco to do a bunch of the best offroad 'trails' in the area - Corkscrew Gulch, Mineral Creek, Poughkeepsie Gulch, Imogene Pass, Black Bear Pass, and Engineer Pass.
This video turned out to be a collaboration with Jeremy, and I want to thank him for allowing me to use many of the video clips he created with his GoPros. It's not easy to capture video while overlanding, especially when you're driving, and this video wouldn't have been complete without Jeremy's video. Jeremy has created a two-part video of our trip - please check it out at @All Things Out Doors.
The trip ended up being 5-days/4-nights, and we spent about 30 hours in the Bronco on the offroad trails in the Ouray area. Even though the physical exertion isn't nearly as extreme as a backpacking trip in the mountains, it is surprisingly exhausting. We were both pretty spent by the time we found our way back to camp each night.
There are many enjoyable aspects to overlanding but one of the things I realized on this trip was the amount of incredible Colorado backcountry you can explore. The scenery we stumbled upon was breathtaking, and we ended up summitting four different mountain passes (five if you count the two trips over Hurrican Pass) - it would have been impossible to cover all that ground on foot in the five days we had.
The one downside to the trip was the weather - it was awful! It rained a good chunk of every single day. Fortunately, the mornings were generally decent, and we got an early start each day. The rainy weather didn't prevent us from doing any of the trails that we had planned to do. The weather 'misery meter' peaked at the end of the trip during our planned stay at Alta Lakes - we ended up bailing to a hotel in Silverton that night.
For those who have watched my other videos this one is done in the same style - an hour in length, intended to bring the audience along for the 'ride', and with a still picture slide show with music at the end. If you just have a few minutes skip to the end and enjoy the pictures.
Equipment / Gear List:
Still and Video Camera: Nikon Z6 amzn.to/3Q3Gsco
Lens: Nikkor 20mm f1.8 Z-mount lens amzn.to/3znpOP7
Lens: Nikkor 24mm f1.8 Z-mount lens amzn.to/2QZqNOo
Tripod: Sirui T-025X carbon fiber tripod amzn.to/3bH3Rvg
Camera shoulder clip: Peak Designs Capture clip system amzn.to/2wRdusp
Video Editing Software: Vegas Pro 16 amzn.to/2X5dKyu
Pack: Zpacks Arc Blast 55L
Tent: Zpacks Triplex
Sleeping Bag: Zpacks 20degF Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X-Therm amzn.to/2yjrUlj
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite amzn.to/39zju6v
Pillow: Exped Air Pillow UL amzn.to/2WYE5hZ
Stove: JetBoil Flash amzn.to/3azKRi7
Stove: MSR PocketRocket 2 amzn.to/3dPtOL5
Pot: MSR Titan titanium 0.9L kettle amzn.to/3bF1RDB
Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot amzn.to/2R0JvoW
Buff: Merino wool Buff amzn.to/3dCYHSC
Recharging Battery: Anker 3500mAH ‘lipstick’ charger amzn.to/2URI7G3
Camp Chair: Helonix Chair Zero amzn.to/2xzbwgh
Camp Shoes: Xero Shoes Z-Trek amzn.to/3bA3X7I
Wet Wipes: Survivorware Wet Wipes amzn.to/2JwbQ2e

[@All_Things_Out_Doors]

Man David, what a great video! So awesome to relive probably my best trip of all time. The weather was definitely not the best, but in a way I wouldn't have changed a thing. I really appreciate the stories of your family's history in that area. Some of the similarities are simply remarkable. Once again thank you so much for joining me on this adventure.....and trusting me enough to ride along on some of the more sketchy roads.

[@davidgrayin]

You're welcome, Jeremy and thank you! That was a special trip for sure, in so many ways. The funny thing is I think I got more wigged out watching the video of the sketchy parts than I did when we were actually driving them. I think you get so focused on what you're doing that you miss the 'big picture' of how crazy the terrain is that you're doing it in. And the capabilities of your Bronco certainly help with the confidence factor - that thing is a beast. It was fun to be able to be a part of 'testing' just how far you could push it. And, oh boy, I'll never get tired of looking at all that spectacular Colorado backcountry scenery. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

[@advanturecantstop901]

yeah with to much talk..

