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Bronclahoma

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I want to say in this case, if I read this right a while back, the driver got out of the vehicle and did not put it in park or set the parking brake, or something to that effect. The jeep rolled and went over the edge.
Yes. With his wife in the vehicle.
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Monkey

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Iā€™d be curious to hear what vehicles you have completed the pass in, especially the Steps. We took our BS BL to the spot where it turns to one way and I can agree that it isnā€™t too bad up to that point. While I agree that the BS BL could do the full pass with experience, I believe it would be difficult due to the ground clearance and another couple of inches could certainly help.
TL;DR: Used to spend lots of time in and out of Telluride and camping, off-roading all over southern CO. Been over it a handful of times. Maybe not in less capable vehicles per se, usually in appropriate but with maybe a bit less ground clearance or torque/HP on a few occasions.

My first time over the pass was in a ā€˜66 Jeep CJ5. This was in about ā€˜94~ā€™95. I actually completed the pass a few times in that Jeep. 4.3L V6, lifted on 33ā€ tires. Have also been over Black Bear in my ā€˜98 Ford Ranger that replaced that Jeep, stock suspension, AT tires (Bridgestone Dueler AT, IIRC). And that trip was a hoot because we followed a couple dudes with long beards that looked like ZZ Top driving a lifted VW Beetle.

So while I said less capable vehicles than the Bronco Sport, well, the Ranger had less ground clearance and both my old CJ5 and that Ranger had less torque than my Badlands Sport, but more than a Bronco Sport with the 1.5Lā€¦

Also been over in our 2010 4-door Rubicon and with a friend in his Tacoma and that was the last time over the pass, so maybe 6 years ago. Tackling The Steps in the Tacoma was interesting. It was the largest thing Iā€™ve traveled the pass in and I donā€™t know how we made it over without scraping the sides in a few spots.

Iā€™ve seen a couple Jeeps tip onto their sides. And one Jeep slide and almost roll off the trail due to going too fast into one of the switchbacks. Thereā€™s usually a few each year that manage to fall off the mountain. I have not witnessed any roll down the mountain, but all the incidents Iā€™ve seen were inexperienced and/or overconfident (unaware?) drivers who got going a bit too fast.

I was just in Telluride in July, but no way I would even think of doing it in our Expedition Max that myself and the family was in. But watching activity on the pass, it was a steady stream of Jeeps (mostly) and some other SUVs, Tacomas, a couple Raptorsā€¦. All day. Itā€™s like a busy thing these days apparently, like everyone who drives through there has to do Black Bear like itā€™s the main attraction for anyone with a 4x4 so they an get their off-road/ overland lifestyle badge or something.

So this accident involving the Bronco Sport does seem to indicate the lady driving attempted to drive up initially until realizing that isnā€™t the way. Probably misjudged the edge while getting turned around at one of the switchbacks and ended up rolling it an estimated 400 feet down the mountain. She was apparently ejected from the Bronco and severely injured and her dog was injured too as he was along for the ride. :(

As for the Bronco Sport, I would not hesitate to take my Badlands Sport the complete journey over the pass. Based on my own prior experience. As long as weather conditions are good and trail conditions are dry. Iā€™ve seen someone complete the entire pass in a Suzuki Samurai (notorious roll-over 4x4) and Iā€™ve seen more than a couple do it in a Ford Escape (older variant that predates the Bronco Sport and the new car-like Escape). There are only two spots I can think of where higher ground clearance would be almost necessary. One spot right before entering The Steps is pretty narrow and with the slope and rocks, higher clearance is a bonus. This spot also has a lower more flat-cut road section to the side that is much safer. Thereā€™s one particular switchback that has some larger rocks, I worried about scraping my transfer case in that spot in my Ranger.

I would NOT RECOMMEND Black Bear Pass to any novice off-road people. Yet I know plenty of noobs tackle it every week these days and manage to survive. I would consider Black Bear to be of moderate difficulty and it can really be intimidating. While difficulty is moderate, even on the low side of moderate if in an appropriate vehicle, consequences for screwing up can be severe.
 

