Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Silverton (again), Bumping along in the wilderness, Telluride, Owl Creek Pass, Ridgway State Park and a whole lot of soaking going on...........

We have company!  Beth's sisters Cindy and Debbie flew in from Florida for a few days........and then a few more.  Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was just a few miles from the Montrose/Telluride Airport.  It was the first of many outings while they were with us.

When we booked our Airbnb in Ouray back in March, we invited Beth's sisters (Debbie and Cindy) to join us for a week.  We've enjoyed having them join us a few times in the past and were looking forward to them sharing part of this adventure with us.  There are no crystal balls when it comes to gazing into the future, especially the destruction that would be caused by Hurricane Ian in Florida on the same day they were supposed to join us.  

The airports were closed.  Their flights had to be rebooked, and for many storm related reasons we were all doubtful that they would be able to make it.  Thankfully after a five day delay, they were able to join us.  Initially it looked as if they would only be with us for four days.  However, thanks to oversold return flights they were able to stay for a full week..........and what a week it was!

The fun started immediately after we picked them up at the Montrose/Telluride airport.  Just sixteen miles east of Montrose is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  Beth, Cindy and Debbie had visited the park before on one of their "old lady trips" with their mother.  For me, it was my first time at this massive (30,750 acres), very underrated (around 300,000 visitors per year) national park.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

It's not completely accurate, but in many ways Black Canyon of the Gunnison is similar to the Grand Canyon.  It's a 2,700-foot, steep walled canyon that has been carved over millions of years by ice, cold, heat, wind, shifting earth plates and the Gunnison River that runs through the canyon.  We entered the park through the South Rim Entrance and stopped briefly at the Visitors Center for suggestions on how to make the best of our time.  The ranger suggested taking the seven mile long (one way) South Rim Drive.  She gave suggestions on overlooks with the best views, as well as where we might enjoy a picnic.  The ranger's suggestions were excellent, and we enjoyed a couple of hours in the park staring into the vast canyon.  It had been a really long few days for Debbie and Cindy, dealing with hurricane related issues as well as travel.  They deserved a good soaking, and we knew just the place for it!

Taken from one of the overlooks on the South Rim Drive

Painted Wall is one of the most popular overlooks on the South Rim Drive.  The Gunnison River can be seen on the left side of the picture.

Ouray Hot Springs

After a good soaking and catching up on some much needed sleep, our company was ready to go the next morning.  We were off to Silverton, ready to challenge Red Mountain Pass once again.  Unlike the visit to Silverton that Beth and I had made a few days earlier, the skies were clear and the temperature had warmed up.  There were numerous stops for pictures and simply gazing both coming and going, making it a full day adventure.  What's the best way to end a full day's adventure.........a good soak, of course!

Along the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton

Cindy surveying Silverton's Main Street

On our way back from Silverton we stopped at Ouray's Box Canyon (sometimes spelled Canon) Falls.  Water from Canyon Creek flows down a 285-foot waterfall through a narrow opening in the rock.  

Box Canyon Falls

One of the activities that we were excited about was an off-road jeep adventure.  There are several companies in Ouray that offer these types of adventures and several tour options available.  You can rent a jeep or off-road vehicle, or you can go on an organized tour with an expert driver.  My off-road driving skills, especially in mountainous areas are non-existent.  Therefore, we booked with one of the local companies that were still offering tours (it's getting late in the season).  The company we used was Switzerland of America, whose office was just around the corner from our Airbnb.  

Switzerland of America

We were pleased to learn upon check in at the office that the four of us would be the only ones on the tour.  We were introduced to Jim, our driver for the day and were quickly on our way.  Jim was very knowledgeable on the history and geology of the area.  I'm not sure if any of us could pass a test now on all the knowledge that he shared, but it was a lot.  More importantly than the knowledge that he imparted was the fact that he was a very good driver who kept us safe as we bumped along the way for over four hours.  Of course, all that bumping along, and a little bit of hiking afterward lead to a good soaking in the hot springs that evening!  Are you noticing an "end of the day" pattern here?

Getting ready to head out.  We were happy to have such a knowledgeable and safe driver as Jim!

 

The roads were narrow, and it was a long way to the bottom!

The views were spectacular.  This is looking down into Yankee Boy Basin.

  

Cindy was in the back.  She leaned out the side to get this great shot.

Ouray's elevation is 7,792 feet.   At this point we had climbed to close to 12,000 feet elevation.

We had great 360-degree views from high above!

Cindy climbed into one of the old mine tunnels............we cheered her on from the jeep.

