First Annual FJ Summit

Wow pretty much sums it up. The First Annual FJ Summit was held in Ouray, CO last July. It all started when several people from a FJ Cruiser Forums website started brainstorming about a meeting of FJ Cruiser owners nationwide. It wasn't too long before everyone voted on the location for this first event, and Ouray was chosen. Why Ouray? Well, if you haven't been there you don't know what you're missing. The 'Switzerland of America' is a beautiful small town in southwestern Colorado surrounded by the San Juan mountains. What makes Ouray so special to the off road community is the trails. Hundreds of miles of the most scenic, breathtaking, and awe inspiring off road trails in the country. This is not just a visitor guide bullet, the beauty can't be described with just words.

Getting There

My wife, Angie & I met Kent & John (from London, Ontario, Canada), and our friend Stan & family (from Highlands Ranch, CO) for the drive up. This is my Quick Info Box Content Welcome!We took the scenic route through the mountains from Colorado Springs. We first headed out US-24, over Wilkerson Pass and down to beautiful Buena Vista & the Collegiate Peaks area. From there, we proceeded over Monarch Pass, past Gunnison and the Blue Mesa reservoir (the largest body of water in Colorado). Finally, we headed south from near Cimmaron, and over Owl Creek Pass. Once we reached US-550, we turned south and headed into Ouray.

The Alpine Loop

For the first day of the trip, we decided to do Alpine Loop, which is rated a 3-4 (out of 10) in difficulty, and is quite long. There were a total of 8 rigs in our group and we were the last group to leave that morning. The Alpine Loop (which consists of Engineer & CinnamonPasses) is truly amazing. The first few miles of the Engineer Pass trail are the most difficult and give this trail it's rating of a 4, so this area can be challenging for those new to off roading. After cresting Engineer Pass, the trail is easier and the pace picked up some. Near the top of the pass there is a great pull off that's an overlook of the entire range. At over 13,000 feet, this spot is one of the most amazing views you'll find in the Rocky Mountains. Be careful though: the altitude can really start to have negative effects for those not used to it. Cinnamon Pass is a much easier ride than Engineer; we saw quite a few passenger cars & mini-vans on this leg. The summit is over 12,000 feet and nearly as impressive as Engineer. Although the Alpine Loop is extremely long, it's well worth the time you'll spend.

Imogene Pass

On Saturday morning, we headed out at about 9am with a group of 8. Destination: Imogene Pass. After the quick drive up toward Yankee Boy Basin, we made the left onto the Imogene Pass trail. We were immediately greeted with an optional water crossing. We plowed through 24" of water without skipping a beat. The first half of Imogene was a BLAST! There were plenty of decent rocks, water crossings, and puddles to keep us entertained. The views were magnificent as well, this area of Colorado almost cannot be described. Due to Kent's unfortunate issues with altitude, I was asked to drive his truck down to Telluride so we could get him to medical attention. We moved down the mountain pretty quickly, so we didn't get many photos of our descent. We arrived in Telluride a little after 3pm where Kent got treatment for his altitude problems. He was feeling much better by the next day.

Last Day In Ouray

At about 9am, we arrived at the parking lot where a group photo was planned. We ended up in the 3rd to last row, so our FJ didn't stand out much in the crowd. Still it was a very cool experience. Almost 200 FJ Cruiser's in one photo – very neat. The photo came out pretty good I think. We invited Stan & Mike to run with us up to Yankee Boy Basin, since we didn't make it up the day before. It turned out to be not that exciting, mostly because of the crowd of people all around. There were rental Jeeps, Subarus, and other all wheel drive vehicles everywhere. Everyone was busy snapping as many tourist photos as they could. That kind of crowd can make the scenery not so scenic. So, since we didn't spend any time at Yankee Boy, we decided to hit the first half of Imogene again. With the water crossings, water falls, and fun rocks, we wanted to make sure Stan & Mike got the chance to check it out. We made it up to the cabin area of Imogene pretty quickly, got a group photo, and headed back down to Ouray. It was lunch time, so we strolled down main street in Ouray & ended up at the Gold Belt Bar & Grill for a quick bite. We all ordered & decided to eat outside since it was such a wonderful day. The food was decent, and a reasonable price. Not fine dining, but a good quick lunch. After lunch we aired up & headed north out of town.

A Great Time

The First Annual FJ Summit was a HUGE success. Everyone had a great time and our outstanding Toyota FJ Cruisers got a good workout. Ouray, Colorado is one of the most scenic and adventure-filled towns in the Western U.S. If you've been there: GO BACK, if you haven't: MAKE PLANS. Keep in mind that the summer is a very busy time of year, so make your travel plans far in advance. Also remember that in addition to the FJ Summit, there are Jeep Jamborees and several other large events held in Ouray every year. You'll want to know what's happening in Ouray during your visit. Check the Ouray Event Calendarto find out more.

While our trip focused on off-roading, there are plenty of other activities including Hiking, Mountain Biking, and Mine Tours. In the winter months, you can observe or try out the world famous Ouray Ice Climbing Park, or head up into the mountains on cross-country skis or snowshoes.

Where to stay?

When we’re in Ouray, we always stay at the Box Canyon Lodge. They have fair rates, clean rooms, and excellent service. We also really enjoy their 2-4 person authentic wood barrel hot springs. If rooms are not available at the Box Canyon, there are plenty of other hotels available.

Outfitters

If you don’t own a 4wd vehicle, you can still experience the off road trails in the Ouray area. There are several Jeep Rental services. We recommend Switzerland of America Jeep Rentals. They have excellent service, very good vehicles, and reasonable rates. If you’re not inclined to drive a 4x4, consider taking an off-road tour.