KodiakMomCrawler

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This is what was posted on the sheriff's facebook post:

230pm Deputies have learned that the women were driving up Bridal Veil Road and entered the one-way Black Bear Pass going the wrong way. The passenger told Deputies they did not see the sign indicating the beginning of the one way pass. After a couple of switchbacks they decided it was best to turn around. The passenger then stepped of the vehicle to help the driver navigate, and while backing up, two of the wheels went high enough on the embankment to cause the vehicle to begin to roll. The 2021 Ford Bronco rolled off the cliff an estimated 400 feet, ejecting the driver, the dog, and the vehicle's engine before coming to a stop.
1045am Dog update: 1 year-old golden doodle "Chewy" treated for minor injuries, doing well.
10am According to initial reports, driver is an out of state 23 year-old female who was ejected and suffered serious injuries. Her passenger was out of the vehicle when rollover occurred and not injured, and a dog was ejected and being treated at a local vet. Fortunately, no hikers or drivers of other vehicles were killed or injured by this falling car or associated debris.


Hopefully the driver is ok. Sounds like operator error, not necessarily a failure of the BS.
That is so sad.. I hope the woman and her dog are ok.
 

christopheru

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TL;DR: Used to spend lots of time in and out of Telluride and camping, off-roading all over southern CO. Been over it a handful of times. Maybe not in less capable vehicles per se, usually in appropriate but with maybe a bit less ground clearance or torque/HP on a few occasions.

My first time over the pass was in a ā€˜66 Jeep CJ5. This was in about ā€˜94~ā€™95. I actually completed the pass a few times in that Jeep. 4.3L V6, lifted on 33ā€ tires. Have also been over Black Bear in my ā€˜98 Ford Ranger that replaced that Jeep, stock suspension, AT tires (Bridgestone Dueler AT, IIRC). And that trip was a hoot because we followed a couple dudes with long beards that looked like ZZ Top driving a lifted VW Beetle.

So while I said less capable vehicles than the Bronco Sport, well, the Ranger had less ground clearance and both my old CJ5 and that Ranger had less torque than my Badlands Sport, but more than a Bronco Sport with the 1.5Lā€¦

Also been over in our 2010 4-door Rubicon and with a friend in his Tacoma and that was the last time over the pass, so maybe 6 years ago. Tackling The Steps in the Tacoma was interesting. It was the largest thing Iā€™ve traveled the pass in and I donā€™t know how we made it over without scraping the sides in a few spots.

Iā€™ve seen a couple Jeeps tip onto their sides. And one Jeep slide and almost roll off the trail due to going too fast into one of the switchbacks. Thereā€™s usually a few each year that manage to fall off the mountain. I have not witnessed any roll down the mountain, but all the incidents Iā€™ve seen were inexperienced and/or overconfident (unaware?) drivers who got going a bit too fast.

I was just in Telluride in July, but no way I would even think of doing it in our Expedition Max that myself and the family was in. But watching activity on the pass, it was a steady stream of Jeeps (mostly) and some other SUVs, Tacomas, a couple Raptorsā€¦. All day. Itā€™s like a busy thing these days apparently, like everyone who drives through there has to do Black Bear like itā€™s the main attraction for anyone with a 4x4 so they an get their off-road/ overland lifestyle badge or something.

