Worst Off-Roading Accident in Colorado History - Colorado's Deadliest Trail Pt. 4 Schofield Pass
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- Опубликовано: 13 авг 2022
- This is it, the Finale of our Chasing Colorado's Deadliest Trails Series. We are here on Colorado's Deadliest Trail Schofield Pass. This Pass has the worst 4x4 accident ever recorded in Colorado history. 9 People died in one outing while traversing this trail in 1970 the exact day after Colt's Dad drove it in his CJ5. We hope you hang on as we drive Colorado's deadliest trail and visit the Marble Mine that has some really interesting history as well. We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you in the shop or on our next adventure.
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Note from Marcus F. Robinson:
My father, T Thacher Robinson was the driver of the GMC Jimmy Jeep that went over the edge killing 9 of the 12 occupants including my brother Andrew, half brothers George and Samuel, stepmother Robin and family friends July 7, 1970. Most accounts of the accident are cheap shots about an inexperienced jeep driver, or tourists, or out for the first run in a new jeep. The reality was that the Jimmy Jeep was miss-assembled with three springs left out of the transmission. At the worst possible moment heading up, the jeep popped out of gear and began rolling backwards. Because my father had not pumped out the brakes after fording the Cyrstal River just below the punchbowl, the brakes did not hold and the jeep began rolling backwards. My father, an experienced jeep driver, kept his calm and backed the Jimmy into the side of the mountain where it held long enough for everyone to make a sigh of relief. Then the jeep, either because of loose rock or because it had become unstable, tipped over the edge. My brother Beren has no recollection of how he got out of the jeep which submerged completely in the punch bowl. My father reported to the investigating officials that the jeep had popped out of gear and the jeep was impounded in a state yard where investigators later determined the jeep was missing three springs in the transmission. An appalling side note has to do with two "company officials" that showed up at the state yard after hours with a flatbed truck stating they had permission to take the vehicle for inspection. The night watchman, finding this unusual, refused entry and told them to come back during business hours. They never did. The day the case was to go to trial, GMC offered all families who lost loved ones in the accident an out of court settlement. That said, it was insane of my father to drive up with eleven with him in the jeep. While it was not overloaded weight wise because five of the souls were infants or quite young, it was certainly overloaded lives wise. My father should at the very least have told them to get out and walk up to where it was safer.
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Авто/Мото
This is it, the Finale of our Chasing Colorado's Deadliest Trails Series. We are here on Colorado's Deadliest Trail Schofield Pass. This Pass has the worst 4x4 accident ever recorded in Colorado history. 9 People died in one outing while traversing this trail in 1970 the exact day after Colt's Dad drove it in his CJ5. We hope you hang on as we drive Colorado's deadliest trail and visit the Marble Mine that has some really interesting history as well. We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you in the shop or on our next adventure.
*********************************
Like this video? Check out these:
Chasing Colorado's Deadliest Trails-
Part 1/2: ruclips.net/video/0z8QMqjeOuo/видео.html
Part 1: ruclips.net/video/f6ZehfFqm0U/видео.html
Part 2: ruclips.net/video/vlRPhj563ek/видео.html
Part 3: ruclips.net/video/cNZOfshh2-Q/видео.html
*Part 4: ruclips.net/video/9L7_Fazqad0/видео.html
Narrow Escape at Black Bear Pass: ruclips.net/video/njLv3Q18KEU/видео.html
Colorado Scenic Byway: ruclips.net/video/1SDGQ0cy0HI/видео.html
*********************************
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Get 15% OFF Baja Jerky: Enter Code "BLEEPIN15" at checkout
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Get 10% OFF Eastwood Tools: Enter Code "BLEEPINJ" at checkout
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*This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. Your mileage may vary. Do not try this at home. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. For off-road use only. Slippery when wet. Batteries not included. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle, heavy equipment, cherokee XJ, wrangler TJ, wrangler JK, or any Jeep vehicle, especially the newer Fiat ones. How-to videos may be too intense for some viewers and children under 30 years of age. Please remain seated until the 4x4 ride has come to a complete stop. Studies have shown viewing these videos causes increased cancer risks in laboratory test people. I am not a professional, I have no training, I'm not even particularly good at horse whispering. Don't believe everything that you know. Please keep your hands in the vehicle at all times. Do not tap on glass. Do not eat anything that has been on the floor for more than 3 days. Keep your hands to yourself. Not to be taken internally. Reproduction strictly prohibited. Driver does not carry cash. Objects in Bleepinjeep mirrors may be farther than they appear.*
WOW and to think in 1973 I and my friends did that trail in a 1966 VW Bug, wow how things have changed.......