Also, on the agenda for while Debbie and Cindy were here was a visit to the town of Telluride, which is just over an hour away.  Beth had learned that the leaves in the Telluride area were at their peak color.  We really didn't think they could get any better, but we were wrong.  The leaves in and around Telluride were some of the best.  

A quick photo op at an overlook near Telluride

The leaves were projected to be at peak.........it's hard to disagree!

Telluride

One of the best things going in Telluride is the free thirteen-minute gondola ride that connects the town of Telluride and Moutain Village. There is an option to get off at an interim station (San Sophia) which gives you access to ski, hiking and biking trails.  From the Mountain Village you can also catch a shorter gondola ride to the Village Market.  They were free, so of course we did them all.  Gliding above the golden treetops was a constant photo op which Beth, Cindy and Debbie took full advantage of the whole way.  The gondola runs from early in the morning until late at night year round, with the exception of closing for a couple of weeks in the late spring and fall for routine maintenance.  It's a great way to explore the area and of course, the price is right!

The Telluride Weekly Farmers Market is every Friday from early June through early October.  This was the last day of the market for this year.

Farmers Market

Liftoff.........Cindy and Debbie on the Gondola

A view from the gondola.

At the Mountain Village Station

Skimming the treetops on the gondola

Telluride Gondola  

After all the exploring and picture taking, we had worked up a pretty good appetite.  We found a nice "cheap eat" (Cornerhouse Grille) less than one block off Colorado Ave., which is the main street through Telluride.  After eating we made our way back to Ouray..........in plenty of time for a good evening soaking!

The Cornerhouse Grille had a great selection of sandwiches and nice outdoor seating.

While we were waiting on our food at the Cornerhouse Grille we were entertained by this fella.  He was waiting quietly and patiently for his owner to return..............hopefully with a treat!

Colorado Avenue is the "main street" through Telluride

As we were leaving Telluride, we passed a large herd of elk grazing just off the road.

The Cornerhouse Grille

The following morning Debbie and Cindy packed up their things and we drove them to Montrose for their return flight to Florida.  It had been a fun and busy four days, but there was a glimmer of hope that the good times would roll for a few more days.  They had received notification that their flight might be oversold and that volunteers willing to give up their seats might be needed.  This is a game that we've all enjoyed playing with some degree of success in the past, although none of us have been very successful lately.

Our gameplan was to hang around Montrose until we received word from Debbie and Cindy to see if their seats were needed or if they'd be on their way back to Florida.  We were thrilled when they called and said they'd have a couple of extra days with us as well as a decent amount of voucher money for future flights.

Let the adventures begin again!  Owl Creek Pass

We swung back by the airport, threw their bags back in the Silver Bullet and were off for an afternoon adventure on the way back to Ouray.  This adventure had been suggested to us by one of the two brothers from Tampa who are staying in the Airbnb unit next to ours.  It involved driving the Owl Creek Pass, which is an unpaved road (but well maintained and popular) through the Uncompahgre National Forest.  Since we were already in Montrose, we expanded the drive to include visiting the 325-acre Silver Jack Reservoir.  One of the highlights of the drive, which was originally a cattle drive trail from the 1850's, was passing close to Chimney Rock and Courthouse Moutain which had been filming locations for the John Wayne classic True Grit.  

Silver Jack Reservoir is pretty dry right now.  This is a combination of a lengthy drought and the time of year.  

 

Cindy and Debbie were well camouflaged amongst the leaves

 

Overlooking Silver Jack Reservoir

 

Taking it all in.............

Along the Owl Creek Pass Drive

Chimney Rock is one of the most recognizable features of Owl Creek Pass.  Much of the John Wayne movie "True Grit" was filmed in this area. 

We took our time stopping frequently to take in the scenery, as well as take a few billion more pictures.  We enjoyed the afternoon drive on Owl Creek so much that by the time we got back to Ouray we were too exhausted to even head to the hot springs for our evening soak..............now that's exhaustion!

With our two bonus days with Debbie and Cindy we made the short drive to Ridgway State Park for an afternoon picnic and exploring the three separate and distinctly different parts of the park.  We also enjoyed just hanging around Ouray, and were thrilled to have some additional company when Wayne and Vickie Sallade drove over from their home in Grand Junction.  Wayne and I became good friends many years ago when we lived in Port Charlotte.  We shared a common interest in many things, especially sports, although when it came to college sports our rooting interests were very different.  Wayne is a proud alumnus of Florida State University and I'm a proud alumnus of the University of Florida.  Somehow, we managed to make it work and would frequently have lunch together back during the time we both lived in Port Charlotte.  Of course, with two bonus days, there were two more evening soakings! 

