Imogene Pass in July

[DRTFN]

I going to be doing Imogene Pass this summer. I have a laundry list of upgrades for my Wildtrak that I am workimg on.

Will I need my skid plates installed by then or will I be fine without them?

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[swooshdave]

I going to be doing Imogene Pass this summer. I have a laundry list of upgrades for my Wildtrak that I am workimg on.

Will I need my skid plates installed by then or will I be fine without them?

This is what OnXOffroad calls out.

Difficult. Do not take this trip lightly. The road is rocky, steep and narrow in places and passing can be dangerous. Stock SUVs should have low-range gearing, 4-wheel drive, high clearance and skid plates. Experienced drivers only.

I did Cinnamon Pass last year. It had just opened. Engineer Pass was still closed and I assume Imogene too. That was mid-June.

 

[Taltyman]

You should be fine without skid plates on Imogene. We run it every summer in June or July. But you never know about the weather and conditions in the high altitudes. That being said you should be okay in July. We will be up there in July so maybe will bump into you.

 

[nwGTS]

I did it and Engineer Pass in my bone stock non squatch 2dr BL on 33s (with skid plates) this past July. you'll be fine with just skid plates as the upgrade. The only place I had any contact was the front plate but thats where the cooling bits are. One bad knock there without plates and you're out of commission. I had no contact on anything underneath.

 

[DRTFN]

You should be fine without skid plates on Imogene. We run it every summer in June or July. But you never know about the weather and conditions in the high altitudes. That being said you should be okay in July. We will be up there in July so maybe will bump into you.

Thanks for the input Taltyman. If you see a rig resembling this, it just might be me.

 

[Baseaf]

What time in July are you going? When I went around the 10th it was closed sadly. It didn't open towards the end.

 

[OK_Hunter]

I did Cinnamon pass at the end of this past June... If Imogene is similar difficulty to Cinnamon, then I would want skid plates installed. You may avoid most/all dangerous rocks but you may not. It's not a place that I would want to break something important.

 

[userdude]

I was only able to get up the southern end of Imogene Pass, because it was snowing at the pass (October 2023). So I can't say what the other side is like. But while there were a couple of spots that hit something (more going down to Yankee Boy Basin), I didn't find any of it terribly bang and clang.

If you do Mineral Creek, you might want skid plates (it's the northern entrance to how you get to Engineer Pass and Poughkeepsie Gulch). I've got a big scrape under the drivers side where I banged pretty hard on a hump of rock, and maybe two other spots I hit the front skid plate and left marks. However, I was trying to keep up with JKUs on 37's and 40's, so I wasn't picking my line too much.

Engineer and Cinnamon, nah. Black Bear wasn't open, I think all year, so I don't know but I don't think it's rocky so much as treacherous turns. Generally, if you're careful and take the time to get out and check when you're not sure, you'll be fine. I did not think any of the famous spots in Ouray were challenging, YMMV.

One tip I would give you if you're not too experienced, let your passenger drive and you spot. That way you can start to get a feel for clearance. It's hard to tell if you only drive how much you're clearing something you can see only through the windows, when you lack experience. Hit enough stuff that way, that's one way to gain experience but you'd probably want good plates... lol

 

[Peitnahtan]

I going to be doing Imogene Pass this summer. I have a laundry list of upgrades for my Wildtrak that I am workimg on.

Will I need my skid plates installed by then or will I be fine without them?

I went late June, early July last year and it was closed. Plan to be flexible on your schedule or plan to go late July just in case.

 

[ColoradoKid26]

Engineer Pass and much of the surrounding trails have gotten much rougher over the past 5 years. There is a lot more exposed boulders and smaller rocks and scree in the trails.

Although you'd probably be okay on Imogene, I'd add skid plates and definitely add a tranny skid just for peace of mind.

 

[TxCatalystMan]

You should be fine without skid plates on Imogene. We run it every summer in June or July. But you never know about the weather and conditions in the high altitudes. That being said you should be okay in July. We will be up there in July so maybe will bump into you.

How does Imogene compare to Ophir Pass? We did Ophir last October in my Expedition FX4 w/ 35's and no problem, no bottom contact but decided not to attempt Imogene due to the OnX information.

 

[Taltyman]

We’ve gone Ophir a couple of times and not a fan of it. It has a lot of shale and rock and the views are better on other trails. Imogene has better views and not that difficult.
Most of the trails in the area don’t need skid plates except mineral Creek. That one will beat you to death. Another easy trail is corkscrew to Silverton.

 

[Durangatan]

What time in July are you going? When I went around the 10th it was closed sadly. It didn't open towards the end.

Last year was an anomaly. We had epic snowpack. You can always bring a mtn bike, drive as far as the gate, start riding and post holing - provided you understand avy conditions and terrain traps.

Our winter is supposed to be late, and robust. However it has yet to really produce. If you watch the Snotel sites and river levels it will provide a clue.

Another poster mentioned how trashed our roads are getting. I am witnessing it everyday. Too much traffic. I rarely wonder out on weekends. Too much of a shit show.

 

[Durangatan]

We’ve gone Ophir a couple of times and not a fan of it. It has a lot of shale and rock and the views are better on other trails. Imogene has better views and not that difficult.
Most of the trails in the area don’t need skid plates except mineral Creek. That one will beat you to death. Another easy trail is corkscrew to Silverton.

If you hit the trails off of Ophir you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Taltyman]

If you hit the trails off of Ophir you will be pleasantly surprised.

I see you live in Durango. That's awesome. we have a second home in Ouray. Wished my wife like the cold so we could live there year round.

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