your videos would be much better if you quit videoing your face so much, id imagine most people like me would rather see what youre seeing instead of just seeing your face.
victorian high country..
theres a place in aus called marble bar.. also, black mountain queenland, fnq... people dissapear, die..we also have pine gap,,full of imported yanks..off limits, airea 52..
It's actually really ugly up here... there. It's probably best if y'all stay home. Just rocks and dirt..... maybe stay south towards Moab.
Great video! Thanks for sharing our hidden gem that isn't so hidden anymore.
Thanks for the ride along! It goes to show that you can travel this beautiful land of ours for your entire life and still find new places to see and enjoy! What a beautiful Land is our United States of America!
for sure, we have so many more places to explore here right in our backyard!
We need more of Bleepin Colt’s dad. Great video!
I could listen to him for hours!
There have been some big rock slides over the years that have closed Scholfield Pass. One back in the 80's closed it for 2 years. I drove this 2 times in my 77 Scout because I could not resist the Pucker Factor it presents. That was a long time ago and now at the ripe age of 70 my butt cheeks no longer pucker due to driving to many Danger Factor trails. Great series Y'all!
Time to step it up, theres always more pucker 😀
@@bleepinjeep But the older a person gets, they need to watch very carefully just how much "pucker" they get, otherwise they go broke replacing their shorts and jeans.
Comes a point when you get old enough. It's called the 'Meh' point.
"If it rolls over your dead" "Meh".
To much information,😊
Pucker factor? Schofield is a cakewalk. WTF?
The driver in that fatal accident was 'T Thacher Robinson'. He was a math instructor at the University of Illinois. He was writing a book on the type of math called 'Set Theory'. I was in three of his courses in 1967 - 1968. He was a very charismatic person, his classes were fun. RIP Professor.
And apparently, the world's worst wheeler. This trail can be done with your eyes closed.
Back in 1968 we went up there in our old Oldsmobile deuce and a quarter which was a HUGE car. My dad actually though we might be able to go over that, but my mom, who was a native of Gunnison said no. Dad (from Kansas) still thought we might be able to make it over, but mom told him to scout on foot first. Dad came back about an hour later, got a fishing pole out of the trunk of the car, and said, I think I'd be better off fishing the creek than trying to go across. He caught a few small brook trout which made for a much better experience than ripping out the oil pan or dying. It was a good choice.
Wilderness is pretty neat.
I lived in boulder and/or lakewood Colorado for four solid years 1972 _1977. Probably went fishing 3 times
I do recall a few older sedans actually making the trip. People would stop in Crystal and ask if the road "got as bad" as the canyon. Dad would say "nope, you already got past the worst part..."
Coming the other way, the first hurdle for most vehicles was Daniel's Hill. If your vehicle couldn't handle that, forget the next six miles. That's where his narrow wheelbase, low geared, front wheel drive Saab shone. It'd putter right up that hill without so much as a twitch to the temp gauge.
I don't think my dad attempted Schofield, but I definitely remember at least twice when we got to the nearest repair garage with twigs in either oil pan or radiator holes. This was in the early 60's and we were in a Peugeot 303 or 304 wagon. I also remember my eldest brother climbing down to & back up from some alpine lake with a Jerry can with water for the car.
I learned dad's bad habits and have driven my 72 Chevelle down some iffy roads . . .
Ah the ignorance of immortal youth.