[@jimmyrhodes1808]

The picts at the end is what made your video !!!

[@pinkertonj1]

I have watched a lot of videos about over landing in Colorado but this is by far probably the one I enjoyed the most. Thanks guys

[@lindagrant3232]

Wow, that is a trip I will NEVER be able to do in person - it was even hard to watch in places! So thanks for the opportunity to see that beautiful part of the world.

[@RandyMoore-rn1zv]

To repeat what was posted just below, there are many very good videos about trailriding in the San Juans, but yours was definitely the most enjoyable to watch. Felt as though I was right there (except I was warm and dry!). Great job, and thank you.

[@chrismcelroy5193]

Wow!! Probably one of the best Bronco videos I’ve seen and I’ve watched tons. Hopefully will have mine in a year. Great driving and filming.

[@sarahsolomon1949]

It’s amazing what a Bronco can do! Wow! ❤

[@ethancalk8809]

David! What a great trip! I love this area! I used to go backpacking off the narrow gauge railroad between Durango and Silverton, and I've even done half the Alpine Loop with a couple friends back in the 70's in a '72 Bronco! Now that I'm older, overlanding in my Land Rover or my son's Jeep is pretty much all I do now, but you can still see the most beautiful countryside! I enjoy all of your videos, but this one was really close to my heart! Thank you!

[@teddysmith457]

Thank you so much again for sharing David Gray. My favorite thing about your channel is the end of your channel when you show all that magnificent photography you do. I have to say you are a magnificent photographer thanks again so much

[@vernonrodeffer2219]

Wow!! What an exciting video. Those roads would make your heart rate go up. You and Jeremy make a great team.

[@davidgrayin]

Thank you, Mr. Rodeffer, and thank you for letting me 'borrow' your son for this one. Yes, I really enjoy my backcountry time with Jeremy, and he takes very good care of me. He is very careful and thoughtful on those crazy roads which helps my 'comfort level' immensely, but even so there were some spots where the heart rate probably spiked a bit! Fun stuff. Thank you for watching, and commenting.

[@rockytopwrangler2069]

... What an AWESOME outing ... You certainly captured what an overlanding 4X4 adventure was all about ... and as always a video production to top all others .... Beautiful trails and towns ...

[@nancycronin601]

Very fun and interesting to watch but would not do it for a million dollars. Made me so nervous to watch you but since I know you made it I guess that made me finish it. Thanks for sharing. As always love the photography at the end. Thanks.

[@johnbarns548]

What a extreme adventure. Memories for a lifetime. Appreciate the photo review at the end

[@kyleshutic9279]

3:56 When you're looking for more ideas for visiting the San Juans and you see your rig (silver XJ) in someone's video from your last trip😂

[@mistyhightower2730]

Loved the tip with the Doritos LOL... great video!

[@RunningOtaku]

An epic adventure. Thanks for sharing!

[@billwaterhouse5894]

Outstanding guys, thanks for sharing

[@nato2959]

Magnificent... Thank you!

[@WeaponsMachinist]

Great adventure in the Bronco!

[@pederhorner]

So great to meet you guys up there coming down from Engineer! Love the footage, I was definitely sucking some air!

[@jkuefner4573]

Looks like a blast!

[@zebuluncharnesky3285]

What a great video, thanks for filming and sharing!

[@cormacsage7126]

Awesome unique place for music stage

[@DrJohn493]

Enjoyed seeing this Colorado overlanding trip. Did some of these backcountry 4WD trails in the early 2000s. But never Black Bear Pass! Liked the drone work. Thanks for some great memories and all the great scenery.

[@sherripendarvis4537]

I went to all those beautiful places July of 2021. It was a wonderful adventure riding throughout the forest and mountains. AWESOME!

[@Alexmqouthere]

Awesome video 👍👏thank you for it.. stoning!

[@darlawebber2524]

Thank you for sharing. My husband and I just started offroading with rzrs. I love the fun treks books and maps. We have been Taylor park twice , but not yet to ouray area. It's on my list!

[@NewTasty]

Amazing overlanding.