Cindy making friends at the fishpond near Ouray Hot Springs

The Ouray River Trail has become one of our favorites.

Modeling at Ridgway State Park

My construction project on the dry lakebed at Ridgway State Park

Finished!

Therre are three different entrances into Ridgway State Park.  The views are quite different from all three.

Debbie modeling at another section of Ridgway State Park

After finishing at Ridgway State Park, we visited the "Top of the Pines" near the city of Ridgway for more great views.  This is along the road up.

We had a great visit with the Sallade's including lunch at the Ouray Brewery

It was a fun week for Beth and I, and I think a nice week for Debbie and Cindy.  We were so glad that in spite of Hurricane Ian they were able to join us for part of our Colorado adventure.  Tuesday morning, we drove them back to the airport and this time when the planes doors shut, they were on board, heading back to the sunshine state.  

 

Silverton, Co..........................a little challenging to reach, but well worth the cramps

Crystal Lake is on the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton.  The trailhead for the Hayden Trail is located here.  We hiked a bit of the trail until we were told there was a moose up ahead grazing on the trail.  Moose aren't always friendly!

 

Similar to Ouray, the town of Silverton traces its roots back first to the Ute Indians and then to prospectors searching for gold and silver in the mid-1800's.  The first mining claims in the region were in the 1860's.  Although the work was difficult, the mining was productive.  The town boomed from the time of the first claim until the silver market collapse in 1893.  Shortly thereafter the good times started to roll again as gold mining boomed until 1907.

Silverton

What do you get when you get a bunch of hardcore prospectors with a little money in their pockets?  A lot of alcohol, gambling and "ladies of the night".  During its boom period, a three-block stretch of Silverton known as Blair Street was home to 32 saloons, gambling halls and houses of ill-repute.  Although I'm not sure what they did with their winnings, legendary western figures Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp were rumored to gamble in Silverton on a regular basis.

The Shady Lady Saloon in Silverton.  Now days they advertise serving up Hot Roast Beef and Turkey Sandwiches.  In the late 1800's the menu was a little different!

Silverton survived booms and busts through the years.  Now the small town with less than 700 permanent residents is a popular destination that can be reached by car, or the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.  From mid-May until the end of October the train makes daily round trips from Durango to Silverton.  The journey is a little over three hours each way, and passengers have several hours to roam the town and spend a few bucks on food, beverage and souvenirs (sorry, no more brothels).  The train ride has been voted as one of the top ten scenic rail trips in the world.  This is especially true at this time of year when the Aspens are at peak color.  My dad would whole heartedly agree with the lofty rating of the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.   He said many times that riding that train was one of the real highlights of his life.  

The train arriving in Silverton

Durango-Silverton Train

Reaching Silverton by car from Ouray isn't a long journey.  It's only 24 miles away on the highway that has been named the "Million Dollar Highway".  The scenery is magnificent.   Leaving Ouray, you pass Crystal Lake and the Hayden Trailhead just a few miles out of town.  The incredible color of the trees, with seven 14,000 foot mountains serving as a backdrop is breathtaking.  If that doesn't take your breath away, climbing over 3,000 feet to Red Mountain Pass probably will.  For much of the ascent and descent there is no guardrail on the winding road...........and it's a long way down!  It's definitely a two hands on the steering wheel drive.  By the time we reached Silverton I had white knuckled the steering wheel enough that I could feel a few cramps in my hands.

Along the way from Ouray to Silverton

It was a mostly cool, drizzly day but the clouds did break for a few minutes while we were at Crystal Lake

On the Hayden Trail..........no moose in sight!  We didn't see him while we were hiking, but Beth did get a glimpse of him as we were driving away.

The drive was a little challenging in the Silver Bullet.  I can't imagine what it must have been like crossing the pass in a wagon!

From Red Mountain Pass

There is some mining that still takes place in the area.  They are also doing some historical preservation of some of the old mines.

Silverton itself is well worth visiting.  It's a smaller version of Ouray, with historic buildings filled with shops, galleries and restaurants.  If you visit, take a little time to learn the history of the town by reading some of the many historical markers.  Also, if you're feeling a little hungry and you hear the train whistle pick a place to eat quickly.  The majority of folks arriving by train have worked up a pretty good appetite on the three-hour ride from Durango. 