I've really enjoyed this series! Thank you very much for sharing and allowing many of us to live vicariously through you guys!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Colt is awesome I love how you put your dad in here and you went back to the places he went and that was special to him great video !
I have pictures of my family and I swimming out in front of Crystal Mill in that pool from 30-35 years ago, a few different years. It was falling down at the time, seeing it look so much better now and hearing that they are actively maintaining it makes me very happy! I need to set aside a day here this summer to get out there again.
Swimming? Ohh man that water was soooooo cold! Yes its very cool that its still standing and being maintained by donations.
@@bleepinjeep Yes, SWIMMING. Had to do it in your tennis shoes though, cos of all the hooks that fishermen lost trying to snag trout from that mill pond.
And yes, I speak from experience.
Back in the early 80's my father poured a new foundation for the comstock, and redid the roof. It's obviously had a lot more work since, but the Dead Horse Mill (actually a compressor station for the pneumatic drills used in the mining) is in decent shape still.
Awesome vid! I grew up “in marble” and we’d drive this often for backpacking or as a weekend thing. Little did I know it was CO’s deadliest trail! Many in our trucks prefer to get out and walk the narrow parts of it and it was always interesting when a vehicle was coming the opposite direction.
We’ll done with the history, shots and commentary. Hats off to your dad for that wild route that had to take in in 70’s.
Thank you for coming along for the ride with us👍
My very first time doing the devils punch bowl I was 19 years old I owned a 1977 scout ll I was just there last Monday again and that smell of the dead moose was pretty fucking bad I was visiting my son that lives in Gunnison I love swimming at the devils punchbowl
@@JayElement13 I thought some clarification might help here... you can always tell the horse flies from the moose flies. It's fairly simple... moose flies have larger antlers!! 🤣👍
Doesn’t anyone use CB’s anymore? Before we went on a narrow trail, where we could not see all of it, we always called to see if anyone was coming the other way!
Can you rent a side by side atv and do this trail in that instead of a jeep?
Visited Marble and Crystal last year during the big landslide in Glenwood Canyon. Wanted to go further but we ran out of time and it started raining. Thanks for taking us along!
Good one, you guys/gals. That was cool with the part that Colt's dad dubbed in.
Salute to adventuring fathers for getting us into such hobbies. Miss ya dad.
Finding old ghost towns, abandoned minds and relics from the past is one of the many reasons I love 4 wheeling. Thank you for sharing the beauty that is Colorado.
Absolutely beautiful country and I agree it was deadly, thank you very much for taking us on this ride and adventure with you all!
Terrific series. Thanks so much for sharing the views and history. Very enjoyable.
I feel I will never travel that area but it has been so awesome to see that beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.
What a great video!! Unforgettable scenery...life long memories, doesn't get any better
Boy did that bring back memories, one of many treks back in the early 70's.
Was amazed to see the mill still standing, kudos to those preserving it. The quarry and Crystal City were all void of human activity back then, only the caretaker ghosts were present. Thx for sharing.
Great video! Kept me engaged the whole time! Schofield Pass was the first trail I did in our Jeep, I had never done any Offroading and had no experience, but my wife in her past life was experienced and spotted me through it. Love this trail!
Really cool adventure. Loved hearing the history from Colt and his Dad Matt.
I blew a tire just past the bridge last summer on Schofield. Changing a 35 on that trail is not fun. Did not get to to Black Bear or Imogene as I could not find a replacement for the tire I had blown. And I was not going to do more trails only carrying a flat spare. Stupid shortages last summer.
Loved the additional history from your dad!! So fascinating. And you'll never see me on that route, fear of heights is real ya'll.
That was an enjoyable series of videos and thanks to Colt for providing information on the trails and locations along the trail. Nice.
Such beautiful scenery! Thanks for taking us along!
This was a great series! Thank you so much for taking us along.
Awesome series y’all!!! That water is ABSOLUTELY FREEZING!!! I jumped in a few years back to get cleaned up after a few days camping. Quite invigorating but not sure I’ll do it again 😜🥶. Great series and love seeing trails I’ve driven (Blanca & Antero) and more I want to explore!!! Keep’em coming💪
Thanks guys. I grew up in Colorado and left when I was done with college 50 years ago. This was truly beautiful.
