Durango, Ouray and Telluride, Colorado
Tuesday thru Thursday, June 5-7, 2018
Clear/Smoky, 85°
Note* I am still a week or more posting as the internet has not been that good so bear with me as I continue to catch up. I have posted a few pictures on the Traveling Life’s Highways Facebook Page and will write the story soon.
“It feels good to be lost in the right direction.”
The drive from Mesa Verde had that mixture of suspense and adventure to it as the news around the campground was that the drive from Durango north on US550 was closed due to a forest fire on the mountainside just north of Durango. There was a chance the road had opened but no word from the rangers and we got no answer when trying to call the local State Troopers. When getting fuel in Durango, there was a sign indicating that the road was one lane from 8am to 6pm with a Trooper pilot car escort through the fire area of about 10 to 12 miles.
Seeing the smoke from Durango, you could tell that it was going to be a hard fire to control as it had started down close to the railroad tracks and had taken off up the mountainside before turning south toward Durango.
Durango Fire Smoke
The Troopers had the road blocked and everyone waited for the Trooper pilot car to come back, turn around and escort those traveling north.
All along the way there were other Troopers and Fire Fighters stationed every mile or so. There were three large Chinook helicopters on station fighting the blaze. One was scooping water from a pond as another was dropping water on the fire and the third one was flying either to or from the fire to get additional water. It was a nicely choreographed flight pattern by the Forestry Service pilots. The smoke was thick as everyone slowly made their way through the fire. There was a Trooper escort at the front and another Trooper trailing the rear to make sure no one stopped for anything. After about thirty minutes, the Troopers gave us the go ahead to proceed along US550 north.
Durango Fire (Photo by Melissa Machicek)
In the southwestern part of Colorado there’s a special highway built in the late 1880's called the “Million Dollar Highway”, part of the San Juan Skyway. It's one of the nation’s most spectacular drives.
Above Timberline Mountain View
Going north, you'll be on the "outside" for a while with a hell of a view to your right (Let the passenger look. You'll want to watch the road). Forget standard driving safety measures like guardrails and shoulders, there aren't any on this stretch of the road, so swerving off the road is not advised, it’s about a 2,000 to 3,000 foot drop over the edge of the road! But, it is beautiful at every turn.
US550 Sharpe Curves
From Durango, through Silverton and Ouray, to Ridgeway, the highway delivers jaw-dropping vista after vista.
High Mountain Lake
It was cut from the side of the mountain and became known as the "Million Dollar Highway". The Highway stretches for about 25 miles in western Colorado and follows the route of U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray, Colorado. Between Durango and Silverton the Skyway loosely parallels the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The road climbs up to three very high mountain passes, Coal Bank Pass (10,640 ft /3,240 m), Molas Pass (10,970 ft /3,340 m), and Red Mountain Pass (11,018 ft /3,358 m), as you wind and make your way through this stretch of highway.
Coal Bank Pass Sign
The origin of the name Million Dollar Highway is disputed. There are several legends, though, including that it cost a million dollars a mile to build, and that its fill dirt contains a million dollars in gold ore. The first time you drive it, it's a real breath taker. There are seventy named avalanche paths that intersect Highway 550 in the 23 miles between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado. Every time I have driven this road there were many “Oh Wow” moments as the views change around each turn. I have always considered this the Granddaddy of “The Dragon’s Tail” type roads.
Coming into Ouray, there is a beautiful waterfall with a pull off parking space that has a great view of the mountainside.
Ouray Waterfall
Ouray Colorado is famous for its Hot Springs where you can take a good soak after a day hiking, rugged mountain Jeep tours, or skiing.
Ouray Hot Springs
The drive from Ouray to Telluride is one of my favorite places for a photo stop of the beautiful San Juan Mountains in the Uncompahgre National Forest. The altitude is about 8,000 feet above sea level with clear skies that make for a great photo.
Favorite Photo Stop
Traveling Life’s Highways
Telluride, Colorado has always been a wonderful place to visit. I first started coming here in the mid-seventies as a competition hang gliding pilot. The tournament circuit held its World Aerobatic Hang Gliding Championship there from 1974 until 1980 and I made the trek to compete with other world class pilots. The takeoff point was Gold Hill at an elevation of 12,716 feet above sea level (ASL) where you could soar high above the town of Telluride (elevation 8,750’ ASL) giving the pilot plenty of altitude to perform aerobatic maneuvers for the crowds below. I and several other pilots flew with smoke canisters that would leave colored smoke trails showing the judges and spectators what we were doing. We would do our aerobatic routines set to music as we performed our maneuvers giving a graceful and pretty performance. I liked using red or yellow smoke canisters’ giving a nice contrast against the blue sky.
During the 70’s, Telluride was a sleepy little town. The ski resort in this southwestern Colorado town, in a box canyon, was just starting to make news of what a great ski destination it was. The city hosted a Bluegrass Festival the week after our hang gliding competition, so it was a great time to stay another week, listen to great music and relax after a hard tournament. The altitude really takes it out of you and some of our flights, in those years, had altitude gains from the thermals to over 19,000 feet ASL.
Much has changed over the years here. The old Victorian houses that needed repair were either torn down to make way for new residences or have been given great makeovers. Since my last visit in 1993, there has been construction all over the mountainsides. Mountain Village was created with massive homes, golf course, and a gondola that goes over the mountain back into the town of Telluride. Wilson Mesa has grown with massive houses on large plots of land allowing the movie stars and other “big money” people a “vacation” house where they come to visit once a week every year.
The town has grown with new buildings on Main Street matching nicely with the old town look and feel. The shops and places to eat or drink are filled with people indicating that the economy in this town is booming once again.
Telluride Main Street
Houses go almost all the way to the end of the box canyon where Bridal Veil Falls cascades off the mountainside next to the old electrical power station, nestled on a ledge next to the falls.
Bridal Veil Falls
It’s still a beautiful place but has lost some of the feel of an old mining town that was so much fun back in my youth. My favorite bar, the Floradora Saloon, was still going strong after all these years.
Floradora Saloon sign
It was my original “Cheers” where every year, when you came back to fly, everyone remembered who you were and your name. It gave me that warm “home again” feeling with each visit. I missed that feeling these last few visits, as Telluride has grown. There are new schools, airport, and a complete makeover of Town Park where ball fields, swimming pool, and camping takes place on a first come, first served basis.
Telluride is magnificent, a sensory overload place, with great mountain views, beautiful waterfalls, clean air (it was a little smoky this trip due to the Durango fire over the mountain) and at night so many stars that you can see your shadow on the ground. The closest “fast food” is still 60 miles away in Montrose, CO so the mom and pop type eateries are still going strong.