|
Highway
550 south of Ouray, Colorado
|
MONTROSE
to DURANGO, COLORADO—
[105
miles, including the famous Million Dollar Highway between
Ouray and Silverton]
Leaving
Montrose, US Hwy 550 follows the Uncompahgre River. About
three miles south of town is the Ute Indian Museum (intersection
of Chipeta Road and US-550). There is a lovely picnic area
and a self-guided native plant garden tour. The museum itself
is located on the original 8.65-acre homestead once owned
by the famous Southern Ute Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta.
The museum houses one of the most complete collections (click
here for a virtual tour) of the Ute people and is a gathering
point for visitors on the way to the Delta
Powwow held in September each year.
Nineteen
miles south of the Ute Indian Museum is the entrance to Ridgway
State Park. It features a large reservoir with a sandy beach.
Ridgway is known as one of the nation's most accessible recreation
areas for people with disabilities. One lodging option is
to book one of the six-person yurts, canvas-walled structures
inspired by tents used by nomads of the Mongolian and Siberian
steppes. Ridgway's yurts have views of the towering Sneffel's
range, sometimes called the "Switzerland of America."
A community pool fed by a natural hot spring is nearby. To
the east of the park is a county road that was once used as
a cattle-drive trail in the late 1800s. Views
from the area were used in the John Wayne films of "True
Grit" and "How the West Was Won."
A
view of Ouray from the "Million Dolar Highway" |
The
San Juan Skyway, joins US-550 at Ridgway and begins the
climb toward Ouray. Known as "the gem of the Rockies"
this picturesque town is nestled in a tiny bowl surrounded
by the rugged San Juan Mountains, known by the Ute Indians
as the "Shining Mountains." Many of the streets
are still unpaved, and the
city's public swimming pool in the middle of town is a
fed by a hot spring. The spring snow melt creates thunderous
waterfalls on the cliffs surrounding Ouray. John Cletheroe,
a resident of Norfolk, England who has traveled extensively
in the Colorado mountains, provides wonderful photographs
of Ouray and its environs on his site "USA
and Canada Holiday Hints."
The
mineral-rich slopes of Red Mountain |
There
are a variety of explanations regarding the source of the
name for the "Million Dollar Highway." One version
claims it is based on the value of the ore-bearing fill that
was used to construct the road, and another says it refers
to the high cost of building a road over Red Mountain Pass
(11,008 feet) and the Uncompahgre Gorge. One thing no one
will dispute is the million dollar views around every turn.
This marvel of engineering, designed by Russian immigrant
Otto Mears, slices through rugged mountains as it follows
old stagecoach routes and former pack trails. A journey that
took weeks in pre-car days is now less than a two-hour journey
if the road is dry and the driver is able to resist stopping
to enjoy the awesome views. Stunning
views of the Yankee Boy Basin area south of Ouray are
typical of the area.
Old
mining works at the base of Red Mountain |
Farther
on, the Million Dollar Highway passes Red Mountain, a collapsed
volcano cone whose lava flow was found to include gold in
1860. It is easy to spot remnants of the mining works on the
slopes, operations that produced over $750 million of ore.
Hiking and biking trails provide access to some of the more
memorable mines, including Joker Tunnel, Yankee Girl, and
the National Belle. Some abandoned structures are all that
is left of Red Mountain, a thriving community of 3000 prior
to a fire in 1891 which destroyed most of the town.
At
9,318 feet, Silverton is another famous mining town of the
old west. Founded in 1874, he town still retains many of the
Victorian-style buildings erected in its heyday. In a 16-block
walking tour, visitors can check out over 50 historic buildings.
Despite the average annual snowfall of over 200 inches a year,
there are nearly 500 year-round residents. It is also the
northern terminus of the Durango
and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
The
highway climbs out of the valley past Molas
Lake to the spectacular overlook at Molas Pass (10,910
feet). The air on Molas Pass has earned the distinction of
being the cleanest in the USA. In the spring, wildflowers
abound, and elk, mountain goats, black bears, and mule deer
are often visible from the road.
Shortly
after passing over Coal Bank Pass (10,640 feet), there are
breath-taking views of Pigeon and Turret Mountains (both 13,000
feet) and three other peaks that measure in excess of 14,000
feet: Windom, Eolus, and Sunlight. The expansion of the famous
Purgatory Ski area has brought improvements to the road.
Durango
was established in 1881. Unlike the other towns on Highway
550, it was never a mining town. It grew around the depot
built by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad about a mile south
of the bustling town of Animas, and serviced the coal and
ore smelter operations required by Silverton and the other
mining towns to the north. Photographs
and history of the region are online.
Today,
Durango's downtown features several restored Victorian-style
buildings housing over 20 art galleries and nearly 60 restaurants.
It is still a gateway city for exploring the San Juan Mountains.
—Mark
Sedenquist
October
14 , 2002