This has been an excellent series. Very well shot, edited and a fabulously scenic adventure. Thank you thank you. Well done! Thank you so much for taking us along.I will never travel that area but it has been so awesome to see that beautiful country.
Glad you enjoyed it😎👍
Would love to hear more stories from colts dad.
Really enjoy the trip 👍 truly beautiful country and lots of great information along the way!!
Thanks for sharing the adventure!!
Wow! This was a trip down memory lane. It has been about 27 years since I last visited Marble and a little longer since going up Schofield pass. Such a beautiful area. Thanks for the great video!
This was an awesome series, guys! Well done! Ieven learned a few new things about my home state! Keep up the great content! 👍
Thanks for the mini series guys, I enjoyed seeing parts of Colorado.
Beautiful country. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Fantastic vistas, thanks for taking us along.
Awesome series Colt and Matt, beautiful places and beautiful scenery!! America has a lot of byways full of places like this, and a lot of them built by the blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers. We use to take week long trips on our motorcycle and loved the sights, smells and the beautiful country we live in. And no better way than with good friends!!!! Keep up the great videos... ✌🏻
I was wondering when this trail would come up! Funny story, I was so worried about the width of the trail being too narrow for my GMC Jimmy that I actually measured the rear track width on my rig with a tape measure I had with me. I didn't realize until later that the front track is 3 inches wider than the rear!
:D
This has been an excellent series. Very well shot, edited and a fabulously scenic adventure. Thank you thank you. Well done! Gooday from Australia. :)
Thank you
Awesome adventure guys thanks for taking us along.
That's so rad, having family with 1st person tales and photos of traversing the same pass! Love it!
Absolutely awesome, total expertise and your father always with you, all the Best for the Team
Great series guys! Can you do something like this once a year?
These are my favorite passes to drive, thanks for bringing back great memories
Omg thank you .this is the best ,most informative video on u joints . I can understand.every word and follow along with . It's great thank you .
Road this trail solo 3 weeks ago on my dirt bike. Was the crazyest trail I've done didn't know anything about it tell I got to cristal. Awesome job with your adventure. Thank you for sharing it.
My favorite video you've ever made. Excellent!
I was here in July 1970 as a teenager. My Dad was going to run Schofield Pass but it was closed due to a deadly accident. At the time I didn't know where we were, but now I do.
I was doing some solo jeeping on the Marble side of this trail about 10 years ago. I really wanted to attempt this trail, but heeded the ominous signage at the beginning of the trail. After viewing your video, I’m glad I did. Although I had gotten myself in and out of a few hairy situations that season, I wasn’t going to push it. The mill and quarry were enough for me on that day. I’m really glad I came across your little adventure. You people are living the good life. Keep it up.
Man I love history like this and I agree I could listen to bleeping colts dad forever! Reminds me listening to story’s from my grandma !we need more history like this great job love it soooo much💗💯🤘🏻
Great video. Thank you for sharing. Awesome drone footage.
THANKS GANG !!!!!! These have been GREAT !!!! ( MUCH love from a CO. Native..)
My family did gold mining in Cripple Creek and Independence area mines. Your tour of that amazing scenery brought back many good memories of visiting my grandmother who lived in "Crip Crick". Great video -- well done!
Thanks for the information about the trails. Looks like an amazing trip.
That mill is always a pretty site. I took a picture of it and found a place online where they take pictures and turn them into puzzles. Made a great Christmas present for my baby sister who loves doing puzzles.
Very cool
So beautiful and natural. Thank you for sharing this.
Loved hearing Colts dad tell the story.. Really makes me wish I would have recorded some of my dad’s stories.
Awesome job on the photography and editing... Thank you for sharing.
That was really enjoyable, the information about the deadly trail was awesome, more stuff like that please. Gerald, New Zealand.
Love you showing places that most would never know about much less go to!
