Caches buried under feet of snow !

[mountainborn]

We just got back from Eureka Colorado where we boondocked for several days while we drove jeep trails. On our first ascent of Engineers pass, we left camp way before daylight so we could be there for sunrise.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v302/mountainborn/06-23-08_0609.jpg
Since we had never been there before, the first experience being in the dark was something !
We ate a late breakfast in Lake City then returned to Eureka by way of Cinnamon Pass.
Our skid plate under the transfer case only "tapped" on rock ledges three times going over Engineer Pass. The "little stocker" seemed to handle altitude and terrain well. We pulled a camping trailer with it, both to and from Eureka:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v302/mountainborn/06-24-08_1556.jpg
We were above the actual pass looking down on it as the sun rose. It was magnificently breath taking, litterally ! Here is a video that I shot at the time and the altitude must have been working on me somewhat, for I missed the actual altitude by about a thousand feet ! He, he, what can I say. Another flatlander got the big eye at altitude I guess ! Here is a link to the video:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v302/ ... 8_0602.flv (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v302/mountainborn/?action=view&current=06-23-08_0602.flv)

[mountainborn]

By the way, note all of the snow back in the conifers, behind the camper ? The snow mosquitoes were fierce, but went away after dark and we could sit comfortably around the casmpfire. This was at 3500 feet of elevation lower than engineer's pass.
The caches that are up on the passes were not available to us because of the heavy snow they had this year.

[jclaudii]

I bet that was an amazin' experience. It don't get much better than Jeeping and Geocaching does it. Those "little stockers" will surprise the crap out of ya when you put them in their natural environment. I have taken my TJ through some pretty hairy trails here in AR and it surprised me a few times. I believe the JK sits up higher than the TJ, but my skid plate already has quite a few scratches and dents. It's only on 245's (up from factory, but stock for you I think) with no other mods. Did you have to use 4-low to get to the top?

[mountainborn]

We stayed in two wheel high while climbing the West side of Engineer Pass, the steep side, until the first rock ledge located right in a two point turn switchback. It was still way before daylight and in the headlights. We went to 4 low then. On the next ledge in a switchback, a two point turn, there was a crevice to creep up where the sidewalls of the drivers side tires could get traction when creeping over the ledge with a couple of steps in it. We felt like we were really Jeepin', then we met a little old couple going over Cinnamon Pass in a rental Jeep Liberty ! 8O He, he . . .
It was a cool ride ! 8)
Animas Forks Ghost Town:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v302/mountainborn/06-22-08_1433.jpg

[HikerRon]

MB, you are making me homesick! what i would give to be camping in Colorado right now!