So this accident involving the Bronco Sport does seem to indicate the lady driving attempted to drive up initially until realizing that isnā€™t the way. Probably misjudged the edge while getting turned around at one of the switchbacks and ended up rolling it an estimated 400 feet down the mountain. She was apparently ejected from the Bronco and severely injured and her dog was injured too as he was along for the ride. :(

As for the Bronco Sport, I would not hesitate to take my Badlands Sport the complete journey over the pass. Based on my own prior experience. As long as weather conditions are good and trail conditions are dry. Iā€™ve seen someone complete the entire pass in a Suzuki Samurai (notorious roll-over 4x4) and Iā€™ve seen more than a couple do it in a Ford Escape (older variant that predates the Bronco Sport and the new car-like Escape). There are only two spots I can think of where higher ground clearance would be almost necessary. One spot right before entering The Steps is pretty narrow and with the slope and rocks, higher clearance is a bonus. This spot also has a lower more flat-cut road section to the side that is much safer. Thereā€™s one particular switchback that has some larger rocks, I worried about scraping my transfer case in that spot in my Ranger.

I would NOT RECOMMEND Black Bear Pass to any novice off-road people. Yet I know plenty of noobs tackle it every week these days and manage to survive. I would consider Black Bear to be of moderate difficulty and it can really be intimidating. While difficulty is moderate, even on the low side of moderate if in an appropriate vehicle, consequences for screwing up can be severe.
Best comment of the thread.
 


Benanza

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It seems like you all want to place blame on the driver, however, in this case the spotter who was outside the car giving directions when the BS went over the edge was taking responsibility. It's only the drivers fault for taking on a challenge she didn't know and wasn't ready for... I hope she has a full recovery and gets back out there to try again!
 

fourthgear

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Driver error , because of vehicle angle , driver should not have permitted the BS to a roll over angle , thats inexperience & we also have no way of knowing what experience the spotter had or their communication skills . The Driver is the Driver , no one else is in or has control of the Vehicle . Not to mention they went the Wong way , another error .

Unless there is a mechanical issue to cause this type of accident , it's all on the Driver , that includes road conditions , if road conditions are bad , the driver should know not to drive it .

Yes better tires , a better modified vehicle for off road conditions would be a plus , I didn't see anything on the road that the BS , with an experienced Driver could not handle .

I would like to know how the Driver or why the driver was ejected , speculation would be no seat belt , but not enough info .

How the driver recovers & the Dog .

On a personal note , my wife would have major pucker factor on that road , she would get out & tell me to come back for her , though she we were younger she had no problem with the strip mines in PA. off roading .
 

Bronco7221

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TL;DR: Used to spend lots of time in and out of Telluride and camping, off-roading all over southern CO. Been over it a handful of times. Maybe not in less capable vehicles per se, usually in appropriate but with maybe a bit less ground clearance or torque/HP on a few occasions.

My first time over the pass was in a ā€˜66 Jeep CJ5. This was in about ā€˜94~ā€™95. I actually completed the pass a few times in that Jeep. 4.3L V6, lifted on 33ā€ tires. Have also been over Black Bear in my ā€˜98 Ford Ranger that replaced that Jeep, stock suspension, AT tires (Bridgestone Dueler AT, IIRC). And that trip was a hoot because we followed a couple dudes with long beards that looked like ZZ Top driving a lifted VW Beetle.

So while I said less capable vehicles than the Bronco Sport, well, the Ranger had less ground clearance and both my old CJ5 and that Ranger had less torque than my Badlands Sport, but more than a Bronco Sport with the 1.5Lā€¦

Also been over in our 2010 4-door Rubicon and with a friend in his Tacoma and that was the last time over the pass, so maybe 6 years ago. Tackling The Steps in the Tacoma was interesting. It was the largest thing Iā€™ve traveled the pass in and I donā€™t know how we made it over without scraping the sides in a few spots.

Iā€™ve seen a couple Jeeps tip onto their sides. And one Jeep slide and almost roll off the trail due to going too fast into one of the switchbacks. Thereā€™s usually a few each year that manage to fall off the mountain. I have not witnessed any roll down the mountain, but all the incidents Iā€™ve seen were inexperienced and/or overconfident (unaware?) drivers who got going a bit too fast.