This is a bleeping good video!!! I thought Rudy's little trip up the Sequoia tree in Utah had some stunning scenery, but you folks just out-stunned him, seriously.
Awesome video guys, many thanks. I love the landscapes.
stunning scenery, def a trail I'd like to visit someday. Awesome to have your dad's story and photos woven in there! I guess going straight down hill made more sense than backing up that trail. What an adventure that must have been!
Cool shots of that quarry too, great video!
Awesome stories and video as always. Thanks
Awesome series! Very interesting. Thanks!!!
Thanks so much. So amazing to watch. Great education too. 🌺
Hello from Ouray, CO! Awesome video! Thank you for sharing your experience over there on Schofield Pass!! The Crested Butte/Marble region is my second favorite spot in the state; next to the San Juan Mountains, of course!
I haven't wheeled Schofield Pass before; I've only traversed through there in early winter on foot. I only have a stock Tacoma. It looks like it was only that spot that had that large boulder that the jeep put his wheels over it was a challenge?
Whew...that trail was narrow; at least with what was shown in this video! That would stink to have opposing direction traffic coming.
Safe travels to all!
My husband and I used to off road, but the worst we did was Black Bear. First time we were in Crystal it was a ghost town. There were house sized bolders of marble along the road! In 2008 there were quite a few little shops. Now I live vicariously watching videos!😊
In all our years trying to video our trips I can say that video never seems to accurately capture just how steep and narrow some trails are. This is a great video!
I think one way would be to use a spirit level and plumb bob. Very easy to show it then. No gimmicks but the visual is graphic as all get out. Have fun, but be safe.
If you have never had the "pleasure" of having your seat base as high as your passengers head, or have said assistant pushing on the roof to stop themselves falling forward then steepness is a bit difficult to equate too!!.
That said the camera never shows how steep things were or especially how steep it felt, I fitted an inclinometer that stopped reading at thirty five degrees and stopped moving at forty five, seen it stop moving twice, not the happiest feeling I guarantee, but all part of it though😊.
Excellent video, loved the story from your dad.
Enjoyed seeing this. We actually made it over Schofield sometime around 1990 in a box stock 1989 Isuzu Trooper. No big rocks blocking the road that year. That snow bridge is there every year and usually keeps the road from being passable until later in the summer. The first time we tried to go over in a Toyota 4 Runner, coming from the Crystal side, that is as far as we got. You are right about the scenery.
These videos make me miss hiking on the weekends in the summer.. especially Blanca Peak.. I enjoyed that hike and the fantastic views.
This video is one of the best ones yet great job
Hi guys have thoroughly enjoyed these videos and the scenery is just mind blowing, loved those purple shades on what looked like pine trees thanks for the journey cheers for now
What a GREAT Vid! Thanks for taking us along! I am one of those who traverse this area on KTM's!
Great vid! Thanks for sharing!
The stories about your family's travelling this are awesome.
Outstanding! Thank you.
I lived in Crested Butte for about 10years starting in 83.
Conditions on this have changed over the years. Last I heard the Gunnison 4x4 club keeps it up now.
This area is my favorite part of Colorado. My first time in this area was when I went to camp in Tin Cup.
Awesome video! That is one pass I have not been on yet, but plan to. I really enjoyed how you stopped often and showed the various scenes along the trail, and showing us around the town of Marble, that was really cool. Anyway, loved it, and subscribed! (I understand this video was for entertainment purposes only, and I should not try this at home) LOL
Great video guys beautiful views. Thanks for sharing 👍
Ya know, I love my Utah mountains, but Colorado has some amazing places and scenery too! Thanks for sharing!
Moved to CO in 76'. Thought I wheeled most all the trails here from the late 70's through the 90's. Somehow I missed Schofield. Awesome series, great info.
its a very scenic route for sure, one of the best in my opinion
Just don't drink out of the punch bowl LoL
I lived there in Crested Butte and used to swim at that first waterfall and drove my Toyota pick up around those mountains. Fun exploring. Lots of scetchy shelf roads especially with snow was the only part I didn’t so much enjoy. Nice to see that country again, I miss it. Thanks for sharing!
