Black Bear Pass

[TBammer]

Can you drive to the top of the pass and then turn around and return to Hwy 550 in a regular pick up truck. I've seen vids of the section from the Stairsteps into Telluride and I know my truck is not doing that, but I would like to see the view from the top.

[Busskipper]

Dave Pete wrote:
I think you'd be just fine. It's the same question we had, because we got to the starting point late in the day and were more concerned about "the unknown and discomfort" than anything else. We had the turn-around ace up our sleeve right up until we got to the latter switchbacks.

Here's the story (you might get a kick out of it).

Here are photos from just off Hwy 550 up to the pass. A bit narrow in places. Maybe a three point turn on that one switch back spoken of before. I don't recall any clearance concerns for the segment you're talking. Overall there's plenty of width.













This is just below that switchback.



You can see far enough to pull over in a wide spot if oncoming traffic.



This is just an adrenaline moment.







Plenty of room to turn around at the top. Beautiful scenery.



Not very far beyond the pass is this view, where you start to descend onto the Telluride side, WELL before the one way road and the VERY tight switchbacks above Telluride where the road's real reputation takes over.



And again, much later after the above view you come to this sign.



Read the story. It will provide a little more insight on this segment you want to do - if I remember correctly. Just think smart, and I'd suggest a bit of tire pressure air-down. Just make sure not to air-down to where your later pavement run suffers. But high pressure (mileage improving) tires will be like marbles on marbles with that loose rock road. Much better to let the rubber compress and form around the road rocks a little. Just don't want low tires back on the pavement so there's a balance to consider.

Those are the IMAGES of Colorado..............

Thanks for sharing,

[Dave_Pete]

I think you'd be just fine. It's the same question we had, because we got to the starting point late in the day and were more concerned about "the unknown and discomfort" than anything else. We had the turn-around ace up our sleeve right up until we got to the latter switchbacks.

Here's the story (you might get a kick out of it).

Here are photos from just off Hwy 550 up to the pass. A bit narrow in places. Maybe a three point turn on that one switch back spoken of before. I don't recall any clearance concerns for the segment you're talking. Overall there's plenty of width.













This is just below that switchback.



You can see far enough to pull over in a wide spot if oncoming traffic.



This is just an adrenaline moment.







Plenty of room to turn around at the top. Beautiful scenery.



Not very far beyond the pass is this view, where you start to descend onto the Telluride side, WELL before the one way road and the VERY tight switchbacks above Telluride where the road's real reputation takes over.



And again, much later after the above view you come to this sign.



Read the story. It will provide a little more insight on this segment you want to do - if I remember correctly. Just think smart, and I'd suggest a bit of tire pressure air-down. Just make sure not to air-down to where your later pavement run suffers. But high pressure (mileage improving) tires will be like marbles on marbles with that loose rock road. Much better to let the rubber compress and form around the road rocks a little. Just don't want low tires back on the pavement so there's a balance to consider.

[Busskipper]

4runnerguy wrote:
Just out of curiosity I did a search on Black Bear Pass and came up with this image :E :



Don't remember it being THAT narrow. 😉 :B

He's doing it in Reverse Right!

:B

[Tinyandthegang]

4runnerguy wrote:
Just out of curiosity I did a search on Black Bear Pass and came up with this image :E :



Don't remember it being THAT narrow. 😉 :B

Not even close to that narrow nor that rocky. Did it in a long bed Dodge pickup and had no problem.

[4runnerguy]

Just out of curiosity I did a search on Black Bear Pass and came up with this image :E :



Don't remember it being THAT narrow. 😉 :B

[clikrf8]

On another forum I frequent, the general consensus is to not travel Black Bear Pass in a full-sized truck. If you even try it in that vehicle, I heard of one person who did travel that road in a short box, dual cab truck with lots of off road experience. It would be best to trust the pros in the area and take a Jeep tour. Your knuckles won’t be cramped for the next few days and your passengers will have their fingernails.

[ASCTLC]

Other than one special event a year (don't know which one since I never went to it) that road is a one way road from the top down, so no, you can not drive to the top then back down.

The road is a 2 way only from the bottom to the waterfall which is before those switchbacks.

I've driven it a number of times with our 4 wheel drive club in the Wrangler we once had and also with our Cherokee. Even with these vehicles with highly modified suspensions, traction aids, and tight turning steering that trip down and through the switchbacks is no cake walk. Pictures never fully convey what it's really like once you're on some of these roads out here.

Even if one has many years of experience offroading, those switchbacks will test your nerves. Some of those corners are off camber and can lift a tire through the turn. You try to do a multipoint turn to get around a corner and while you're mashing the brake pedal to the floor, the vehicle can continue to slide through a steep, loose corner. There's a reason so many people die trying to come down that road.