I was just in Telluride in July, but no way I would even think of doing it in our Expedition Max that myself and the family was in. But watching activity on the pass, it was a steady stream of Jeeps (mostly) and some other SUVs, Tacomas, a couple Raptorsā€¦. All day. Itā€™s like a busy thing these days apparently, like everyone who drives through there has to do Black Bear like itā€™s the main attraction for anyone with a 4x4 so they an get their off-road/ overland lifestyle badge or something.

So this accident involving the Bronco Sport does seem to indicate the lady driving attempted to drive up initially until realizing that isnā€™t the way. Probably misjudged the edge while getting turned around at one of the switchbacks and ended up rolling it an estimated 400 feet down the mountain. She was apparently ejected from the Bronco and severely injured and her dog was injured too as he was along for the ride. :(

As for the Bronco Sport, I would not hesitate to take my Badlands Sport the complete journey over the pass. Based on my own prior experience. As long as weather conditions are good and trail conditions are dry. Iā€™ve seen someone complete the entire pass in a Suzuki Samurai (notorious roll-over 4x4) and Iā€™ve seen more than a couple do it in a Ford Escape (older variant that predates the Bronco Sport and the new car-like Escape). There are only two spots I can think of where higher ground clearance would be almost necessary. One spot right before entering The Steps is pretty narrow and with the slope and rocks, higher clearance is a bonus. This spot also has a lower more flat-cut road section to the side that is much safer. Thereā€™s one particular switchback that has some larger rocks, I worried about scraping my transfer case in that spot in my Ranger.

I would NOT RECOMMEND Black Bear Pass to any novice off-road people. Yet I know plenty of noobs tackle it every week these days and manage to survive. I would consider Black Bear to be of moderate difficulty and it can really be intimidating. While difficulty is moderate, even on the low side of moderate if in an appropriate vehicle, consequences for screwing up can be severe.
Great write up! Thanks for the response and I think the one that surprises me the most honestly is that stock Ranger!

When we were at the Bronco Off Roadeo one of the guides also stated his full confidence in the BS BL doing Black Bear Pass. So while I personally wouldnā€™t do it without the safety net of more ground clearance (mostly to avoid the potential for damage), itā€™s good to know our rigs are capable enough! On the other hand, we did do Imogene and it was definitely more technical (for the BS) then the initial section of Black Bear (again, we turned around at the one way sign and did not do the Steps or the Switchbacks).

Thanks again for sharing your experiences!
 

brockdog12

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Looks like he ran off the trail on two switchbacks above .. Note the debris in the trail. But how the hell do you run off a trail like that? Had he gone off that dropoff at the rear of the vehicle at the end, he wouldn't have survived. How do you explain this to your insurance company? :)
Reads like they were trying a 3 point turn around and miscalculated and rolled it.
 


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I should have taken pictures with my BS but i did black bear pass in mine.

However, I am experianced and have done black bear pass in a Nissan Xterra (Lifted with 35's etc)

It can be done, but i would not try to do this trail alone, nor would i do this trail as a 4x4 novice. This trail needs experianced drivers.

Do NOT attempt alone in ANY vehicle!

Mine is a Big Bend with a rough country lift, & 31" KO2's
 

Rgill

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I should have taken pictures with my BS but i did black bear pass in mine.

However, I am experianced and have done black bear pass in a Nissan Xterra (Lifted with 35's etc)

It can be done, but i would not try to do this trail alone, nor would i do this trail as a 4x4 novice. This trail needs experianced drivers.

Do NOT attempt alone in ANY vehicle!

Mine is a Big Bend with a rough country lift, & 31" KO2's
thumbs up KO2s. Love those. Have a set on my 2011 FJ Cruiser. Any issues with the 31s after the rough country? And how did you like the lift? Good quality?
 

ScareCrow

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Good news is the driver is alive. Just because Mitch Creel did Black Bear in a BS, don't assume you can. The badge looks to be an Outer Banks. It is the gray vehicle in the photos, not easy to immediately recognize as a BS.


