was looking at the road ,or trail from st elmo colorado to Tincup, over tincup pass..
is this a 4x4 only road,or you guys think my little geo tracker will make it over this?
mine is not 4x4,, but i can always push ,lol
I just Googled "Tincup Pass" and found tons of info. The first site on the list had a lot of photos of the trip, including road surface. His trip was in 2006 and dirt roads change constantly, but you can get an idea of whether you think your vehicle can do it.
It has been over 10 years since I went over Tincup, but I doubt that the road has improved any at all.
The west side from the top to the town of Tincup I found fairly easy. The most of it was ruts and potholes, wanting to toss you all around the cab. The ruts were probably a foot deep so high clearance was needed.
The east side was a different story. Lots of rocks to climb over, off camber in places and in general a poor road/trail. I ended up in 4 lo just creeping along in a couple of places but I was being cautious.
Those pictures, especially of the rocky sections, don't even begin to show how rough the road is, but they will give you some idea.
IMHO... a Geo Tracker without 4wd isn't the vehicle to take between St. Elmo and Tincup over Tincup Pass.
Rich, Kim, and
Tobi the rescued dog
Oreo (waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge)
Prowler 5ver, 84 Ford F250 KCOCOLOR78 Weather
Colo. Spgs. CO
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=120
thank for replies, i think i saw the site with pictures you refer too, looked pretty rough,, this site here showes they are some easier routs over some of the bad parts you may have traveled over 10 years ago??
NGRRFan wrote: ...IMHO... a Geo Tracker without 4wd isn't the vehicle to take between St. Elmo and Tincup over Tincup Pass.
I will second that opinion. Just not enough ground clearance. I did it in a stock 2001 2500 Dodge longbed truck (no camper) a few years ago and it was a careful trek over many a rocky section.
ok,, i will take you guys word for it,,we will just go as far as mirror lake from tincup.. then hit StElmo from the east side..
any other scenic country drive you guys really liked in this area..??
we are also planning to try old monarch pass road,, i have read its not anything a regular car would not handle.
sure hope the snow is melting fast,, and pray for nice weather,.
we really liked phantom canyon road north of cannon city to victor.
are looking at shelf road for an option for that area this year
For scenic drives, you can take the road from St. Elmo back to Hancock. It's not 4wd, but it is bumpy.
The road really isn't maintained anymore so you will encounter buried rocks and potholes but you will pass some interesting sights.
Marshall Pass is a nice drive, but I've heard that it is now partially blocked on the west side. From the east side it's a relatively smooth road to the top of the pass.
In the Leadville area there are many backroads around the old mines (stay away from the mines) and out of Leadville to the west is the old road up to Hagerman Pass.
South of Leadville is Weston Pass, but the west side is a royal pain. You probably wouldn't need 4wd but the ruts are something else.
Then there is the road from Clear Creek Reservoir back to Winfield, a historic ghost town.
The whole Upper Arkansas Vally has a lot of scenic roads to explore that don't need 4wd yet are more than what a car can negotiate. All you have to do is explore.
In that neck of the woods, Kebler and Cottonwood Passes are real nice drives.
In the Summit County area Boreas Pass Breckenridge) and Guanella Pass Georgetown) are very scenic. Need to wait for the snow to melt before attempting- ckeck local info for passability.
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