Category Archives: Off-roading

Colorado, Natural Wonders, Off-roading, Outdoor Activities, Videos

The Alpine Loop in Colorado

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This past September, while visiting Pagosa Springs, Colorado, my hubby and I decided to run the Alpine Loop out of Ouray. It wasn’t the greatest day, as it was cold and raining on and off, but we still had a blast. We intended to run more trails the following day but cut our trip short due to the inclement weather.

On top of Engineer Pass – Alpine Loop

Descending Engineer Pass – Freezing cold and raining on and off – Alpine Loop

Deer Up Close on Engineer Pass – Alpine Loop

A Deer in the Mill

A View from the White Death Mining Site

For more information on the “White Death” mining site, please visit this link: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=177866

The Scenic Overlook of Whitmore Falls – Alpine Loop

A View of Whitmore Falls From the Rocky Trail – Alpine Loop

Lake City to Cinnamon Pass – Alpine Loop

Ascending Cinnamon Pass – Alpine Loop

On Top of Cinnamon Pass – Alpine Loop

Descending Cinnamon Pass – Alpine Loop

Poughkeepsie Gulch – Alpine Loop

Views From Poughkeepsie Gulch – Alpine Loop

Water on Poughkeepsie Gulch – Alpine Loop

Here are a few photos from our adventure. Click on them to see the full image.

I hope you enjoyed the videos and photos of the Alpine Loop. Next up: The Silverton Train.

Colorado, Natural Wonders, Off-roading, Videos

Off-roading in Colorado Z-Force Style

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My husband and I are avid lovers of off-roading. When we moved to Wisconsin, we bought our first side-by-side, as I rolled our 4-wheeler one time too many. Someone is with me because I rolled that sucker on a very steep mountainside and lived to tell the tale. Let me tell you, it was a rough ride back down the mountain.

Now we own a CFMOTO ZFORCE, and I love it. We visit friends in northern Wisconsin and run trails, and we travel to Colorado for a couple of weeks each year and off-road all over the place. This past year (September 2024) we went to Pagosa Springs and ran trails outside of town. The below videos are trails averaging a 3-5 rating. Nothing crazy. We were happy to be out enjoying a nice sunny day with the wind in our faces. This is just a taste of the videos I plan to upload more frequently, along with my travel articles.

For more videos from Star Spirit Adventures, be sure to follow me. This page continues to evolve and I’m working on adding posts more regularly. Coming soon, are videos on the Alpine Loop.

Colorado, Hiking, Off-roading, Uncategorized, Waterfalls

Ouray Is The Place To Be

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Yesterday I took the time to write about my experience with Box Canyon Falls. Box Canyon isn’t the only great thing about visiting Ouray, Colorado. Ouray is a beautiful, small town, surrounded by mountains. The city has a certain charm that just invites you to stay. It is notably called “Switzerland of America,” because of how it resembles Switzerland. There are many things to do during your visit to make it worth your time, even if you are more of a city person.

The downtown area has lots of quaint little shops to wander through. You can find most of the tourist items one would search for while on vacation such as: chocolates, magnets, apparel, a nice bottle of wine, etc. There are a decent number of restaurants to choose from as well. My husband and I have eaten at a few of them and so far everything has been great.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, there are several waterfalls to visit in, and near Ouray. Box Canyon Falls is my favorite. I do, however, believe that the other falls are also well worth your time. You can easily visit Cascade Falls Park; the trail is short, but steep. Another waterfall that is right in the open is Bear Creek Falls. This is right off Hwy 550 and it’s pretty impressive. No need to hike to this waterfall; it comes right out of the rocks on the side of the road.

If you are looking to stay in Ouray for a few nights, there is plenty of lodging, but you must book in advance. You can find some great hotels or old mansions turned bed and breakfast. My husband and I have stayed at Black Bear Manor both times we have visited. The experience was so exceptional that we considered getting married there after our first visit.

Other things to do in Ouray include visiting the hot springs, hiking, and off-roading. There are tons of off-roading trails in and near town. We took time to explore several of these trails on our last trip. We lost our 4-wheel drive in the process, but we will definitely go back again for more.

Just up the road you will find several old mining camps. There is one particular ghost town that is fun to explore. There are lots of old buildings. You can come away with some great pictures.

Ouray is a place that I would recommend anyone to visit at least once. This romantic town will surely win you over. With so many great activities, how could you go wrong?

For more information on Ouray, Colorado, please visit the following websites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd4tmAxx2Y4

http://www.ouraycolorado.com/