Is Black Bear Pass REALLY that bad? Jeep Wranglers go to find out!! 

Its an official forest service motorized vehicle trail or road only for high clearance vehicles with a sign saying so. State or national forests have them, and are obviously different than national parks. Colorado has them all over.

@@hemisuperzee1287 Roads like that are the ones you smile about later.

Did ya rent it from a guy by the name of Kubozke?

I am guessing my crew cab tundra is too long for a couple of these switchbacks.

@@I_like_turtles_67 109%

We took a1968 Chevy 3/4 ton lifted pickup over black bear pass and back over Imogene no problems

I agree, when your tires start sliding down that slick rock, it sorta gets your attention.

My pleasure. More to come!! Make sure to subscribe!

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AL-mznHcEsU.html

Didn’t even finish watching- stupid fn music

This is one of those "grab the steering wheel so hard that it breaks" kinda drives... ;)

i can't see what I'm doing ,turn the radio off

Nah, only a couple spots need that kind of focus. But experience helps your comfort level, certainly.

@@donchristie420 Just add a volume knob to your computer!

I never offroaded in trails this technical as I don't have an offroad vehicle. The most offroad I ever did was probably drive past Alta lakes. Yes past it to a private residence. I also have driven many years in tight corners and know my parameters very well. I see some dedicated offroaders use spotters for these turns. I could do it without any spotters easily. It may take a 5 point turn but come on people go slow and know your parameters. I want a jeep jl bad now and put some mods on it.

We first did Black Bear in 1976, in a Chevy Blazer, and have done it multiple times on motorcycles and Jeeps. To make the blanket statement that no one needs a spotter, particularly on the switchbacks, is cavalier and irresponsible. It’s true that this isn’t a technical trail, but so many people have lost their lives, and there is a reason why the local Jeep rentals forbid their vehicles from being taken on Black Bear. Please don’t let your testosterone override good judgment.

@@ronramlow6371 I grew up in Telluride and Ouray in the 1960s and '70s. We used to go over Black Bear, Imogene and other trails. We used to hang out at the generating plant (Bridal Veil Falls). One of the houses we lived in was just before you get into town. We vould see the falls from our window. Unrelated, but if you like trains, take the Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. BTW, we never used spotters and at the time you could do Black Bear from either direction. Now I think it's one way.

@@Colorado_Native , what an awesome place to grow up and explore! You must have some great memories! Thanks for the train tip! Actually we have done that a couple of times. I once got tears in my eyes watching a young girl play the piano, by ear, in the old hotel in Silverton! I’m sure she was surprised when she looked into her tip jar. Many years ago, my wife and I bought property just outside Durango with the intention of building. The San Juan’s have always been our most favorite place. It deserves the “Switzerland of America”, title! I can appreciate your not spotting on Black Bear. In ‘76 when we took the full size Blazer down it, the road was narrower...designed for horse drawn wagons. I had the outside wheels half over the edge, and the driver door was almost touching the rock wall, in one section. I made my girlfriend, now wife, walk ahead of me...she stumbled and cried, fearing the worst. I didn’t have lockers, and and on one of the switchbacks it was so tight that I ended up with one front and the opposite side rear wheel suspended two feet in the air. As you know, back then there wasn’t much traffic and we were about to hike down to Telluride when more then a dozen motorcycle riders from Vickery (Yamaha) Motorsports, in Denver, came through and physically swung the Blazer around. We spent the night on Engineer Pass before heading to Aspen, all off-road. That was before they called it Overlanding. :) All but a short section of Black Bear is dangerous, and it remains an incredibly scenic place! It’s a bucket list ride like the Rubicon which is now in our backyard.

@@ronramlow6371 I had a similar experience going up from Telluride side. I had a new Scout and had three sets of tires for it. Being lazy I left the wider sand-type tires on it, my wife and I had been to Moab, Zion, and all over Utah -a great place to visit. A Marine buddy was driving and I was looking out the passenger window and saw the side of the tire overhanging the road. Using the calmest voice I had said, "Jim, you'd better get over to the left a little." He replied equally calm, "If I get any closer I will scrape the mirror off." There used to be a restaurant in Lake City that used to have the best food. The building used to be a bank. The doors were like 20 feet tall. I worked at the VC Guest Ranch for two summers during high school break. Thanks for the reply.

A professional driver of what? Semi truck, school bus, cab, NASCAR? One either knows how to off- road..........or you dont and never will. Going slow is obviously key. Many off camber tails are worse than this.

School bus ? Lots 2wd and low clearance Subaru awds go down this trail

When I was there last year a couple of guys on bikes were just ahead of us. They had a really difficult time just as you drop in by the waterfall. It’s really steep and their bikes compression could not hold them and their brakes just would skid. Once they eventually walked their bikes past that point they had no issues.

I lived in Ouray with a DRZ400, about 300 lbs. For me, Black Bear was an easy ride. If your Dual Sport is heavy, then it will be workout. Have fun, you'll love the ride.

