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PAGE 2 OF THE SECOND ISSUE OF CAMPFIRE TALES
In the beginning, Campfire Tales had no pictures.  Just the story.  Keep in mind this story was written in 1985.  The trails have changed a lot since that time.

This issue includes
Taylor Pass

Pearl Pass.

PEARL PASS  -  ANOTHER OF THE MANY ADVENTURES OF PASS PATROL

Labor Day morning (Monday) started out wet.  A slow rain moved in and promised to stay.  We packed up and headed down the other side of Taylor Pass.  (I just had to take the hill one more time.)  When we reached the bottom of the pass, we had a choice.  Aspen was right.  Pearl Pass was left.

Mike didn’t like the weather, so he headed for home.  The rest of us decided to head for Crested Butte which turned out to not be the best of ideas.  Pearl Pass tops out at 12,705 feet in elevation.

We started up at 11am, expecting to have lunch in Crested Butte around 1pm.  About noon, we realized the road we wanted was not marked.  We were sitting in a dead-end canyon at about 13,000 feet in a hail storm.  The only way out was the same way we came in.  On the way back, we found the road to Pearl Pass.  It was the one that went up a steep grade of boulders and rocks.  At about 2pm, we reached the summit.  That’s when the trouble began.  It started when the clouds opened up and began dumping rain and snow all over us and our road.  The narrow ledge trail became very slippery.

“Breaker Bronco.  You got a low tire on the right rear.”

“No Problem,” I answered.  “I’ve got a pump in the back.”

Actually, it was a problem.  The air was came out faster than it went in.  We were so busy working on the back tire, we didn’t even notice that the front one was already off the rim.  We had to use my spare and the one from the CJ to get the Bronco off the ground, but finally, we were on the way.

“Hey Nissan Leader.  Looks like you got a flat on the rear.”