Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre Exploration, August 2019, Day 2

[@TroutWest]

I was in Grand Mesa a few years back exploring it for future trips, it's a very awesome place to visit... very remote. Those mosquitoes are as bad as you said they are. I didn't see any bears up there, we'll keep an eye out next time!

[@DxDOverland]

The ranger at the visitor center rather downplayed the issue. "It was campers who on the first night didn't put their food away, and figured on the second night that since nothing happened, why bother to put the food away?"

[@craigjohnson2771]

As always. 👍👍👍👍,thanks for the ride.

[@DxDOverland]

You're welcome!

[@Rust2Roks]

looked like beautiful evenings out there

[@DxDOverland]

We had great weather.

[@DannyFyffe]

I liked the chat at the fire best and the outtake at the end.

[@DxDOverland]

I do enjoy those fireside chats. Stay tuned, Travis and I already plan to make most of that evening's chat a separate video. He's a national park ranger, so during that campfire shared a lot of interesting thoughts on public lands. Nothing political, just about the challenges of our public lands program.

[@DannyFyffe]

@@DxDOverland Will definitely look forward to it. You will have to come back and let me show you around the Ouray/Silverton area someday.

[@DxDOverland]

Just passed through last year running TAT. Did Ophir Pass. So busy! Not like a decade ago when Ray and I did Engineer Pass, Imogene, etc. Beautiful. Maybe you know the "secret" places, LOL.

[@keithblackburn7516]

I very much enjoyed the opening moon shot and the detail. I too have forgotten to restart my mapping (Gaia) in the morning after camp. Thanks Mark!

[@DxDOverland]

If you've noticed, when I show Backcountry Navigator, there's a magenta line. That's the route plan Travis put together. The blue line is our current route. I should have noticed no new blue line on the app earlier than when we were descending the switchbacks. However, using Travis' original plan, I was able to create the Google Earth route plots you see at the end of the stills slideshow. That was accurate and complete.

[@davidkihn770]

Thanks Mark, it is obvious that you are a real Pro at producing these videos. Your past must help you. They are great.

[@DxDOverland]

Thank you for the kind comment.

[@alfonsorullan2834]

Welcome back. Your videos are very inspiring. Got a Jeep and cannot wait to do mods so I can take it to play.

[@DxDOverland]

Of course, don't let a lack of mods slow you down. Jeeps come from the factory ready to go play. ;-)

[@dmwil1]

Great stuff, Mark!

[@DxDOverland]

Thanks!

[@m3chgeek470]

Another great video Mark! So just the view from Lands End alone is enough to get me to go that's amazing! So I have to ask can you recall the County Road that runs along that backbone 6.30 in your video?

[@DxDOverland]

That view was pretty amazing. The road at 6:30 (and much of the trip) is Divide Road. And that neck is about four miles after crossing into the national forest. Another place like that, but one with a campsite, is in The Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. It is called The Neck, and I highly recommend for camping. It is actually one of the few easy places to reach in that district of the park. It is also at 6:30 (LOL) in the Utah Obscura, May 2015, Part 2 video.

[@m3chgeek470]

Yeah I'm going to try to add that into my routings when I get closer to making a trip up and over the Grand Mesa don't know when it's going to happen but I know it will happen lol!! Yeah another one of your great series that's where your tent almost blew away from the strong winds

[@allenm8182]

Hi Mark. Watching your videos continues to add to my list of places I would like to visit. I was wondering if you use a refrigerator , are you also using a dual battery setup? Contemplating kicking ice to the curb but I am holding out because I may be overthinking the power requirements. Thanks.

[@DxDOverland]

I do use a fridge and dual-batteries. But I have friends who have good results with single battery.

[@NigelNaughton]

I recently (this year) kicked ice to the curb and couldn't be happier!! I use a Dometic CFX50 in a 1997 Land Cruiser 80 with only the stock battery. Using the battery only isn't a good idea so what I've done is paired it to a Jackery 240 with the Jackery Solarsaga 60 watt folding solar panel. The key is to run the fridge off the Jackery 240, charging it from the 12 volt car outlet while driving and if you have sun when parked charge it with the solar. The 240 will easily keep the fridge going all night. The best part of doing this instead of a costly dual battery system (they are expensive if you are doing it right) is that it's mobile. Want to take the fridge out? You can do it with the Jackery. They have a 500 (watt hour) too. I am in no way affiliated with them but this system I have has worked out so great I thought I would share. No more trying to find ice, no more soggy food, no more wasted $$ trying to get a top of the line cooler and no more wasted space. Good luck. ;-)

[@steveegbert7429]

Have you thought about doing the Morrison Jeep Trail up on the Wyoming - Montana border? Serious switchbacks. I'm a little shy about trying that one in my gen 5 4Runner.

[@DxDOverland]

Not yet. However, Ray, who you may recall from many of my previous trips, has moved to MT and is on the hunt for trails. So, don't be surprised if you see some future adventure set there.

[@mikehoffman3690]

Those who explore, find.

[@DxDOverland]

Indeed.