| AS-MDX |
| Anyone know the best off roading in Vail Valley, Colorado area. Will be on vacation in that area this labor day weekend. Does not need to be a serious Offroad but anythig that goes between the mountains, valleys etc. Wanna try my MDX to do some offroad. Anyone can give some nice routes or website that shows some nice routes and any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks all |
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| highcountrymdx |
Actually some of the best 4wheel drives near Vail are actually East over Vail Pass. Several good (easy) trails near Breckenridge towards Hoosier Pass (Co 9). Boreas Pass comes to mind.
Another great drive is Montezuma Road, which starts near the River Run gondola, at Keystone Ski Area. Keep driving SE along Montezuma Road and it will eventually start climbing. Several trails will take you above timberline, past old mine shacks, streams, etc. Easy trails, will not tax the suspension. Close to Vail, about 25 minutes away. Great locations for that picnic. Old ghost town of St John's is easily accessible off Montezuma Road. Further up is the Wild Irishman mine, but the trail is more rugged. Get a forest service map.
One of the best publication around is "Colorado Backroads and 4-Wheel Drive Trails, 2nd. Edition", by Charles A. Wells. A great place to start.
Final tip: Just remember that the MDX really wasn't designed as a legitimate 4wheel drive vehicle. Having said that, there still are a lot of trails the MDX is at home on.
Best day hike near Vail: Eagle's Nest Wilderness Area. Easy to Moderate climbing trails. Trailhead is located East of I 70, East Vail.
Good luck. These next 6 weeks are the best times to see the Colorado high country!
PS
Don't miss Camp Hale, the training site of the 10th Mountain Division during WWll. Close to Vail, near Tennessee Pass. |
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| AS-MDX |
Thanks for the info Highcountry,
Are you from this area, seems that you know quite a lot of details. We will actually stay in Avon, I believe it is not to far from the areas that you are describing.
Have you tried your GPS in those trails? Just wondering if our GPS will be that detail. But yours is a newer version so might have been updated.
Again thanks for the info |
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| highcountrymdx |
Actually, Avon is 6 or so miles to the West of Vail, just on the outskirts of Beaver Creek.
I'm using v3.40 of the GPS software, and it does a pretty good job of keeping track of where you are. When you go off road, one of the setup options is to leave a trail of 'bread crumbs', so when you reverse course, you have much better situational awareness on where you are. I find it handy to zoom out on the map, just to orient myself to civilization, roads, etc.
Before you go venture off road, do yourself a favor and invest in a map. Take your cell phone. It actually works in many areas.
My previous car was a Jeep, and frankly, I was much more daring in that machine than my X. But still, there are a great many wonderful areas worth exploring via your X. Don't miss the backcountry!
One other book you might find interesting, particularly if you are spending some time in you car, is The Roadside Geology of Colorado.
See link here. Lot's of fun. |
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| Sooner in FL |
I just sent you an email.
Get the Trailing book. It like only $15, but worth every penny. Don't want to damage an X. |
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