I know this seems kinda wierd asking about 2004 just a month after 2003 but i have to put in for vacation time this month for all of 2004. Are the dates set yet? Is it just Labor Day week every year?

Thanks all! BTW awesome pics

that would be nice as i have to put in for it next week as well for all of 2004.

That's cool; Vermont and Florida driving to Colorado to go wheelin' high in the mountains. Guys, I did, and it's worth the trip. There was a cat from Jersey last year and a few from HXOC. Just go and have fun!

yep i have 5 weeks next year so i'll take a 3 week block with GOX in the middle so there's no rush going and no rush coming home..

If you're not going to GONE MOAB, plan 2 or 3 days in Moab specifically. Take experienced drivers too if its new 4 you. Easily some of the most thrilling, technical driving you'll do in this hemisphere.
edit-
You'll want to remove the mudflaps and replace the step rails w/ sliders.

I have no idea when GOX will be in 2004, but there is a good chance the date will change from Labor Day due to many requests.

Then again, I probably wont be driving an Xterra by then if I'm still stuck at my cheap-ass job.

GASP!!

Any word yet? I have to put in now as well. They'll probably screw me out of going somehow anyway, but I've got to try.

Still no word. Sorry.

Any word on dates yet?

Sometime in July... Possibly the 25th-31st.

Several things may change this year as well.
GOX may become goneOURAY or goneROCKY or goneSOMETHING. Maybe, maybe not.

The event may start in Denver and wind its way (off-road) to Ouray over 4 days and 10 crossings of the Continental Divide. Maybe, maybe not.

Now that sounds like fun.

RIght on! Now Ian, dont fall off your chair, but I must know, what should I buy for GOX?

Beer. If the trail system is like Ouray, it's not that difficult in a stock Xterra.

:thumbsup Way to go XOC!

Which is why for the last 3 years people keep breaking (their modified) shit on Poughkeepsie Gulch :rolleyes:

Several of the trails I have in mind will destroy a stock Xterra. The only real issue I have is finding camping locations along the way. Colorado gets mobbed in the Summer.

I'm up for this new idea. I think it would be a hoot.

A kind of expanded fall colors tour? I think that this would be more fun and provide some interesting challenges.

Rather than base camping, this would require carrying all your gear each day, which will change the characteristics of the vehicle. I Imagine a caravan of vehicles looking something like a screen from the "Grapes of Wrath".

Imagine a 60 mile bypass.....

It might be more difficult to find camping for a large group, but it would be worth it. Worst case scenario is to establish a couple known meeting locations with organized camping facilities.

My vote is for a new approach.....

Todd

I agree, sounds like fun!mmmm beer!

No way - if necessary we'll donate to the Save Ian's Xterra fund.

Actually things are looking good. Leslie has fewer classes this semester, so she's picking up 30 hours a week at the clinic, and my web development is staying steady (knock on wood).

Ian, is good to hear that.

I attended GOX 03 and attend GOX 04 wasn´t in my plans. Now IT IS

Abiel, glad to hear it (although this is the 5th, and you did make the 4th).

There is about a 99% probability that this event will happen now, so stay tuned for info. I have a lot of research to do relating to times and distances and forest service clearances.

Thank you Ian...

sorry I meant years 2003 & 2004

I´ll stay tuned, hope my budget too...

>Abiel

Damn I really hope to ba able to go this year. Will stay tuned

I usually have tons of vacation time during the year but it usually is the week before or after GOX or GONE. In fact last year I was up in Ouray the week before GOX. It's great to see these dates. Thanks Ian for the change. Hopefully some other SCCX members can make it too.

Dang, im in heaven! I never knew such a thing as this existed. Damn this ft collins haze of edumacation. But I will definatly be in on this too. Man, bout time I do some sort of trip like this with other people, so lonley brings a tear to me eye. Beautiful.

Wasn't the same thing planned for the second year with only BN300 and myself having interest after many said yes? Oh well we had fun in Moab before GOX anyway.

I Might come this year I'll be on vacation anyway, and it's the closest ill ever be towards that area. My question is I'm pretty new to this whole scene, and I only have a 4x2, is a bad idea to come up there, will my truck be able to handle it? Will someone pull me out if I get stuck?

I don't think a 4X2 can handle the trails we will be running. Lots of rocky, steep, loose trails combined with Colorado's high altitude means a 4X4 is a BIG advantage.

Maybe you could tag along with another XOCer.

Sorry nissmo, only 4WD Xterras are allowed this year (as in past years), and there will be minimum requirements as well (ie. no stock Xterras on several trails).

2WD's don't do much good on stuff like this.

Fletch, it's very similar, but the entire week will be devoted to it. If all gets planned out correctly, we should be ending the week with 2 days at Avalanche Ranch . The trails in the San Juans will only be a small portion of the trip.

A list of necessary mods to partake on this trip would be what?

Let me know ASAP Ian so I can start selling this to the wife.

What he said, what are you thinking would be needed for this trip? I will have a 3" sl, Calmini steering and ARB by then.(Possibly a 2"Bl and 33's) What else do you recommend so I can save for those things.