[@gui-texzan7477]

Great video David. Thanks for taking us with you.✌️

[@GIRLplusDOGAdventures]

Loved this trip! Was interesting to have watched Jeremy’s video first then yours for a completely different perspective!

[@nelsonminingandabandonedplaces]

What an amazing video David. The way you captured the adventure is awesome..

[@chriscleveland9203]

Fun video! Black Bear pass is iconic

[@DavesCampingAdventures]

that was a wild ride!

[@JoseGarcia-tr9mp]

One of the best overlanding video's I've seen man. Way to live life, way to have fun 🤙

[@andrewdubick4138]

Great to see my old stomping ground !!

[@candacemeifert-polk7383]

Oh my , what an amazing vehicle ! I truly would love one of those! Reminds me of a hiking trip I took to Holy Cross Wildnerness back in 2001,where we ran into a group of overlander guys from Iowa in Toyota small trucks. Myself, and 4 of my hiking friends had to push them out of they rocks they were hung up on. I think this Bronco vehicle needs no help! Really beautiful uo there near Silverton and Ouray. Don’t look down whole driving😱

[@MADHippiesLife]

Another great adventure, David. We've been in those areas during our CT thru hike, but never had the pleasure of letting a vehicle do all the work, that sounds so amazing, especially knowing full well how difficult it is to hike in the mountains. We're sure our little Subaru couldn't handle it, thank you for sharing! Lake City is a great, quirky little town 😎

[@FOLLOWINGWALKERSWORLD]

David, that was an awesome video. Definitely got me a bit dizzy on a couple shots & made my you know pucker a bit. How fun that must have been. 👍👍👍

[@travelthenarrowtrail8660]

This came out really outstanding. Glad you jumped in a bought a drone. It's really taking your video up another echelon. This looked like so much fun. Glad you got that experience.

[@charleneray3770]

Wonderful video David!

[@tarheelgarden]

great trip and video David!

[@OneEyeHikes]

Cool trip! I was actually in the area finishing my thru-hike of the Colorado Trail which concluded on 8/1 in Durango

[@thesuperioraffection4502]

Nice. How long did it take you?

[@OneEyeHikes]

32 days

[@oldguyinthewoods]

Great trip. I wish the Hoosier National Forest was that beautiful! Cheers.

[@erinlovebunnies7094]

55:00 for myself later lol. Me too, I’d be suckin air 😂😂😂

[@MountainMan677]

Really enjoyed your video! I just came back from the San Juan's and took a few of the same trails and it like in July rained almost everyday. Never seen it rain so much but glad they are getting it

[@BrianWest58]

I need a videographer to travel with me! Well done David Loved the still frames and photos at the end too. Oh, and it took 3 days for me to watch all of this. lol

[@shcmoly]

Grand Junction is my home, welcome to my neck of the woods!

[@NorthbyNorthwestAdventures]

I'll never forget the amount of time in geology classes in college we spent there. I miss Red mountain pass and Ouray a ton. Glad you all had a great time. I went to college in Grand Junction for geology and had the absolute privilege to go everywhere between Gunnison, Ouray, Moab east to the Tunnel. We always tried to hold our breaths through the tunnel. I was only able to do it once. I just recently drove through Indiana and it to me was beautiful. It's strange how we Don't see the beauty in our backyard necessarily but we see the beauty everywhere else.

[@victorbellavia2751]

I went to Mesa State College. What year did you graduate?

[@NorthbyNorthwestAdventures]

@@victorbellavia2751 I went from 2004 to 2007 I didn't officially graduate I had one class in my major to take and three electives. I found a job in the field and decided to pursue that rather than continue on going to school big mistake but I'm not even in the field anymore.

[@pigfender]

Great video, David! We were on the edge of our seats watching it! :) How is Bob? Haven’t seen him for a while! Any plans to hike with him soon?

[@Jeepingshort]

Great video. Tell your friend to do some research on the wall so he can pick the easy line! Also tell him to get rid of those terrible good year tires and to air down to 10 PSI!

[@therusticcollectionebaysto7028]

New sub ! Liked 🐸😊✌️

[@BenMcmillen]

Glad you like the coffee!

