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niles steckbauer (Niles500)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 8:15 pm: | |
A recent thread has prompted me to relate one of my favorite runs through the western Colorado Rockies - I will chronicle it from Denver to Durango, but it can easily be reversed. It has been a few years since my last run through here, so please feel free to correct any changes - Also I do not do most tourist traps, so I will delete those and some of the obvious attractions along the way - I do this as a summer trip - This trip has some very tough mountain grades and NO guradrails - remember to take your time and enjoy by availing yourselves of the many turnouts to view the scenic overlooks and allow the 4 wheelers to pass without aggrivation -
Heading west from Denver on I70 I like to stop shortly outside Golden at Idaho Springs and take the exit south to the road to Mt. Evans (highest road in US) - When you exit head south and find a location with which to park your bus (this is basically for 4 wheelers although I did once take a 35 foot Class A up once and did drag the rear end a lot on the switchbacks) - the road will be marked on the west side and a ranger will charge you a toll somewhere on the road - this is at least a half day excursion - so bring a picnic lunch as there are many scenic places to stop and enjoy it
Traveling west another 45 miles on I70 exit south at Copper Mountain exit and take Hwy 91 south to Leadville - this is a great old mining town to beat around in with a few unique museums - all within walking distance to a trailer park on the south side of town on the main street which usually has some vacancies and conveniently located with 2 blocks of one of the kewlest saloons in the rockies - NO A/C NEEDED
If you have time for a little dead end run you can continue south on Hwy 24 out of town in about 15 miles you turn west on Hwy 82 - the back way to Aspen - Now this road is limited to vehicles no longer than 30 ft. in length (although I did continue on to Aspen once in the aforementioned 35 footer) after Independence Pass - That being said I find this to be one of the most scenic drives in the Rockies by Motorcycle, 4 wheeler or bus - the return trip back is just as scenic as you view it with a whole new perspective
Leaving Leadville heading north on Hwy 24 to Vail Beaver Creek area puts you back on I70 west - heading into Glenwood Springs and just after the Gypsum exit is the "Hanging Lake" rest area - great place to get out, stretch your legs and take the 1 mile or so hike to hanging lake - after that you will know how acclimated you are to the elevation
The last exit before Glenwood Springs is NoName and on the south side of the exit is a great RV park with campsites right on the Colorado River - it is a good base with which to see most of Glenwood - you can also conveniently do your whitewater rafting right from the campground to which they will return you - My whitewater suggestions for this area are that you use a guide and ask for the smallest raft available as both these requests will provide for a most enjoyable ride - The river has many Hot Springs along the way that only guides and locals know of, has a sometimes risky navigation hazard under the bridge in Glenwood, and because of the depth of the water and drops in elevation is tough to set up for the best whitewater without having run the river before - below town there are photographers on a bridge who will take your pictures at one of the rapids (it is customary to hold your paddles over your head for the picture) - that night you can view and/or purchase your pics in the lobby of the Hotel Colorado - Glenwood of course has the giant Hot Springs pool where the temperature in the main pool is always moderate enough to be very refreshing - West of town, near Rifle, there are horse riding stables for those so inclined, a monument and the remnants of the tragic fire at Storm King mountain which has been the subject a few TV documentaries - Sunlight is a resort located southwest of town by crossing the roaring fork river (at certain times of the year the Roaring Fork is a fishing mecca) which is a nice jaunt for lunch or dinner as the restaurant is world class especially for such a small resort - On the east side of Cooper Ave. (main st.) one block south of the Colorado river is Doc Holiday's bar/restaurant, which was once owned by a prior partner's sister - sit down have a schnaps and a 'Little King' and take in the huge one piece bar, brought down many years ago from Leadville on a wagon no less, and the original 'diamond dust' mirrors - Another fine and world famous restaurant is Sopri's which is located on the way to Aspen
Heading south out of Glenwood take Hwy 133 south out of Carbondale - there are a few rustic and mainly empty campgrounds that you might stay at before reaching McClure Pass and the little town of Marble - the road to the Marble Quarries is dirt and moderately passible by 4 wheelers and better with 4x4's , but both will include a hike - be careful at the quarry as it is deep full of ice cold water and has NO GUARDRAILS - so watch out leaning over
Continuing south on 133 you'll want to head east/south at the junction with Hwy 92 which provides you access to the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison - there are many campgrounds along the north rim but only one that I can think of along the south rim -
When you hit Hwy 50 you have a choice to continue to Gunnison and possibly the spur to Crested Butte if you have time - eventually you will head west back on 50 and the south rim to Montrose, one of a group of clean unfettered towns in the western Colorado Rockies included with Gunnison, Delta, Grand Junction etc. - you have now entered horse country and there are many summer rodeos, fairs and parades for your pleasure if the timing is right - Montrose is also a good town to put on provisions as this is the last major town till Durango and it takes me usually 2 to 3 weeks to get there
