Just arrived this week is our newest member of our family, a blue 2015 four door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in a soft top configuration. Babe the Ox, as she is knows by has a 4” full suspension lift with 35” premium off-road tires. When booking ask for her by name and receive our most capable recreational vehicle.
Often times, especially in the winter months, we deliver customers a nice specialized Jeep right to their doorstep. Usually dropping the Jeep off at the customers hotel or the FBO at the Gunnison Airport, allows for a very smooth and quick transaction. Many of our customers arrive here and find that they want to also adventure to the surrounding resorts and/or hot springs. However, many just need a vehicle to safely traverse the piles of snow and ice in town. Yes there is free public transportation, but having your own lifted Jeep allows you the freedom to run errands or transport your group to another magical spot in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Yesterday was a turning of the pages for our seasons. Our last leaf peeping customers went out, with good timing as the snow has begun to fly consistently up in the higher elevations. Historically the Elk around the Town of Crested Butte move to the valley floor, seeking safety and a good breading ground. As you can see in the photos, this year the herd is looking very healthy.
This quick rest-bit allows us to get caught up and prepped for our hunters. Our Jeeps have been a great resource for hunters flying into Gunnison (GUC) with our location literally across the street. Our 4 door Jeeps also allows plenty of room for gear and even using it as a tent or shelter to sleep in. We also offer an accessory which increases storage outside via the trailer hitch. Contact us direct with any questions you may have or to make a reservation.
Lost Lakes, Crested Butte, Colorado
Fall is an amazingly beautiful time of year, as this stylized photo taken last year clearly shows. Every year I receive many phone calls this time of year asking about the Fall foliage and my prediction to when it will peak. This year, starting as soon as May the weather patterns were obviously ahead of what we consider a normal schedule. Due to the lack of snowpack, melting was in a rush and sped up the process of everything in the Valley. Which creates good and bad, trails opened up sooner but the wildflowers came and went much faster than normal. River flows have been the talk of the town. Fortunately hunting does not seem to be effected, which is great for all our hunter clients. However the cooler temps, especially in the night time and added moisture has sped up the schedule of the turning of the leaves. Normally the Aspen’s seem to climax or peak around September 25-27th and for this year I am predicting it will be closer to the 20th. With that said, I am no climatologist but it is very obvious that global warming is happening and affecting our weather patterns.
Roughly six miles south out of Crested Butte is Cement Creek Road, which accesses Crested Butte South. Cement Creek is a dirt road, providing miles of fun Jeeping, especially this time of year when we are waiting for the snow to fully melt. I enjoyed a quick adventure up the road yesterday, easily making it to the beaver pond meadow. The road becomes very narrow (as seen in the photo below) so you’ll want to go slow as there are many blind corners and oncoming traffic.
This route also accesses the Reno Divide Pass trail, which is a common route for those on multi-day rentals. Customers are more and more renting for their entire trip length and as we have multiple zones of adventure we can keep them busy the entire time during the summer and fall. In May we are still poking around, but there is a lot of fun to be had in paradise any time of year.
Black Canyon in the Gunnison National Forest
Late Spring and Early Summer are a great time to go visit the Black Canyon in the Gunnison National Forest. The East Portal is an amazing access point to reach the lower depths of the large canyon and Gunnison River. Many people have never heard of it, but the Black Canyon is second only to the Grand Canyon in beauty, size and its unique black colored rocks are quite special. Recently I took my mother down there and she absolutely loved it! I recommend driving down the extremely steep and narrow East Portal road. The Ranger’s regulate the size of the vehicle you use on this tight passage, so a Jeep is the perfect tool to safely enjoy the experience and bucket list worthy views. I also recommend visiting the walkway around the rim and visitor center. Below is a link, ranking it the 2nd “Underrated U.S. National Parks to Add to Your Bucket List.”
Link:
http://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/underrated-us-national-parks-to-add-to-your-bucket-list.html/2/
I have many clients who enjoy year after year renting my jeeps with the companionship of their four legged friend. Personally I love dogs and boy do dogs love an adventure! Here are a few photos from one of my clients; you can see the dog is clearly smiling awaiting the fun. Jeeps also provide you with the added off-road access, so one of the fun things to do is bring your dog up to the snow and see them play. I’ll never forget how happy my first dog was when I brought him to snow in August. He totally freaked out and rolled in it for what seemed to be endlessly.
The Slate River Road provides access to the Oh-Be-Joyful zone, which is a very popular camping area. There is a regulated and paid campground of Oh-Be-Joyful, but having rented a specialized Jeep, you have the access to drive further down the valley. The further you go from the town of Crested Butte, the quieter, more peaceful and beautiful it gets. Drive past the town site of Pittsburgh and Daisy Pass, you will find an elevated mesa if you will which hosts many designated campsites which include fire pits. Our specialized Jeeps easily provide access to camp in this beautiful playground and much more.
The quality of our fleet of specialized Jeeps, excellent customer service, honesty and knowledgeable local information are at the core of who we are and what we offer. Over the past off-season we have updated our fleet, with all our Jeeps being of the newer JK series with between 2” to 4” of lift and 34” to 35” high quality off-road tires. This also increases the availability of the larger and more comfortable 4 door size, which seats 5 people and has a large trunk for coolers, gear, etc.
The new office in Gunnison will provide a nice clean space to offer the highest level of customer service. There is a reason why we have a 99% customer satisfaction and that is mainly due to that we care. We give you the right equipment, know-how and instruction to provide you and your group with a self-guided mountain Jeep safari. So if you are looking for auto rentals in Gunnison, please give us a call at 1-844-YOU-RENT.
One of the more quiet and peaceful adventures in our zone, the West Brush Creek and Pearl Pass Roads trails provide hours of quality Jeeping. Starting only a few miles out of the Town of Crested Butte, Colorado the pavement ends at the private airport and neighborhood Buckhorn Ranch. Motoring on the dirt road, it is important to keep an eye out for bicyclists, cows and nice old friendly ranchers and their wiry dogs. A few miles back you come to a sign and turn-off as shown on the photo. West Brush Creek Road is to the left. Start here and take the next left about a mile past these signs for a dead-end scenic overlook. This is a great spot to walk out to the ridge and take a few photos. The gate keeps vehicles from continuing into the wilderness area. So turn around and continue North or left on the West Brush Creek Road. It is recommended to turn on the 4WD in the high setting until you reach the flats towards the end of the trip. This will aid you as you cross the creek and gain in elevation and other hazards. There is a large mud hole towards the top 1/3 of the trail. I tell people to take it on the left and stay out of the large potholes. Once you come to the end of the road, stop and let the vehicle cool down and don’t forget to smell the roses! This trail provides access to an amazingly beautiful overlook underneath the Teocalli Mountain, so get out and take some photos.
After a break, turn around back to the turn off in the photo. Take a left onto Pearl Pass Road and go slow as soon you will be on an overhang with no room to turn around. This section mandates concentration, focus and a cool head. Luckily it doesn’t last long and after a deep (at times) creek crossing you’re cruising again. This section is a scenic stretch of beaver ponds, fishing holes and world class single-track trails.
To keep our customers and Jeeps safe, we allow customers up until the third creek crossing. This keeps it simple, the first two creeks are ok to cross if the water levels are low and you have our permission at the time of pickup. This way we all have the current trail conditions to help make better decisions and route finding. In no way are our Jeeps to attempt to cross the third creek!
All of our renters are given a map, detailed instructions and current trail conditions to best serve our customers and keep everyone safe.