[@davidgrayin]

Hey Ben! Yeah, Jeremy has made a believer out of me for your coffee. I'm not sure what 'flavor' we had on this trip but it was outstanding. Probably doesn't hurt brewing it in an old-fashioned percolator and drinking it in woods and scenery like that either. Check out Hilltop Packs Coffee at hilltoppackscoffee.com, and they have some awesome gear too at hilltoppacks.com - great people.

[@BenMcmillen]

@@davidgrayin appreciate the kind words!

[@warnerknobe7911]

David, I love all your videos and this one is special as I drove many of those Jeep roads years ago while living in Colorado. Now at age 80 and retired in PA we plan a road trip back to the same area in a few weeks to catch some fall color. By the way Ouray is pronounced “youray” Keep up the great work and stay safe!

[@davidgrayin]

Thank you, Warner. Wow, I'll bet that whole area is spectacular in the fall. I've always wanted to do a trip there when the leaves are peaking with fall colors but have just never pulled the trigger (yet). After struggling with the pronunciation of Ouray we did finally ask a local on one of the trips through there (we ended up going through three times) and they also said it was 'you-ray'. Towards the end of the video I think I had it down!

[@toddwood5190]

Awesome video David. I have been following you since I discovered your first Glacier NP video. Did I hear you say that you were at your son’s house? Too bad he doesn’t travel with you any longer. I’m glad that you were able to enjoy time with him while he was young.

[@BS2Dos]

👍👍

[@rickloging5709]

Great video, thanks for sharing. Could you share some tips on South Mineral Campground? Did you need reservations for your site? The scenery there (and all through CO) was awesome. Thanks again and safe travels.

[@davidgrayin]

South Mineral Campground is awesome. It sits about 8 miles down a dirt road to the west of US550 south of Red Mountain Pass. The turn on the road to the campground is just after you get to the bottom of the descent from the Pass and about two miles north of Silverton. It is a fairly prominent road and there is a sign marking the turn, but it's still relatively easy to miss if you haven't been there before. There are no advance reservations for the campground - all sites are first come, first serve - which is both a blessing and a curse. From my experience the campground is full pretty much every night but if you time it right you can find a site pretty much any night. When we found our site we arrived about 10:30-11:00AM on a Sunday and about half the sites were available. They started filling up right after we got there and I think the campground was full by night time (maybe a couple sites available). The nice thing is that if you're staying multiple nights you can watch for the 'primo' spots emptying up in real time and move to a different/better site if you're so inclined. There are also a couple other more primitive campgrounds on the drive in as a backup plan, and I think you can still camp anywhere along the dirt road in (dispersed camping), so there are multiple options even if South Mineral is full when you get there.

[@rickloging5709]

@@davidgrayin Thanks so much for the detailed reply. We live in SC and camp all the time in the Smokies but have not made it out to CO yet - it’s on our list for 2023. With campsites filling up so quickly these days, your info will be super helpful with our travel plans. Thanks!!

[@srameypr]

That was pretty epic! I will never have the guts to do those trails. I've done Last Dollar and that was rough enough for me! Your drone footage and photos were spectacular! I know the weather may have been bad, but it brought drama and more depth to some of your shots. I don't know if you've ever heard of the original Black Bear Road sign (referenced in C.W. McCall's song, "Black Bear Road") that said "You don't have to be crazy to drive this road, but it helps." The sign was stolen so many times that they stopped replacing it.

[@davidgrayin]

Thank you! That's a great story about the C.W. McCall song and the sign. I'll have to check that out.

[@Hefmier]

Bill Fries (AKA CW McCall) was once Mayor of Ouray, one of the nearby towns.

[@srameypr]

@@Hefmier Wow, I didn't know that.

[@Hefmier]

@@srameypr He was Mayor from 1986 to 1992. He died in April of this year.

[@srameypr]

@@Hefmier Aw, I'm sorry to hear that. I enjoyed his albums. I still have the ones my family purchased.

[@kevinseversonandhisvizslas8287]

Holy crap, there goes the oil pan

[@Oldsparkey]

Never used Doritos to start a fire but have used Frito's. They also make a great snack.