Glad you are thinking about July, that will work perfect for me.

Basically most of it will come down to tires, Long Trails or the like will be a problem on many of the dusty loose trails and may suffer sidewall cuts on sharp rocks.

The "requirements" will be more equipment oriented, as in carrying equipment to fix anything you break to keep the group moving.

A lift and big tires will be highly recommended, but not an absolute requirement. Stock height trucks can expect a lot of dragging and damage to all 4 corners of the Xterra.

Shit-

Will there be ways for the stock X's to bypass the more damaging sections or trails? I would love to go, but probably won't have my long trails switched out by then. Also, not quite ready to dent all 4 corners......

I guess I'm banned from Tennessee now....

You can drive all the way to Ouray on pavement if you like, but it won't be as much fun.

Take that picture up there if you will, that's Old Chinaman's Gulch. Without rock sliders most of that trail will damage your body and doors. Stock step rails will be gone within a quarter mile of the parking lot.

I've had too many complaints that GOX is easy (even though people break shit every year), so this year it's going to be a bit more challenging. It's not going to be a hardcore rock-crawling event because I don't want to spend a week fixing trucks, and the Xterra simply isn't capable of the tough trails Colorado has.

Old Chinaman will be optional though as we will be camping near by. Some may skip it and set up camp and explore the St. Elmo area, and others may try Iron Chest if it has been reopened.

It will be a very enjoyable week of trails that make you think, trails that use your skills and trails that make you pucker, and the best scenery Colorado has to offer.

This is sounding better and better all the time, except for the fact that any needed travel time to/from the east conflicts with ECXC (7/23-7/25) and My Tellico Trip (8/1-8/8)...

But if the plans get finalized, vehicle min-abilities & equipment requirements are adhered to and the numbers are limited or everything is grouped/divided up in some manageable fashion, and things really do end up working out the way you want (and I know you have been wanting and trying to do this sort of "Start in Denver and wind your way (off-road) to Ouray trip" for over 4 years now) ...

I just might be persuaded to, and would even enjoy, taking a trip back out there again.

That sounds great.

I was putting off the rock sliders until after my bl and 33's, but I might have to get 2001Frontier to go ahead and fab some up for me before then. Starting to get excited about this trip.

Here's an early look at the trails I have planned out.

Sunday
--------------
Red Cone
Radical Hill
North Fork of the Swan River
Wheeler Lake

- Set up Camp -

Monday
--------------
Wheeler Lake (back down)
Mosquito Pass
(Travel, Asphalt)
Old Chinaman's Gulch

- Set up Camp -

Optional Trails-
Iron Chest
Grizzly Lake
Mt Antero
Pomeroy Lakes

Tuesday
--------------
Tin Cup Pass - Old Tin Cup
(Travel, Dirt)

- Set up Camp -

Taylor Pass
Pearl Pass (return, snow blocked)

Wednesday
--------------
Cement Creek
Italian Creek
American Flag Mountain
Gothic Road

- Set up Camp -

Schofield Pass, Devil's Punchbowl
Lead King Basin
Return over Schofield Pass to camp

Thursday
--------------
(Travel, Asphalt to Lake City)

Engineer Pass

- Set up Camp -

Optional Trails-
Poughkeepsie Gulch

Friday
--------------
Engineer Pass
Poughkeepsie Gulch
Black Bear
Imogene

Jeff,

Would you be interested in my 31" BFG Mud Terrains?

Now that I have a lift I wouldn't mind getting a bigger tire. They are in great shape and only have 7-10k miles on em. Let me know and we can talk price.

Oh boy, oh boy

Sounds like a great itinerary.

I better get my vacation request in soon to at least block out this time.

Are there any conflicts with mtn bike races or similar events? I would hate to deal with a couple hundred bikes on a couple passes.

This would be a worthy documentary.

I like it!!!!

Todd

Actually, I'm working on getting some 15's now. I'll let you know....

Thanks,
Jeff

I just returned from the AZ run which had a format similar to this plan. Let me say it is a lot of fun but definitely tougher on you and the truck. 5 days of primitive camping can start to wear on you. Trail breakage will be a reality on this type of run so start collecting parts right now. I found a junkyard in my town that has quite a few X's and frontiers so I will be carrying some half shafts and such.

While the trails on the GOX run are difficult (rated 7-8 out of 10), they can all be done without breaking anything with proper driving skills. I've done all of the trails at least 5 times, and have never had any problems.

Being stinky for 7 days is one of my concerns, and I hope to get some sponsorship for the trip to enable us to bring a hot water shower since we'll be camping near lakes and rivers each night.

Think Nissan would sponsor and bring a few 2005s for us to try out? Footage of the 05 @ GOX could make some good commercials.

I'm really not sure. Nissan does very little to help sponsor events, but then usually come through right at the end with something, which is usually too little too late.

