Day 9 - First Mountain Pass

Today was a day that weighed on my mind for months – pulling 6,600 lbs and 6 loved ones through a Western mountain pass.  Several miles of a 7% grade is hard on a truck both on the ascent and the descent.  I read stories of rigs burning to the ground – once the brakes start to burn, help is no where close.  So today was the day…

We were able to pull out of Colorado Springs at 8:00 – not bad for 7 of us to eat breakfast and get the camper hitched up.   Weather was beautiful.  After a quick and unsuccessful stop at Camping World to see about an awning repair, we made our way south to Pueblo and then headed west on 160 through the San Juan National Forest.  About 30 miles before Wolf Creek Pass, we stopped for gas and lunch.  That’s when I noticed this:

Good thing I can count to 20!

Then I noticed this:

Wouldn’t you know that at the very same gas station was a tire shop.  They had me a new tire in less time than it took for the kids to eat lunch so we lost no time on the deal, but honestly – what gives?  Two flats so far on this trip?  I had them look at the tire – it was defective.  A steel belt had separated inside the tire and they guessed it would have blown within 10 miles.   Somebody was looking down on us – the odds that a tire shop was right where I needed one are astronomically against us.  But I’ll take it!

So of we set for the mountains - some of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever been on, but it was a little hard to enjoy it all.  There were more than a couple times where thoughts of my MINI Cooper flashed by.  Wolf Creek Pass was the test - a 6% - 8% grade ascending and 7% grade descending.  That 12 – 15 miles may as well have been 100.  To make it just a little more interesting, torrential downpours complete with thunder and lightning hit and it only lasted through that pass.  But we made it and I learned a lot – the exact gearing that I need and the right amount of braking without overheating the brakes.  As a guy that enjoys driving, it was one of those driving experiences that I’ll never forget.

The rains began just before we hit the pass

Wolf Creek Pass - absolutely beautiful if you can get past the white knuckles

At the bottom of the pass before Pagosa Springs

This was actually leading up to the pass before the rains

We came out into Pagosa Springs to feel a 30 degree temperature change – crazy.  There was one other extreme grade on 160 just west of Durango, but the sun was shining by then and I knew what to expect.  On to Mesa Verde NP!!

We pulled into the park at around 5:45 p.m. and I was floored – the beauty of this immense rock formation is beyond words.  Not to mention the 4 miles of switch backs to get to the campground – Gigantibeast was in 1^st gear just like he was through Wolf Creek.  I laughed that I had spared him the drive up Pike’s Peak and here I was having him pull 6,600 lbs into Mesa Verde NP.

I have a great video of leaving the park - just can't find the broadband to realistically post it.  Once I do, I'll let you guys know - it's truly a remarkable entrance to a park!