[@61DJ]

Omg the wall was hard to watch lol

[@MidwestAtvGroup]

Great video, I would like to get my family to go with me, but watching those close to edge roads not sure my wife will approve it. Is there any easy less intense trails? Never been there before and would like to learn few things before I head out there. Thank you.

[@chrisrozek6943]

Great video! What was the name of the trail book you used in the video?

[@MaryOKC]

I have a 2021 Ford explorer st - do you think I could do this trip in my explorer? And next time you go I’d love to join you. I’ll be up that way end of august/sept but no way can or will I do the Wall. I don’t have a wench. ☺️ I don’t think I have the clearance you have either. Never mind. LOL!!! 😂

[@troutman1951]

Awesome video! Wondering if you could reference the book of off-road trails in the area of Ouray you were mentioning? TIA

[@davidgrayin]

The book is "Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, 4th Edition" by Charles Wells. Available on Amazon (spiral-bound) for $31.46.

[@troutman1951]

@@davidgrayin thank you!

[@gopackgo69]

At 38 mins into the video they show a book with trail guides, what is that book?

[@bullet2monkey]

Great trip! We were there the week after you, and the weather was more or less the same. Absolutely beautiful there! What was the tarp you were using around the 48:00 mark?

[@All_Things_Out_Doors]

It's the UGQ 12' penny pincher... It's been a fantastic tarp to use for Hammok camping

[@PeterFLB]

Nice video, but why do we never see you light the fires huh? LOL

[@ScottX507]

That is like my dream trip. Where is that campsite by the river? Must find that!

[@davidgrayin]

The campsite is South Mineral. It is located to the west of US550, south of Red Mountain Pass, and the turnoff to the road that takes you to it is about 3 miles north of Silverton off US550.

[@ScottX507]

@@davidgrayin Thank you so much!!

[@owizzlebeezy123]

You really don't want to use a winch without something on the line, like a jacket or weight satchel or similar. If it snaps under high tension it could cut you in half or come sailing back thru the windshield. Couldn't tell but mentioning bc I didn't see anything used like that...

[@Koulnis]

How often were you guys using lockers on this ride, if at all?

[@davidgrayin]

We did use the lockers. I wouldn't say we did frequently, but when the situation warranted it. I think we used pretty much every assist 'gizmo' on the Bronco at one time or another. Amazing vehicle!

[@tomweaver7723]

Stop at a dispensary for some road smoke

[@christamathias233]

Colorado native here -'yuh•ray' is the proper pronunciation of Ouray.

[@JoshuaSeward]

About to take my rig on almost the same route! Fun to see you enjoying the "Overlanding" side of things. Any advice on things to or to not do? We leave Sept 2 from ohio Had to edit this comment after watching. You captured more than some "overlander" KZbinrs do. Sometimes they skip the hard parts or underreact. Fun to have watched your hiking vids then this. This is coming from a semi hiker and semi "overlander" 😁 The KZbin stats on this vid compared to hiking vids would be interesting. You may be the only cross over videos I have watched.

[@Auxbeam]

Hi Do you need some great lighting for your car to help you better driving, off-road? We're the pro auto lighting manufacturer for nearly 20 year and we're looking for sponsorship!

[@nealgraham7255]

It's prounanced uray.

[@captain8642]

Beware of the evil kalan area

[@kevinseversonandhisvizslas8287]

David don’t let your wife watch this

[@delvinmorales9458]

I really hope he has undercarriage armor. Those bangs the rocks are hard to listen to.

[@m.hughes2521]

If you're in a FORD, expect problems.

[@advanturecantstop901]

can you talk less, show more..that will be take more likes..because annoying

[@anniegray8140]

His videos are perfect the way they are! If you don’t like his videos or find them ‘annoying’, then don’t watch them! He talks a lot to explain all the details of the trip to everyone!

[@advanturecantstop901]

@@anniegray8140 did i trow a piece wood you are answering to my opinion?? keep with your self

[@susanhansen4453]

REALLY enjoyed watching. I have a 21 Bronco and these are on my list. Now higher on the list! ❤️🌲🏔

[@BS2Dos]

Think the locals pronounce it You-Ray, but I could be wrong being as I’m not a Colorado native. Heading down to the San Juan’s late Sept. to photograph the fall colors. Can’t wait.