Downtown Silverton on a wet Saturday afternoon.  For those who have been on an Alaska cruise, Silverton reminded us of the small Alsakan towns that the cruises visit, especially when the weather is similar to a typical Alaska day (cool and wet)

  

Is this Switzerland? No, it's Ouray!

Switzerland of America right here in Colorado!

Like so many of the small communities in Colorado, Ouray (rhymes with hurray) can be traced back to the 1800's when prospectors were seeking their fortunes along Colorado's rivers and streams.  The community, which sits at 7,800 feet in elevation, actually had its beginnings in 1875 as prospectors worked their way northward along the Uncompahgre River.  In its heyday Ouray had more than 30 active mines.  While there is still mining in the area, the economy has shifted to one based on year-round outdoor tourism, taking full advantage of the four distinct seasons the area experiences.

Along the Uncompahgre River Trail, so far, we haven't found any silver or gold!

Ouray is small, which is something we like more and more these days.  It's less than a mile long and at it's widest point it's less than a half mile wide.  What it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty.  Ouray's location is something straight from a postcard.  It's located in a narrow valley, almost entirely surrounded by the steep San Juan Mountains.  Ouray has proclaimed itself as the "Switzerland of America".  This may be a bold proclamation, but just a few days into our month long stay we woke up to a fresh snowfall at the higher elevations surrounding Ouray.  Having spent a little time in Switzerland, we could see the resemblance.

Ouray from the "Million Dollar Highway" Overlook.  It was so named because of the expense related to building the highway over the passes and through the valleys.  The cost was estimated to be over a million dollars a mile.  It has also been named one of the most beautiful roads in America with "Million Dollar Views"

Cascade Falls is just a few blocks away........but it's a steep uphill walk to get there!

Full Moon Rising over Ouray

Ouray's population is around 1,000 people and at least four deer!  They tend to frequently hang around this corner just a couple of hundred feet from our Airbnb.  

October is an amazing time of year to visit the Ouray area.  The summer crowds are gone, the temperatures are moderate (our highs have been mostly in the low 60's with low's in the low 40's) and the golden color of the Aspens as their leaves begin to change is stunning.  When we arrived, the trees were mostly still green.  They are now in full color.  By the time we leave near the end of the month, the leaves will mostly have fallen and will quite likely be covered with a blanket of snow.  At least that's what we're hoping for!

Fresh snow at the higher elevations and golden leaves below.  This picture was taken just a few miles outside Ouray.

We're enjoying watching this transition take place from the cozy confines of our Airbnb which overlooks Main Street, as well as from numerous hiking trails.  We've seen more golden leaves from the Silver Bullet as we've explored nearby towns such as Silverton, Ridgway, Telluride and Montrose.  But our favorite spot to enjoy the scenery just might be from the Ouray Hot Springs.  The natural hot springs have been enjoyed for hundreds of years, dating back to the time when the Ute Indians considered the hot mineral water from the springs to be sacred and healing.  If the waters from the Ouray Hot Springs turn out to be the fountain of youth, Beth and I will be mere children by the time we pack it up and head out of town!  

The Ouray Hot Springs....................

If you don't find us soaking in the water............

you might find us soaking up the scenery from a nearby bench.

Basalt.........Kicking off our Colorado adventure

 

Along the Rio Grande Trail in Aspen

Arriving back in Denver, we found the Silver Bullet right where we left it and ready to go.  I've mentioned it before, but it's worth another mention.  The website Park, Sleep and Fly is a nice option to consider for a combination of a hotel night (can be at the beginning or the end of the trip) and extended airport parking.  We had stayed at the hotel before flying from Denver to Tampa, so we threw the bags in the Bullet and were on the road to our first destination.

Park, Sleep, Fly

The great majority of our Colorado adventure will be spent in Ouray, however, we kicked it off in the small community of Basalt.  It was just a little over a three-hour drive from Denver to Basalt.  Most of the drive was on I-70 until we reached Glenwood Springs.  As fate would have it, we arrived in Glenwood Springs around 1:00 PM, one hour before Sweet Coloradough closed.  Sweet Coloradough is an amazing and somewhat eclectic bakery/sandwich shop that we had discovered on a previous trip.  The sandwiches were good, but the sweets are amazing!  We knew that there would be plenty of hot springs soaking once we reached Ouray, so we fought off the temptation to make a detour to the Glenwood Hot Springs, and with full bellies and a few extra treats for later we made the short remaining part of the drive to Basalt.  