Andy

[TBammer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byc-bzpxl2I Great video of the road.
About 20 minutes in there is a vehicle heading back from the top of the stairsteps. Whether I rent a ride from one of the locals or not, I am really wanting to go there.

[4runnerguy]

paulj wrote:
On the climb from 550 to the pass itself, there's one switchback where I'd turn around if I didn't have good ground clearance or traction.

This is a GM streetview of that spot:

https://goo.gl/maps/rCkr8c9ocVx

Yeah, just look at that picture. Not really anything very scenic to see up that road. Flowers, cliffs, waterfalls. Just the usual Colorado scenery. Hardly worth the hassle! 😉

[paulj]

On the climb from 550 to the pass itself, there's one switchback where I'd turn around if I didn't have good ground clearance or traction.

This is a GM streetview of that spot:

https://goo.gl/maps/rCkr8c9ocVx

Another view of that step from above:



After that set of switchbacks the road over Black Bear Pass to Ingram Basin looks open and relatively straight.

http://www.off-road.com/trails-events/trails/exploring-the-infamous-black-bear-trail-54560.html

From this description it sounds like backtracking from the pass would be going against traffic, which may be too heavy to do it politely.

[TBammer]

Busskipper wrote:

IdaD wrote:
Based on pictures it doesn't look too hairy aside from the dropoffs that don't really make it harder, just scarier. I dunno. If a full size Hummer can do it which many seem able based on pictures I don't see why a qualified driver in an adequate full size truck couldn't also (meaning some skills and good tires, obviously 4wd with low range - better yet with lockers and swaybars disconnected).

Years ago I had a mildly modded Xterra and there were a lot of guys with similar rigs from CO who ran it successfully. My current truck isn't as good offroad just from a size and weight standpoint, but it does have some advantages with bigger tires, more torque and solid axles on both ends compared to my old X.

Plain and simple - the guys behind you will push you off the road after you take 30 minutes to one switch back - some jeeps take 5+ minutes to make the turn. Tight - and Narrow - SEE HERE
If you decide to go in a regular Pick Up let us all know - so as to not be there waiting on YOU.

Ya, that's all the descent west of the summit. I am talking about going up to the pass and then heading back to 550, without heading further west to puckerland.

[4runnerguy]

I think one could drive to the top of the pass and back. There are two things to consider about a vehicle on a 4x4 road. What is the width? A 3/4 ton pickup is 6" - 8" wider than the normal SUV. Doesn't seem like much, but when passing a vehicle going the other way on a shelf road, it can get interesting.

As for ground clearance, it's not just how much spacing is under the axles. Vehicle length must also be considered. Don't know what your truck configuration is, but you can imagine that a crew cab with an 8' bed will hang up on a lot smaller obstacle than a short bed standard cab.

If you decide to do Ophir, the tricky part is on the west side of the pass. There aren't many good passing places for a mile or so near the summit. If travelling east to west, stop at the last switchback going down and look for traffic coming up. You can see the road coming up around the amphitheater or bowl. We've sat there and waited for 15 minutes or more waiting for the traffic to clear so we didn't have to try to pass someone.

I've done the whole thing in our 96 4Runner. Taller tires, rear locker, pretty good 4x4 capabilities. (We notice that when one gets to the really tough trails, one sees Jeeps and Toyotas.) We went over the pass after it had snowed a little the night before. The section along the stream gorge just before the waterfalls was pretty extreme pucker with everything being wet with a skim of slush on it. :E

[Busskipper]

IdaD wrote:
Based on pictures it doesn't look too hairy aside from the dropoffs that don't really make it harder, just scarier. I dunno. If a full size Hummer can do it which many seem able based on pictures I don't see why a qualified driver in an adequate full size truck couldn't also (meaning some skills and good tires, obviously 4wd with low range - better yet with lockers and swaybars disconnected).

Years ago I had a mildly modded Xterra and there were a lot of guys with similar rigs from CO who ran it successfully. My current truck isn't as good offroad just from a size and weight standpoint, but it does have some advantages with bigger tires, more torque and solid axles on both ends compared to my old X.

Plain and simple - the guys behind you will push you off the road after you take 30 minutes to one switch back - some jeeps take 5+ minutes to make the turn. Tight - and Narrow - SEE HERE
If you decide to go in a regular Pick Up let us all know - so as to not be there waiting on YOU.

[paulj]

My impression from the videos and photos of the descent is that the main difficulty is the tightness of the switchbacks. If you are too long or don't have a tight enough turning radius, you have to do a multipoint turn. With rocks on one side and cliff on the other that can be scary, if not impossible. I'd also want low range to be in full control of movement, even when the road is steep or loose rock.

As a kid I lived in the Andes, and rode in Landrovers on similar roads. Even the short wheelbase ones tended to require multipoint turns, but being in the back of a long wheelbase one was scarier.