A summer road trip doesn't need pavement or even modern transportation. We tackle the heart of the Rockies in a rebuilt, restored, very rugged icon FJ40.
—essentially an original FJ40 that's been stripped down to its bare frame and rebuilt with modern amenities and cool details like handcrafted, engraved and enameled stainless-steel dash knobs. A new drivetrain is part of the package, and TLC now offers a four-cylinder turbodiesel that allows the Icon to average between 22 and 28 mpg. Not bad for a vehicle equipped with 33-inch tires, locking differentials, and a hefty winch bumper.
Heather gets some respite from the constant jostling when she gets out to spot me as I attempt to climb a challenging rock shelf. There's an easier route around, but what's the fun in that? I gear down into low range, engage the ARB locking diffs and successfully claw my way up. After about an hour, we're at Imogene Pass.
When I return the bike, the shaggy dude at the counter buys my explanation for the large chunk of foam missing from the seat. "I took a digger," I say, gesturing to the road rash on the seat. "You sure did!" he agrees, and I depart before he can ponder how I trashed the seat without suffering so much as a scrape myself.Back in the Icon, we climb out of town on Route 82, headed toward Independence Pass on the Continental Divide.
My seat-of-the-pants approach to scheduling means that no guides are available. But I don't even need to drive that far to find my own solitary place to fish. Barely 20 minutes after I leave the Kinsley Outfitters Orvis shop in Boulder I drop anchor. I inspect the fancifully named flies I bought and ponder which one to deploy for some epic trout slaying. I contemplate the Chernobyl Ant and the Elk Wing Caddis, but decide to try the Stimulator first.
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