Ford Bronco Sport Bronco Sport rolls off Black Bear Pass in CO, injuring driver and dog 1632701658691-jpe


Ford Bronco Sport Bronco Sport rolls off Black Bear Pass in CO, injuring driver and dog 1632701676309-jpe


Ford Bronco Sport Bronco Sport rolls off Black Bear Pass in CO, injuring driver and dog 1632701691576-jpe



News report / info:

*Black Bear Pass and Bridal Veil Rd open since 10am Sunday after being closed to vehicle traffic at 745am due to vehicle rollover. The pass re-opened after the vehicle was cleared. Thank you for your patience. See below for details.

230pm Deputies have learned that the women were driving up Bridal Veil Road and entered the one-way Black Bear Pass going the wrong way. The passenger told Deputies they did not see the sign indicating the beginning of the one way pass. After a couple of switchbacks they decided it was best to turn around. The passenger then stepped of the vehicle to help the driver navigate, and while backing up, two of the wheels went high enough on the embankment to cause the vehicle to begin to roll. The 2021 Ford Bronco rolled off the cliff an estimated 400 feet, ejecting the driver, the dog, and the vehicle's engine before coming to a stop.

1045am Dog update: 1 year-old golden doodle "Chewy" treated for minor injuries, doing well.
10am According to initial reports, driver is an out of state 23 year-old female who was ejected and suffered serious injuries. Her passenger was out of the vehicle when rollover occurred and not injured, and a dog was ejected and being treated at a local vet. Fortunately, no hikers or drivers of other vehicles were killed or injured by this falling car or associated debris.

Sheriff Masters wishes to thank TFPD, Telluride Marshalā€™s Deputies, and CSP for their efficient response and care and extends his best wishes to the driver for a good recovery from her serious injuries. Sheriff Masters also wants to remind everyone, ā€œBlack Bear Pass is an extremely dangerous road and should only be driven by experienced off-road drivers in appropriate off-road vehicles. Legally, a 16 year-old who got his driverā€™s license a few hours prior, may attempt to drive the pass in his grandmotherā€™s 1980ā€™s sedan. That doesnā€™t mean itā€™s safe to do so."

940am Deputies and wrecker on scene; estimated time for road and pass to be re-open is by 1030am.

830am Black Bear Pass and Bridal Veil Rd are closed due to vehicle rollover. Will reopen after wrecker removes vehicle. Unknown ETA.

Driver treated on scene by Telluride Fire Protection District medics and transported to Telluride Regional Medical Center for further care.


More info added - from Sheriff's office:

230pm Deputies have learned that the women were driving up Bridal Veil Road and entered the one-way Black Bear Pass going the wrong way. The passenger told Deputies they did not see the sign indicating the beginning of the one way pass. After a couple of switchbacks they decided it was best to turn around. The passenger then stepped of the vehicle to help the driver navigate, and while backing up, two of the wheels went high enough on the embankment to cause the vehicle to begin to roll. The 2021 Ford Bronco rolled off the cliff an estimated 400 feet, ejecting the driver, the dog, and the vehicle's engine before coming to a stop.
1045am Dog update: 1 year-old golden doodle "Chewy" treated for minor injuries, doing well.
10am According to initial reports, driver is an out of state 23 year-old female who was ejected and suffered serious injuries. Her passenger was out of the vehicle when rollover occurred and not injured, and a dog was ejected and being treated at a local vet. Fortunately, no hikers or drivers of other vehicles were killed or injured by this falling car or associated debris.
Sheriff Warns Rookie Off-Roaders to Stay Off Black Bear Pass After Another Nasty Crash

I think I'll keep this one off my Bucket List, not in a hurry to get there...... !!


Full Article
 

fourthgear

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Yea, what's up with that...hit a little bump and your engine going to fly away
Not sure if you are being sarcastic or not , but that was not a little bump in any way . We have no way of knowing what that BS hit on the way down 400' on a rocky landscape , I think it's great that it stayed in one piece , sorta , who cares where the engine Cover went , it may have stayed on the Engine for all we know .
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