Glad you enjoyed it

radio reflections Yes, even still. That doesn't happen without driver error. I'm confident in my skills, but still cautious.

If someone HAS to use a spotter on a county road, their skill level low or their spotter is an insistant mansplaner.

@@4x4overlandadventures55 Someone didn't use a spotter? Yikes! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2R5cLghSWGQ.html&app=desktop

@@maxmcintosh7380 Someone forgot to put a rock behind their tire... so needlessly tragic.

@@4x4overlandadventures55 and curb the front tires away from the cliff side.

I have a stock TJ with 31 inch tires, will that do it?

So a longer wheelbase truck like a long bed Chevy could do it?

I’ve also seen video of a Ford 250 doing it.

A Tundra fit on the trails? Did you have issues with the switch backs?

Good to know. I have a 17 tundra and I ended up and a few narrow switchbacks in CA. Infoeget the name of the town. My wife was freaking out. My 4 year old was okay. But her cousin with us was ghost white by the time we got to our air b&b lol.

True, but it was better maintained in those days...not so much since then so it's eroded. Some have eroded WAY worse though, such as the Rubicon Trail (officially a County Road)...also maintained way back then but no longer. -- BR

GoPro 5 black. I just use the factory digital stabilization. Thanks!!!!

@@4x4overlandadventures55 Thank you for your reply.

Correct. It isn't hard...but it is spooky. Anyone who says it isn't must be part Mohekan

Absolutely! The perfect vehicle would be a stock CJ2A.

How can a jeep "pop" out of gear? The wheels were probably not curbed and no rock was placed to block the tires from rolling. All things you must do when stopped and exiting a jeep in terrain like that.

My daughter went to school with the young lady that was ejected from that jeep. Her boyfriend was trying to direct traffic around his Jeep, while waiting for him with their two dogs inside the Jeep, it rolled back because he didn't set the E brake well enough. Thankfully the young lady and her two dogs survived.

I like to see video of that

2018 Wrangler Rubicon on 37s. Overkill

Absolutely. The blue TJ in front of me is a stick.

@@4x4overlandadventures55 Thank your for replying. Have you modified the clutch or are you using standard/stock. I would really like to see during a adventure/trail Tips/tricks if u are driving a manual Wrangler pro and cons manual and automatic wrangler When you go on adventures/trail like this and if they are any differences in tools/gear you bring along if you have to repair anything.

@@TheNitroGeneral The most important thing with a stick is to get plenty of practice. I drove a stick off road for 30 years. It becomes second nature. As far as tools, the only extra thing I carried was a clutch alignment tool. Never used it though.

I am not affraid of heights when I am in the Jeep... standing next to a cliff freaks me out. Black Bear was spooky the first time but not so much after.

@@4x4overlandadventures55 Yeah, maybe being in the cocoon of a vehicle gives us some weird sense of security. There are some tippy obstacles in Moab right near cliff edges that scare the crap out of me though.

Yes, I wouldn’t want a four door on those corners.

This is dumb, 1st it takes total 10min to air up and down, 2nd it just makes for a smoother ride and 3rd ifs a saftey thing (I mean you dont have to wear your seatbelt either) if that's your choice great but telling others too when half these "overlanders" are already puting their lifes at risk (and usually others) so often due to lack of experience is not smart

I just set my tires at 25lbs and keep them there all summer since I'mm doing almost zero highway driving.@@stich1960.

@@herbmanning8348 Herb, how long does it take, and when is a good time to go?

We have always had a running joke on what color the Toyota that rolled on the steps would be. Just a Google search will show you how accurate this is.

While that is true, dragging a tire on a county road is bad form because it causes damage to the road bed. Cool gizmo though.

You need cell overage, and other people ? Soft

That is absolutely true. The driver of that Jeep actually stepped out to help another person and the Jeep rolled away. That accident was TRAGIC but was in no way related to how challenging the trail is. I do not want to take away from the seriousness of such a bad accident but the fact is that driver's ed 101 would have saved a lot of pain (curb your wheels and make sure your vehicle is secure before exiting).

It does happen once in a while unfortunately and there have been some killed on this pass but then other ones as well so any offroading can be fatal if not careful.

@Steven Goodnight But many, many more make it over just fine.

@@4x4overlandadventures55 wait the red jeep went down because it wasn't in park, or parking brake failed?

@@thomas-ud1fs Yep. Driver error. He wasn't even in the seat and his partner was in the passenger seat.

Thank you for your service.

There are exactly 2 people I trust to spot me. One of them is me, the other is in the white JLUR.

It is amazing that Toyotas go up there at all. Sure there are a couple of Jeeps that have gone off but there are dozens of pictures of Tacomas and 4runners rolled on the steps above the switchbacks.

While this is true, this trail has very loose gravel and I try not to push it over the edge by taking the turns wide. You have to back up regardless.