TRAIL OF THE MONTH:

Imogene Pass, Colorado

Imogene Pass


Located in the southwest part of Colorado, Imogene Pass will take your breath away. The blue mountain scapes blanketed in misty clouds rise above 13,000 ft above sea level. This is the second highest mountain crossing, for vehicles that is, in Colorado. Not for a newbie on a solo drive - but with proper precaution and a trail buddy, this 4wheel drive adventure is one to keep on your bucket list.


Joining us this month to tell us about their trip to Imogene Pass, Mati and Jenn took their 4Runner through to this trail and shared their story with us.


Tell us about Imogene pass, Why that location? What was the coolest moment? Any scary or recovery moments?


Imogene Pass was on our must do list in Telluride because we knew how high we had to climb and for all the different views it was going to offer us. At one point you're driving through a tunnel on a mountain side cliff, then your driving through abandoned mines with some snow still visible along the sides and next thing you know, you're standing at the 13,000 ft mountain peak with a gorgeous backdrop.

The coolest and scary moment for us was the weather. At the start of trail, it was very gloomy, while there was no rain on the forecast earlier in the day, it started to drizzle. While we would never risk being on a trail in harsh weather conditions, it forecasted light shower for an hr so we continued. It was a bit sketchy being on the trail when you constantly had to use the wipers. But, within 10-15 minutes, the sky cleared and it was a beautiful sunny day like no other. We learned Colorado showers can be bipolar šŸ˜‚

Tell us a little about yourself.



We're a husband and wife based in Southern California. Our hope is to explore all 50 states plus more if possible! So far weā€™ve marked several of the western states and slowly venturing further out. We love outdoors and exploring. We have two pups, a rescued husky-malamute, Leah & a Shiba Inu named Luna that accompany us on our travels and to be honest they're the main reasons why we got into enjoying the outdoors. Living in a small apartment at the time, we needed ways for them to release their energy and the best thing was for them to run free in the wild. If you ever ask us, ā€œlets go camp, offroad, hit the trailā€ our answer will always be, ā€œweā€™re down, let do it!ā€

How'd you get into overlanding and off-roading?



Our friends took us camping for the first time, dispersed camping, and we immediately fell in love with the idea. At the time we had our, what we thought was a good 4x4 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but in order get deeper in the mountains and into more remote areas, we needed something better suited. Once we got our 4runner, we have been overlanding as much as we could. We have visited over 7 different states with our rig and we will continue to add onto this number.

What keeps you into overlanding / off roading?



While we off-road time to time, Overlanding is more of our thing. Overlanding allows us to be connected deeper with nature while being disconnected with the busy city life we live on a daily routine. We love how we are able to explore every nooks and corners of the mountains and these experiences are something truly special, whether it be the scenery you get to see, or the time spent with friends you travel with, or simply cookin' up a good meal at the cliff of the mountains. Every trip has gifted us some special memories.

What is your favorite trail and why? What is your dream trail and why?



We don't have a favorite to point out but definitely would say all pass in Colorado near Telluride and Ouray such as Black Bear, Imogene, Poughkeepsie Gulch, trail to Red Mountains are going on our top list. Our ultimate dream trail would have to be travel along Pan-American highway. It would definitely require some strategic planning with so many logistics but it's a nice dream to have for us and maybe achieve it one day haha.

Out of all the off-roading vehicles, Why 4Runner?



We love the design, it's reliable, and the ability to customize and modify at your taste. Just looking at how many early generation 4runners are still up and running, it gave us confidence to build our rig and travel with it for many many years.

Until next time!



At Cali Raised LED, we not only want to encourage riders to try something new, (with all the proper precautions of course!) but also to not be too shy when it comes to checking out trails that they may not have thought possible. It's in our very slogan, "Rise Up and Seek Adventure." We really mean it.


Thank you to Mati & Jenn for sharing your story with us.


If you haven't figured it out yet, we've been featuring a trail or national park or other must see location each month of the year, and sometimes we are lucky enough to find other off-roaders who have been there. They are kind enough to share their experience and their expertise. Want to be featured? Have a trail you think we should feature? Submit your photos and story to partners@caliraisedled.com to be considered!


What Trails do you think we should feature next? Tell us in the comments below!

THERE ARE 18 COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE

  • Definitely a bucket list item for my 4Runner and I!

    Lily Luu 02/16/2023 at 04:53 PM
  • Always see this trail on YouTube. Looks sweet

    Felix 11/29/2022 at 09:44 AM
  • Defintely looking forward to marking this off our list of places to travel. Cant wait to hit the trail.

    Todd Brown 02/16/2022 at 07:20 PM
  • This area of Colorado is true off-roading heaven. Iā€™ve been plenty of places but thereā€™s nothing like the Alpine Loop. I just barely missed Imogeneā€™s open-season in 2021 so am looking forward to making my way back this year to try again.

    Graham Cain 02/10/2022 at 07:33 PM
  • Definitely doing this trail the next time I go.

    Scott Zriny 02/06/2022 at 12:24 PM
  • Great Article

    Brian` 12/29/2021 at 10:36 AM
  • Thanks for the info. Adding to our bucket list.

    Teddy 12/20/2021 at 08:56 PM
  • Never been to Colorado but would love to go off roading there in the winter!

    Randy 12/14/2021 at 12:25 AM
  • This is on the bucket list for sure.

    Iā€™d be curious to see how that iKamper is mounted to the rack.

    I just purchased the 4R Premium Rack(waiting on shipping notification) and was hoping to be able to use the extrusion to mount rather than the clamp style.

    Hope there is development of a quick release system for the extrusion!

    Justin K. 12/07/2021 at 07:41 AM
  • Definitely added to my bucket list! Still working on getting my roof tent :)

    Xio Nava 12/04/2021 at 06:51 PM
  • Looks awesome! Wish I had trails like this closer to home here in the Deep South.

    Joseph 11/29/2021 at 04:26 PM
  • This is such a pretty place I really need to get out to CO to see all the great places to wheel at!

    ANDREW GLOWACKI 11/26/2021 at 03:35 PM
  • Looks awsome

    Chase Jennings 11/25/2021 at 06:37 PM
  • Read the book ā€œTomboy Brideā€ and do a little research about the people who lived in those early mining camps to really appreciate the spirit of those who lived there. Red Mountain Town, Silverton, Telluride, Ouray, Animas Forks, and all the other old towns that donā€™t even exist anymore! Find the turntable for the Silverton Railroad in Corkscrew Gulch!

    2lazy2 11/21/2021 at 06:13 PM
  • Fantastic setup. Would love to try out the rooftop tent!

    Gerald Francel 11/19/2021 at 12:17 PM
  • May be going to Colorado for my next travel nurse assignment so I might have to check this one out!

    Shawn Andrews 11/06/2021 at 12:40 AM
  • This trail is on my bucket list! Hopefully one day I can make it a reality.

    Richard 11/04/2021 at 06:22 PM
  • Sicckkk!!! Love it.

    Michael Mahler 11/02/2021 at 09:52 AM

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