Excellent article by L60Bourne

[L60Boerne]

Greetings Patrols Worldwide,

Just a note to say my 63, Command & Control Vehicle 5 (CCV5) will return to 13,000 feet today as we attempt The Loop today. More to follow.

Rolling and Patrolling,
L60Boerne

[L60Boerne]

Greetings Patrollees Worldwide,

It is fall here in Lake City. The aspen trees are a week into their change at 10,000 feet elevation. The sun hasn't broke over the mountains yet and I sit and sip my coffee from my Patrol mug sent up by Peter from Australia.

We spent yesterday patrolling the Alpine Loop again. We took the same route as before. This year I only had the white 63. My friends rode with me while the ladies followed in the Jeep Rubicon with one of the other men driving.

The "looping" masses tapper off after Labor Day so we probably shared "The Loop" with 40 vehicles and 60-75 other Razors and UTV types. It is simply amazing to see the reaction of 90% of all the other enthusiasts up there. Of the roughly 100 vehicles we encountered almost all of them would pull over, even 500 yards ahead of me and stop. They wanted to get a good look at what was coming towards them. At each passing we were greeted with big smiles and thumbs up....love your rig yelled over the rumbling motors. I literally had to keep driving slowly past or the conversations would have kept us up there all day. One guy sped ahead of us, recklessly I might add, so he could video us approaching him along one of the most scenic one lane cliff lines. Then he got out with a big smile and asked if we minded him taking a few pictures while I was stopped. I had no choice...he blocked the path. He was jumping and skipping around like a kid in the first candy store he had ever seen. We were video taped by at least four people and drew a crowd whenever I stopped.

The 63 Patrol performed perfectly and I'm pretty sure I was on three wheels at least twice with vertical drops on the switchbacks so steep my front bumper drug on two of them. Power at 11-12,974 feet was never a problem and the motor ran as smooth as silk.

The only problem I had was EXACTLY at the same place as the article. As I approach 12,800 feet heading east up to Cinnamon Pass there is one outcrop that points the hood skyward as I pop up a 2-3' ledge. Just like before the motor starved out at that point, last time, thinking it was a vapor lock I waited five minutes, after backing down to a less steep area then restarted and made it up. This time it would not restart and I had to be pulled about 500 yards with the Rubicon to the summit. Once there and flat, it started immediately.

Now, I can't tell whether fuel isn't making it to the motor or after a long slow uphill climb it is vapor locking? Which BTW, I'm certain it has done before in other places after long low climbs in low range first gear. No biggie I was prepared with a tow rope for that possibility.

Anyway it was a glorious day and the Patrol was the star of the show and I'm pretty sure most "loopers" yesterday will talk about the Patrol they saw as much as the mountains.

Rolling and Patrolling,
L60Boerne

[RiverPatrol]

Sounds like another awesome trip. All that video and pictures - where's ours? All I can offer about the potential vapor lock is that if I made a long slow climb I'm sure I'd need a little help at 12,800" too. It might have something to do with the thin air at that altitude.

[Esteban]

Congratulations, David! You have such a nice way of conveying all these with words.

[L60Boerne]

For what it is worth...this article was re-published this month for the once per year edition of Silver Thread. It was focused on the history the western rockies around Creed, Lake City and Montrose.