I don't want to damage the X though. I was hoping a few trails and camping. I have a stock X, no lift. I was planning on getting BFG M/T in the fall. I want to go offroad, but not where I am gonna get stuck and have to turn around and meet everyone at another point. The year we move close enough (CO) to the event, the event changes where stock 4x4 Xs will have trouble is not fun. We were really looking forward to going. I prefer something like years past. We really want to go and meet people, shoot the breeze, take a few trails, camp, not injure the truck (I can handle a few scratches, but not dents). I know you can't please everyone, but please take everyone into consideration (especially the numerous amount of Xers that don't have mods). I don't want to sound like I am whining, but I feel singled out. We had our hopes up. I have been faithful to this club and have taken great advice from many and used it to my advantage. I have also offered some good advice. Please take this post as good advice, not as a venting session. Thanks. We'll wait for RMXC runs and hook up then. We are looking forward to meeting and running with local Xers there. Thanks anyway.

I'm with you. I like it better if there are alternate trails that we cannot make because we don't have the mods.

Ian, will there be any points to meet up with the group halfway in for those who have probelms getting a whole week of time off?

Maybe at certain highway crossings etc?

Dustin, the campsites on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are pretty easy to get to from several directions, so people could hook up with us in the evening or mornings.

Alpine Hoy, the difficulty of GOX has been increased somewhat because the trails around Ouray just weren't enough for 5 days anymore.

I have driven a stock Xterra (with BFG All Terrains) over most of the trails on the list, and they can be done with no damage other than scrapes and dents on the chassis (which will happen on almost any trail to a stock height Xterra).

Several trails can be bypassed for those wishing to attend in stock trucks (however I recomend not running stock tires because they are useless against rocks and sharp pointy things).

The last climb at Wheeler Lake can be skipped and you can hike up to the camp site. Chinaman's Gulch can be skipped and the person could set up camp then run Pomeroy Lakes or other trails in the area (there are a dozen).

The difficult portion of Tin Cup can be bypassed.

Taylor and Pearl passes can be skipped since they are an out and back run.

Italian Creek has a tough route and a muddy route that avoids the rock ledge.

Schofield and the Devil's Punch Bowl can be skipped and one of 5 other scenic trails can be run in the area.

The only real requirements are tires, since they make the biggest difference in where a stock Xterra can go, and the trails will consist of mostly loose dirt and rock and mud.

This is the stuff I bring:

Flashlight
GPS
Maps (printed & Gazeteer)
Tools
Roadside Emergency Kit
Shovel
Recovery Strap

What else would you guys suggest?

Beer!!

Beer, ice, winch, radiator fluid, brake/power steering fluid, beer, snatch block, axe, H2O kit, baby wipes(don't ask), rad. cap, spare belts, FRS radio, Amber Lynn, Hi-Lift, D35 axle, 2x6 plank, rope, nun's habit, warm fuzzy puppy.
Well, you asked. This is my list pal, not yours.

An axe, what in the heck do you need an axe for in the middle of the desert?

Chopping up ice blocks and drawing lines, of course.

Desert??

This is a GOX forum......

Didn't someone take off all the rocks so you can drive a car up there now ?

So what is the virdict so far? Are we doing the tour from Denver or doing Ouray again. It sounds to me that its the tour. Sorry, I have been out if it for a while.
And if thats the case, it will probably be mostly camping? What ever will I do with out a shower to primp?
-Rob

Has a date been nailed down for sure?

July 25th-31st... if it happens.

I'm watching our snow pack carefully for signs of fire bans. If we have fire bans, the event won't happen, I can't camp for 6 nights without fire.

Colorado Snow Pack
Colorado Fire Bans
National Fire Danger

I also have a lot of research to finish regarding 30 trucks camping at some of the locations I've chosen.

Is there a back up plan incase of fire bans?

Drink beer at my house for the week ?

Plenty of water, some rags/paper towels, on board air, FRS/CB, fire extinguisher, gas stove, tent, sleeping bag & pad, dry rations and kettle and tea,something like terra-flu, axe/saw/charcoal/burning brickets, hat, spare clothes & shoes, signalfire thingy, spare parts, hi-lift/farm jack...

Have no clue if i am going or not yet Buried in work head deep, already missed a lot

Party at Ian's
BYOB
Camping on the front lawn, and the neighbor's lawns if alot of people show up.

Our forcast for the next two days is up to 30 inches of snow in the mountains and a foot in Denver. That should put our snow pack over last years amount, and we had very few bans last year.

Yes snow, It is snowing really hard right now and there is about 2 inches on the deck so far.

Hmmmm?
Did you get a new fan in the bathroom?

Hey Ian, is there a way you could post up a "map" of roughly where the trails will take us? This will be my first trip to CO, so I'm not to familiar with the state.

Thanks in advance.

Just wondering what mods I would have to do before I would be able to go on the GOX?

:rolleyes: Well, 1st you'd need an Xterra..
Welcome to the XOC

I will be posting one sometime in May when the site is finished.

So is it still July 25th-31st? I'll need to arrange for some time off (as well as a ride) as far in advance as possible.

Thanks.

At this point in time, yes.
My only real concern right now is the number of vehicles attending and the impact on Wheeler Lake on the first night. I'll be checking with the Forest Service about that issue. The rest of the camping spots I've chosen can accomodate large numbers of people spread over numerous sites.