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!
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!
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.
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?
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.
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!
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 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.
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.
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!
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.
