With a Subaru you are much better off taking 550 down to Silverton and back up to Cinnamon Pass.
denvermikey wrote:btw....sorry to tell you this too but, the Easter Bunny isn't real either...
One of these statements has value. The other is simply bad advice.
OP, taking a Subaru over Cinnamon Pass would be a very difficult experience at best, and could leave you stuck up there with a broken car, a ruined trip, and a lot of angry people who have to put up with a very slow vehicle in their way, maybe even blocking the road if you break down. If having a good trip and making your summits is your goal, why risk it? Having driven over Cinnamon Pass in a Forester back in 2003, I can confidently state that only an ignorant (me--I had no idea what I was getting in to), overconfident, or stupid person would choose to do this. That was one of the most trying experiences I've had on a mountain road, and I'd never repeat it or recommend it to a friend or enemy.
Then again, you may be a remarkable driver with a Subie that's impervious to damage. Maybe the road's improved tremendously in the last year. I could be full of it.
My $.25
You might be served best by making the drive to Lake City, stoping in Gunnison along the way for Mario's Pizza (best in the high country, IMO), hitting
the brewery, and then driving through Lake City. Good food, good beer, no risk to your vehicle, sanity, or summits.
BTW, with a 4x4, the Engineer Pass road is only difficult if:
1. You have a long or wide 4x4, like a full-size truck or hummer.
2. You have to pass someone driving a vehicle that doesn't belong there (see #1) because it's narrow.
3. You're afraid of heights.
4. You have little experience off-road.
Difficulty is relative, but even the first time I did this road years ago, it was much less sketchy than expected.