Leaving Sweet Coloradough with a few goodies for the road

Sweet Coloradough

Basalt is a small community of approximately four thousand residents that is located twenty miles from the resort town of Aspen.  Basalt was first named Aspen Junction because there was a railroad junction there that led to the town of Aspen. There are actually two sections of Basalt, located a few miles apart.  Our hotel was located in the "newer" area, which was a nice mixed-use development that seemed to be only a few years old.  The "Historic District" is located at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Rivers. It had been a long travel day, but we still enjoyed walking through both the commercial and residential areas near the hotel.  It was a well-planned development that reminded us of areas like Disney's Celebration and Lakewood Ranch near Bradenton.  A nice place to reside, either full time or just for a couple of nights.

Basalt

Although we spent two nights in Basalt, we arrived midafternoon the first day and planned to leave fairly early in the morning on the day of departure.  We took full advantage of the middle day to explore both Aspen and Historic Basalt.  First up was the very upscale town of Aspen.  Although it is most commonly known as a ski destination, it is a year round playground for the rich and famous (frequently visited by Jeff Bezos, Oprah, Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner to name just a few), as well as the not so rich and famous like the Tuckers.  If we passed any of the rich and famous, we didn't recognize them.  We did however enjoy a nice hike on a section of the Rio Grande Trail.  Afterward we roamed around the downtown area, which was quite busy in spite of it being "off season".   "Cheap Eats" are not easy to find in Aspen, but we found a good one.  Big Wrap had a nice selection of wraps and salads that were a nice bang for our buck in a town where a buck doesn't go too far.  Our favorite places to eat along the way tend to be those local places with a one $ sign.

There's 42 miles of continuous trail along the Rio Grande Trail between Glenwood Springs and Aspen...........we saved a little bit for future adventures.

I like how it has pets listed before kids!

The trail runs along the Roaring Forks River

A nice water feature in downtown Aapen

It may not look it from this picture but downtown Aspen was pretty busy and very colorful

Big Wrap

On our way back from Aspen we stopped for a while in the Basalt Historic District.  This section of Basalt is sometimes referred to as "Old Town".   "Old" seems to fit us just right these days and we had a great time wandering up and down the two main streets (Midland Avenue and Two Rivers Road).  The buildings were filled with shops, restaurants, art galleries and local businesses.  It was distinctly different from the area around our hotel but equally enjoyable to see.

Historic Basalt

We enjoyed our two days in the Basalt/Aspen area.  It was a great place to kick off our Colorado adventure.  Next up............Ouray! 

Hurricane Ian..............

 I don't remember exactly when it was, but while we were in Florida enjoying visiting with family, and celebrating Beth's mom's (NaNa) 94th birthday we heard about "an area of interest" that the National Hurricane Center was keeping an eye on.  This certainly isn't unusual at this time of year, but it is something that always gets Floridians attentions.  Over the next few days, the "area of interest" continued to strengthen, and while it was still a long way away, early projected paths showed that it could be headed for Florida.  We watched it closely as it continued to grow in both size and strength, and it became more apparent that Florida could be in the path of what became Hurricane Ian.

We had left the Silver Bullet in Denver close to two weeks earlier and had an Airbnb booked in Ouray, Colorado.  Our flight out of Florida was scheduled for Tuesday, September 27.  On Sunday morning, while visiting with NaNa, we got word that Southwest Airlines was allowing changes to upcoming flights in anticipation of the Tampa area being impacted by the storm later in the week.

We called Southwest and they were able to change our flights out from Tuesday to early Monday morning. As it turns out the airport closed Tuesday afternoon. The Tampa Bay area was projected to be in the bullseye of what was now a major hurricane.  Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the island.

What unfolded over the next few days was terrible.  The storm grew and grew.  Although the Tampa Bay area and Anna Maria Island were spared the worst of the damage, it's incredibly sad to see the devastation that has taken place less than 100 miles south, from Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda where we lived and worked for seven years, down to Fort Myers (where Ben and Sarah were born) and Naples.

We are grateful that all of our immediate and extended family, as well as friends are safe.  We are also grateful that while there has been some damage to some of their homes, the damage can be repaired.  We pray for those who have lost loved ones, the many who suffered significant damage or complete loss of their homes, as well as the emotional and financial challenges that will be faced for years to come.

We made it to Denver Monday morning and drove three hours to Basalt for the first two nights of this adventure.  We've now settled into our Airbnb in Ouray, which we will call home for the month.  I look forward to sharing soon about the adventures here in the Centennial State, all the while still trying to reason with hurricane season. 

Prayers to all of those impacted by Hurricane Ian.