Heading south on Hwy 550 you come to ridgway (one of the homes of Dennis Weaver - where he used to have a quant theatre) and a choice to take Hwy 62 west to Hwy 145 south and the towns of Telluride and Ophir - now resorts - I can remember my first trip to Telluride as a town of only 200 +/- year round residents - now it looks like Aspen 30 years ago - still plenty of beautiful views and 4 wheelin oppurtunities -
South from Ridgway you come to one of my favorite towns - Ouray - just a small town (8 blocks long) nestled in a canyon - you can stay in a park on the east side of town along the Uncompahgre river or a campground up in the Amphitheatre area of the canyon - The park allows you to take a 2 block walk to town - If you have a 4 wheeler one of the treks is just south of town as you climb out of the canyon there is a turnoff to the right that takes you past the Ouray mine (who's prior owners once owned the 'Hope Diamond') and camp Bird - almost immediately aafter you turn on to the road you come to a abandoned mine shaft and some unique water falls - A 4 wheeler will take you most of the way up to Mt. Sneffels but a 4x4 (which you can rent in town) will take you right up to the snow and the base of Mt. Sneffels - one of Colorado's many fourteeners - It is possible to drive up in the morning and do a peak climb on Sneffels and return that evening - Caution that if you are not an experienced Alpine climber this is not a place that you will want to trek past a point a few hundred yards within the base or the ridge as during summer there is still much snowfall and avalanching - the weather also changes rapidly (as I can attest as one time we were caught traversing an almost vertical ridge when a storm came up pinning us on the side of the mountain - we stood in kicked footholds and dug handholds for over an hour trying not to get blown off the mountain - I was roped off in ten foot increments with 3 others and could not see them or hear them during the entire storm) - It is still a great place to play in the snow
Heading south from Ouray to Silverton for only 25 miles is one of my favorite spots in the US and have spent as long as 2 weeks traveling this short distance - there is at least one Campground and numerous clay roads running off Hwy 550 which are not regulated and sparsely occupied - the amount of big game (bears, mountain lions, wolves, deer etc.) located within this stretch is the most intense I have seen in western Colorado - 30 years ago I traveled almost 300 miles (as the crow flies) in this part of the Uncompahge NF and San Juan NF, mainly going up and down, and it is still as untouched and wild as it was then - when you get to Red Mountain Pass, if you can find a turnout, stop and climb one of the Red Mountains (US geodedic maps available in Ouray) as the peaks are not that high or that far above tree line - I have never been on top of the Red's without seeing a mountain lion on the way up or the way down - one time as cresting the top of RM1 we surprised two Adults and two Cubs -
Silverton is a great little town surrounded by snow covered ridges - I refer to it as the 'Key West' of the Rockies - I don't know the condition of the mine road, but after they had changed the grade of the road years ago, while hiking we once found a 'brand new' 10 year old Jeep Wagoneer with less than 10,000 miles on it with barely part of the white roof reflecting under the snow - unfortunately the grade of the new road was 50 feet below this old one - don't know if they ever got it out, but I always warned people not to buy white vehicles in the mountains as it is hard to locate them under 10 years of snow pack - LOL
Heading south from Silverton you come across steep grades and some switchbacks around Purgatory - take your time as this is the ride you would pay for if you take the Durango narrow gauge railroad to Silverton - some times you can see it to the east as it travels along the Animas (sp?) river - In Durango my only suggestion is, even if you don't take the RR, stop and take the tour of the Rail Yard - If they are still restoring and repairing the cars on site it is quite a tour and the craftsmen there are some of the best I've met - There are no parts distributors for any of these babies
Heading west (after restocking your provisions in Durango) about 50 miles on Hwy 160 is Mesa Verde - If you have children they should love it - there is a large campground within the park that is a good base to liesurely tour the many cliff dwellings
Now if you have the time to continue west and see one of the most underated areas of the country, southern Utah, well ......... thats another trip .........
Niles |
H3-40
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 10:20 pm: | |
Niles you forgot to mention the town you were in that thought you had Willie on board! LOL |
Tim Jones (Torquester)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 10:49 pm: | |
WOW ! Great route. We love it here in Colorado. Ouray is the most beautiful place that I have ever been. Thanks for taking the time to post this wonderful trip.
Tq |
Mike (Busone)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 11:17 pm: | |
One place I would also visit is Georgetown. It is a few miles west of Idaho Springs off I-70. Not a lot of bus parking downtown but if you don't mind a short walk you can find parking. |
niles steckbauer (Niles500)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 28, 2005 - 8:53 pm: | |
Ace, according to the settlement agreement, I'm not allowed to say ......
Let me just tell you I don't travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas any more ...... lovely people ..... just wayyyyyyyy too serious about their music .....
Niles |
H3-40
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 28, 2005 - 11:23 pm: | |
LOL |
TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 10:00 am: | |
another nice ride,especially if you have a bike....start at socorro ,NM & take 60 west to 12 s.w.to 152 east....190 miles...beautiful scenery ,curvy roads |
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