Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Tips: Places to Take Your Jeep

Jeeps can Go Anywhere, Do Anything!


I have videos of all the places I have wheeled my Jeep on my YouTube Channel "Jeep Life with Jeep Momma" 👉 Watch Here. There are some videos that always seem to get those negative comments “That’s Not a Real Trail”.


Where to Wheel Your Jeep 👉 Watch Here



Off-road trails don't always have to be extreme with difficult rock obstacles on it to be a trail. It is completely okay if you only like to wheel those easy trails. We all have different likes and dislikes.



I have found I really enjoy those “Not Real” trails. I still like those adrenaline pumping trails, but to be out in my Jeep checking out the natural beauty of nature does wonders for my soul even if it’s on the black top.

Jeep Momma Tips to Finding "Not Trails"

1. Google Scenic By-ways to find some really great black top road trips. There is one in Moab that parallels the Colorado river. It is absolutely amazing. Hwy 95 from Blanding, Utah to Hanksville, Utah is most spectacular.

2. Change Map Settings if you aren’t in a hurry. If you use Google Maps to get to your location, go into your settings and click the avoid toll roads and highways. 


3. TrailsOffRoad.com This website is cataloging trails all over the US. It will give you information such as length, difficulty, location, elevation, duration, plus a map with way points that has directions and mileage.


4. Black Canyon National Park a black top ride outside of Gunnison, Colorado on Hwy 92 through the Black Canyon National Park. If you are afraid of heights or ledges it’s a pretty intense Ride.
5. Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is another one. It’s said to be one of the most scenic drives. 

6. Backroads Books - Search Amazon.com for Backroads and 4 Wheel drive trails. There are guides for Colorado, Arizona, California and Moab. These guides have tons of photos that show the scenery as well as trouble spots. There are tips and advice from local experts to help get you through the trails. The trails are BLM approve and are legal routes.
  
7. TAT Trail - The founder Sam has been mapping public back roads and forest roads all over the United States for decades. He is still mapping. When he originally mapped the roads back in the 80’s all were gravel, but now some have been paved over time. This trail was originally designed for motorcyclists but Jeepers have begun to use these trails. It’s a great way to get away from big cities and get a look at America’s country Roads.  👉 Read More


Monday, June 15, 2020

Jeep Off-Road Trails and Wilderness Excursions in Colorado

Adventures off the Beaten Path


Southern Colorado Trails 👉 Watch Here

Exploring the Trails in Colorado

Colorado is renowned for its exceptional off-roading opportunities. During 2020 and 2021, I had the chance to immerse myself in the beauty of the state. The mountainous terrain, though challenging, makes trail exploration in a Jeep truly rewarding.

Navigating the trails in winter and spring can be a bit tricky due to the lingering snow in the mountains. There are many trails that get closed during the snowy and muddy seasons and finding places to take my Jeep were challenging. 

Chinaman Gulch Trail Adventure

A fellow Jeep enthusiast who knew me from being a co-host on the Jeep Talk Show Podcast invited me to explore Chinaman Gulch Trail near Buena Vista, Colorado. This challenging trail remains open throughout the year, thanks to minimal snowfall. The experience was amazing as this was my first true trail to wheel in Colorado. It is considered a difficult trail to wheel and I did awesome. 

Chinaman's Gulch Trail Adventure 👉 Watch Here


Toll Road Gulch Mountain Pass

Bumble Bee - CJ5

We meet up again later for another trail ride. We picked Toll Road Gulch Mountain Pass a central meeting point. For this adventure, I opted to leave my Jeep at home and rode shotgun in a CJ5. The trail featured narrow switchbacks and daunting heights; they assured me that my JKU could have handled it, but it would have been a tight fit.

Amazing Views

Our destination was Bonanza, a ghost town with a rich history in silver mining. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach the town due to snow covering parts of the trail at higher elevations. The views were amazing at the point we had to turn around. 

Toll Road Gulch Trail

Memorial Day Weekend Getaway

Over Memorial Day weekend, I embarked on a road trip to Western Colorado for camping and more wheeling. I met some new Jeep friends and we wheeled Escalante Trail which had amazing views! We spent a night in the canyon and then another night up higher in elevation Uncompahgre National Forest, cold weather camping alongside the sounds of coyotes. Dispersed camping in the wilderness provided a peaceful experience, free from noisy tent neighbors.

At an elevation of about 10,000 feet, the forest got chilly, and snow still covered some parts of the ground. Both locations offered entirely different terrains—forest and canyon—all in one weekend.


Monday, June 8, 2020

Overland Camping Options - Free

If you asked what the definition of Jeep Life is you would get a very different answer from every Jeeper. Jeep Life is unique to each Jeep owner. For me the meaning has changed over the years as I am experiencing different aspects of the life from daily driver to weekend warrior to extreme wheeling to light wheeling from mud to sand and rocks to modifications and upgrades.

What is Overlanding? 👉 Watch Here


My Jeep Life has now turned into #camperlife #overlanding. However, I still love those rocky trails. A great app essential for me is I is I-overlander and it's free.


Campgrounds and hotels can get pricey when you are traveling a lot. I-overlander works great if you are camping in your Jeep or have a camper.


The app is a group effort by you and others to share those “secrets” of the cool spots you find. It will show you spots others have used for dispersed camping on public lands such as BLM and National Forest.



Dispersed Camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. There are no services; such as trash removal, and little or no facilities; such as tables and fire pits, are provided.


Some popular dispersed camping areas may have toilets. Generally, overnight camping is NOT allowed at trailheads, picnic areas, day-use parking areas or any other areas that don't allow overnight parking. When using a dispersed camping area, the general rule is to be a minimum of at least 100-200 feet away from any road, trail or water source.


You need to be aware if you are in a National Forest or National Park. They are two totally different places. Typically you can’t disperse camp in National Parks. They have specified campgrounds and usually have fees.

You can also disperse camp on BLM lands which are west of the Mississippi: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The ioverlander app also shares local fee based campgrounds, “boondocking” spots and places to get water.

Boondocking is camping without any hookups outside developed campgrounds. It can also mean dry camping and off grid camping. Typically it’s in Trucker Gas Stations, Walmart parking lots, Cracker Barrel parking lots. On our way to Kingman Arizona it was getting late and there were no places to spend the night. So we pulled over in a gas station and popped up our camper and went to sleep.

In the Mojave Desert you can camp off the main road. I call them “off shoots”. You can tell these are off shoots because they look well traveled and some spots have “fire rings” from previous campers. Just don’t go making your own off shoot. After awhile you get the hang of it. Mojave Road is a great getaway to learn all this.

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