All-4-Fun - 2013 Leadville, Colorado

[John Canfield]

We left our campground south of Montrose this morning and headed to the All-4-Fun site south of Leadville Colorado; we're at 9,500' of elevation here . The summer monsoons have started and we got to drive all 38,000 pounds of coach, Jeep and trailer for a couple of hundred miles in and out of rain and up and over Monarch Pass again.

We got checked in at the A4F and noticed the dirt roads into the camping area were muddy since it rained all of last night here but fortunately we had good traction and had no issues getting the coach/trailer parked and set up (except that everything is very dirty/nasty now.)

Quadratec is sponsoring the supper tonight, so it's a cook's night out - Jane is a happy camper.

Trail signup (and the catered dinner) begins at 6PM and it's always a bit of a fight to get to the signup sheets . I want to run the 7-9 rated Holy Cross trail so that will be my first choice for tomorrow. If I can't get into that group I'll try for Chinaman's Gulch - we ran that a couple of years ago and had a total blast.

 

[zmotorsports]

Sounds like fun other than the mud.  I hate mud.

Mike.

 

[John Canfield]

Yeah - roger on hating the mud.  Holy Cross filled up quickly (one guy ahead of me got the last spot) so we're doing Chinaman's Gulch tomorrow.

The BBQ tonight was really good 

 

[max49]

Yeah - roger on hating the mud.  Holy Cross filled up quickly (one guy ahead of me got the last spot) so we're doing Chinaman's Gulch tomorrow.

That's why I have no desire to run a trail with a large group or a club.  Besides , the larger the group, the longer it takes. I guess there is safety in numbers, but Holy Cross is a public trail, any one can choose to do it at any time.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

John,

Glad to see you made it. Unfortunately, life got in the way for us. We're currently in Minneapolis addressing some health issues.  Hopefully, we'll see you at Moab/FMCA in the spring, if not before.

Have a great time and keep the round black things on the rocks,

Ernie

 

[John Canfield]

Thanks Ernie - hope things work out okay for you.  We're signed up for St. George this October and Moab again in May - hope to see you guys again.

We got signed up for the hard Holy Cross for tomorrow - whoo-hoo!

 

[zmotorsports]

John, what is going on in St. George and when in October?  We generally head to Moab around the third weekend of October but if there is something going on in St. George at that time we may have food for thought.

Mike.

 

[John Canfield]

Mike - it's the FMCA 4-Wheelers St. George rally:

St. George, UT Rally
October 27, 2013, thru Nov 2, 2013 at Temple View RV Resort

You need to be an FMCA member and join the 4-Wheelers, or you can pay the rally fee and be my guest.  We'll get there a week ahead of time to pre-run trails.  We've never wheeled there before and are looking forward to the experience.

 

[zmotorsports]

Great, thanks for the info John.

Mike.

 

[John Canfield]

We just got back about an hour ago (6 PM local) from running Holy Cross trail up to Cleveland rock.  I looked the Cleveland Rock obstacle over and decided there was no way I could make it up unassisted - I could have winched up but I had more fun watching others.  Of the five rigs I watched, only one buggy made it over with no winching but it took a bunch of repositioning at the second ledge/step on the right side.

On the entire rest of Holy Cross I had zero issues and easily crawled everything including Frenchman's Creek - the rig's suspension is working fantastically well    (and the driver's getting a little better each year.)

 

[zmotorsports]

Sounds like a great time John.  Now how about some pictures. ;D

On edit, I see where you posted the pictures now.

Thanks.

Mike.

 

[max49]

Yeah - roger on hating the mud.  Holy Cross filled up quickly (one guy ahead of me got the last spot) so we're doing Chinaman's

Hi John, we were up at the Fournile area last weekend. We did Hancock and Tomichi and "Old Monarch"  Passes and one long trail that goes from Ruby Mtn. to the north s uhh de of Buena Vista. I did not do Chinamans Gulch loop. I know you saud you did Chinamans' before, and I know you like hard trails, did you do Carnage Canyon?  I love off roading but I have little desire to use my winch unless I I need it in an emergency.  I haven't been to the Clevekand Rocks but Carnage Canyon looks like a winch testing ground to me. Not really a fun scenic trail.

Quadratec is sponsoring the supper tonight, so it's a cook's night out - Jane is a happy camper.

Trail signup (and the catered dinner) begins at 6PM and it's always a bit of a fight to get to the signup sheets . I want to run the 7-9 rated Holy Cross trail so that will be my first choice for tomorrow. If I can't get into that group I'll try for Chinaman's Gulch - we ran that a couple of years ago and had a total blast.
[/quote]

That's why I have no desire to run a trail with a large group or a club.  Besides , the larger the group, the longer it takes. I guess there is safety in numbers, but Holy Cross is a public trail, any one can choose to do it at any time.

That's why I have no desire to run a trail with a large group or a club.  Besides , the larger the group, the longer it takes. I guess there is safety in numbers, but Holy Cross is a public trail, any one can choose to do it at any time.

 

[John Canfield]

.. Chinamans' before, and I know you like hard trails, did you do Carnage Canyon?  I love off roading but I have little desire to use my winch unless I I need it in an emergency.  I haven't been to the Clevekand Rocks but Carnage Canyon looks like a winch testing ground to me. Not really a fun scenic trail.

I would not classify Chinaman's Gulch as a hard trail for an experienced driver with >=33" tires and a rear locker - it's more of a medium trail, scenery is just so-so.  Carnage is not for me - I don't seek out damage opportunities.