Ophir Pass, Silverton, Telluride, Colorado, Offroad, 4WD

Ophir Pass connects Telluride to Silverton, Colorado. The scenery is spectacular and includes a shelf road, waterfalls and autumn aspens.

Music:
"The Trees and the Wild" by Matt Pond PA
"Best Days" by Graham Colton Band
"When I Fall" by the Perishers
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Ophir
• Pass
• Jeep
• Trail
• Road
• Colorado
• Offroad
• 4WD
• San
• Juan
• Mountains
• waterfall
• autumn
• aspen
• tree
• four
• wheel
• driv

[smike047]

Oh, ok, I was thinking that Imogene was one way like Black Bear and just dropped you into Telluride from Ouray. I think after taking Black Bear Pass earlier in the day we may want to take Ophir Pass as something a little easier. that is, unless you think Imogene is easier. I think we got the right rig for the job on Black Bear, `09 Rubicon Unlimited, lockers, disconnect sway bars, sound ok, or do you have any pointers (moreso about Black Bear Pass)?

[JeepsterGal]

@smike047 Yeah, Imogene is either way but it's definitely more of a challenge than Ophir. You may want to do Ophir, cos it's a cakewalk (especially after Black Bear). If you're in a Rubi, you wil have no worries on Black Bear. I thought the steps were the worst part of Black Bear and if it has recently rain I would NOT do Black Bear, because you can slide on those steps so easily. They are covered in gravel, slick as snot, and I can't imagine them wet. The switchbacks should be easy in a Rubi.

[smike047]

Ok, so in about 3 weeks we are setting up camp in Silverton. We are then going to take Black Bear Pass into Telluride. Instead of making rouhgly a 2-3 hour loop down to Durango and back up to Silverton, can we hit Ophir Pass to go back to Silverton?

[JeepsterGal]

@smike047 Yes, that is a nice route back to Silverton, and definitely shorter. Another 4x4 route would be to take Imogene Pass (Tomboy Road, it starts right out of downtown Telluride) from Telluride to Ouray, and then down Hwy 550 back to Silverton. A faster highway route is to take the highway from Telluride to Ridgeway and then to Ouray and then on to Silverton.

[nmxterra]

should this loop be one way? I see vehicles going both directions in such narrow dangerous roads. Please let me know.

[JeepsterGal]

@nmxterra This is pretty typical of most of the "moderate" 4x4 roads in Colorado. The only part that gets dicey on Ophir Pass is that long shelf road near the top. But, you can see people from the summit making their way across it, so usually people wait for the other to come across. I've met someone going the other way and although it's a tight fit, it's fine. The inside driver just needs to place his wheels up the mountain side a bit to make room. Sometimes it looks worse than it really is :)

[TheGranule]

Can you re-issue this with voice describing what you are seeing instead of music?

[PersonalCheese]

My name is ophir :D

[MTHKITEBOARDS]

Thanks! I needed that.

Its a jeep thing or lack of.

[MrBadfish2]

99% of that road looked pretty weak, the road to the top gates before White Mountain peak in the White mountains of CA was a lot more rough than this road, I did that in a lowered Neon SRT-4.