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Off Topic, Alpine Loop Advice Needed

Anybody drive or ride the Alpine Loop in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado? I'm looking for advice based on personal experience. Some things I read say “easy” or “moderate.” Other things I read say “notoriously dangerous.”

What's the real story? While I have no concerns about my ability to drive the route (appropriate vehicle of course) my wife tends to freak out and hyperventilate on sections that look dangerous. Is it a scary trip? I know that's subjective, but what's your experience. Going in August.
 
Need high clearance and 4 wheel drive for several spots. Need to pay attention, lots of narrow places, one lane. Vehicles going uphill have the right of way. Yeah there are scary places.
Most survive.
View attachment 1346285
Key word-Most survive! From that photo I would have no problem traveling it in a SUV with AWD or 4WD. I understand how some would get freaked out if not accustomed to the terrain.
 
Just to add, I've been going to the Colorado mountains for more than 30 years, but so far always in the winter. A younger me, mainly skiing including back country, also hiking (above treeline), snow shoeing. The older me, not surprisingly I guess, is too old busted up and wore out, so my more recent trips have all been snowmobiling. This will be my first summer visit to the CO mountains
 
No. From Lake City to American Basin there is a section called “the shelf road”, short sections just wide enough for a pickup. Vertical above and below.
Thanks. A few years ago we drove some roads in a Jeep around Forks of Salmon in California. There were some "shelf" sections, which I jokingly called "The Peruvian Death Highway" based on my wife's reaction.

I don't want to stress her out too much.
 
I rode it on a mountain bike. Lake City to Silverton the first day, back to Lake City the second. Downhills were smooth and fun for the most part, uphills were, well uphill. It was the middle of June, still lots of snow at the top of Engineer and Cinnamon passes. Well marked, very scenic. If I would ever do it again, it would be in a Jeep.
 
Anybody drive or ride the Alpine Loop
Several years ago we intended to drive that loop in Jeeps we rented in Ouray. If you try and do it in 1 day, it is a tiring 12 hour drive IF you don't have a flat or encounter someone that has the road blocked. We weren't up for quite that much of rutted out bumpy roads so we took a different route that took about 8 hours. Nothing I would consider seriously harrowing, but some excellent views.

July to about the middle of September is monsoon season, expect afternoon thunderstorms, some heavy.

Taken on the route.
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Thanks. A few years ago we drove some roads in a Jeep around Forks of Salmon in California. There were some "shelf" sections, which I jokingly called "The Peruvian Death Highway" based on my wife's reaction.

I don't want to stress her out too much.
Showed her the video. She said NO Way! :(

Looking at the trail map, I wonder if we could drive out of Silverton to Animas Forks, and then turn around and go back to Silverton.
 
I think I would like to get to American Basin. WIfe wants to avoid the ledge road. Looking at satellite imagery, what about California Pass to the West of Animas Forks?
 
Going up out of Silverton toward Animas Forks and American Basin do I need a highway-legal vehicle or can I us an off-highway vehicle, a UTV SXS?
 
No. From Lake City to American Basin there is a section called “the shelf road”, short sections just wide enough for a pickup. Vertical above and below.

Looks like a cakewalk compared to the mountain road a little East of Glenwood Springs we pulled a trailer on. We went back to Glenwood for an Elk tag, so two round trips on that death path. I didn't rest EZ until down off of there. Actually we pulled out in a snowstorm and I wasn't real comfortable until we got down out of Denver and East a ways. No place for a rolling hills country boy from Wisconsin!
 
As noted previously, YouTube is your friend for determining which sections you want to tackle and which you don't.
Friend did portions of it two years ago in a lifted Gen 1 Forester. Automatic. He said a manual would have been a better idea.
Customer did it in a lightly modified Wrangler. He was there when another Jeep tumbled over a thousand feet. Black Bear pass I believe, whichever the trickiest one is with myriad switchbacks. Jeep was done. Passenger was thrown and survived.
 
Customer did it in a lightly modified Wrangler. He was there when another Jeep tumbled over a thousand feet. Black Bear pass I believe, whichever the trickiest one is with myriad switchbacks. Jeep was done. Passenger was thrown and survived.
There's video I saw couple years ago on Y.T. IIRC, dashcam captured a Wrangler tumbling down from a swithcback above. Story was, driver got out and set the parking brake, idling in neutral. The jeep slid and went over the edge. There was a dog and a woman in it. Both thrown or jumped, dog was missing for a while but found. Woman was in really bad shape.
 
If the video shared above in post 7 was too much for your wife, you don't want to do the loop. That was a narrow but well graded gravel section. Once above the tree line, the road deteriorates and the switchbacks erode into loose, steep steps. Crawling up those you will be on 3 wheels regularly and occasionally on 2. This is where high clearance 4WD is necessary and preferably rear lockers. I couldn't recommend it unless you have some serious off-road experience.
 

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