Very nicely done! Keep up the good work!
Excellent off roading video guys.....with lot's of historical color. Thanks.
That up the river camera shot was simply amazing!
Fantastic scenery…thanks!
Wow great video! Such a beautiful place, would love to go there!
That was so cool seeing that crystal mill! I have a picture of my grandfather and I sitting in front of that when I was just a small child. He had a bronco that we drove up there when my dad took us on vacation to Colorado to see our grandparents. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Really enjoyed the video. Colorado has beautiful mountains.
Thks for the ride along Matt and Colt and gals. Pretty Kool story bout Colt’s dad and the photo. Perfect ending with a nice meal. 🤙🎂
And that photo of of the river crossing is why “old rigs are still good rigs”. Marvelous
As usual, great vid, very cool.
Transfer Trail by Glenwood Springs is deadly went wet. Scared the crap out of me and my buddies. Thanks for all the beauty that brought back many memories.
Jesus you're a big guy! Loved the exhibition of Schofield Pass
Good video guys. Thanks!
We were right there in our 1972 Scout II in August, 1972.! What a blast!
Awesome , love watching you wheeling and the wives are just the best and funny too.
Thanks 👍
This trail is on my bucket list. Nice video keep it up.
First let me say this was a great video that brought back some fantastic memories!!
Thank you for sharing it...
Next I'll share the high points of "MY SCHOFIELD EXPERIENCE".
Early June 1977 I packed up my '73 VW Beetle & left NE Alabama headed West for 10 weeks of hiking, camping, & seeing Colorado & Wyoming. (I fell in love with CO & most of my time was spent there.) I mainly stuck to very small towns (in 1977 anyway) and out of the way places.
Early morning 3 July I left Taylor Park & ended up in Crested Butte. I wanted to go to Marble & asked a local about Schofield Pass... he said "no problem".
I found out a bit later he had lied. 🤣
So I headed up through Gothic toward Schofield ignoring the "4 WD ONLY PAST THIS POINT" Signs.
By the time I reached the Crystal River Ford I had already gone down what I could not get back up... so I was committed so to speak.
I got up some momentum & crossed the river taking the hard right to the top of the pass.
I stopped to read a small sign on the right that read "DRY BRAKES BEFORE DESCENT".... and while staring out the front window of the VW I could see nothing but blue sky. 😯
I got out & saw what was in front of me and almost had a heart attack. We did not have this terrain in Alabama.... 😉
So I gathered what wits I had left & started down.
Cutting to the chase, I made it. But the pucker factor was off the scale.
I remember the "bridge" as two big timbers that were flat on top. One timber for the left tires, the other for the right. (But that has been 45 years ago, i could be wrong about the "bridge".
I do remember the "Snow Bridge" was intact & solid on my left as I crossed the timbers.
Got to Crystal, stopped at the General Store & tried to buy some snacks but the lady said she had nothing for sale.
The lady was Helen Collins who with her sister owned Crystal. They were both from Montana but spent summers in Crystal hosting friends & family.
I told her my story & she told me all about Crystal, her father, the mines that had been in the area, her childhood there, & all kinds of things.
She had some fresh baked Chocolate Chips Cookies & fresh Lemon Aid and she graciously shared with me.
Anyway, after visiting quite a while with her I moved on down to Marble & looked up a man she had told me about that might have a torch.
He did & we bent the exhaust headers on my VW back into something resembling their original shape.
The Pass had been rough on those headers... to say the least. 🤣
I stayed about 4 days in the Crystal/Marble area... BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY TOO❗❗
Thanks again for the video, it has truly brought back some wonderful memories. 👍🏼❤😎
Oh yeah, Helen told me about the accident you mentioned in the video.
She said her part in the attempted rescue / recovery was to sit at the falls down by the Mill & watch for bodies. She saw none but said it was an eerie time for her.
I remember she said one victim was a baby whose body was never found. 😥