San Juan Skyway is Indeed a Scenic Byway.

After this write up, I'll be able to take my Colorado 2009-2010 folder of photos, copy it to a DVD and delete from my computer. My hard drive will be so happy for the extra room, but that doesn't mean I'm finished with Colorado...you haven't seen my adventures in Mesa Verde yet. So, you're going to be seeing photos of the Rocky Mountains going via Route 550 from Durango, through Silverton and Ouray, and how the snow fall and ice bring out the quintessential beauty of the mountains. Lovely winter scenery you'll probably be thinking...surprise!; those photos were taken in April 2010. That's right, spring time in the Rockies means say hello to snow, it's still there from the winter and will leave when it's good and ready.





Map time!  Route 550 is part of Colorado's San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, talk about a run-on name; there is a 12 mile section between Ouray and the summit of Red Mountain Pass called "The Million Dollar Highway".  It was built due to the area being too steep for railroads, and the mines needed easy access; two legends are also associated with the naming of this highway section.  The first is that the actual cost of highway was one million dollars; the second was that one million dollars of gold ore was scattered throughout the road's building material.  

 

 

 

 

As you begin driving north out of Durango on Route 550, it will be your typical highway; scenic of course, but highway is highway, right?  Pay attention as the you begin to notice that the lanes start to narrow; the closer you get towards Silverton, the higher the surrounding mountains become.  There will be hair pin turns that will make your hair stand on end; wait until you have to pass another vehicle coming from the other way...talk about an adrenaline rush!  I did the driving on this trip and I believe this is how I finally overcame my fear of mountain roads, switchbacks, and looking down into expansive canyons and valleys.

 

 

 

 

 

There will be three mountain summits/passes along the way.  The first will be Coal Bend Pass at 10, 640 feet above sea level.  The roadway is still basic highway, but it will begin narrowing as you near Molas Pass.

 

The road is getting narrower, more twists and turns, you're gaining elevation and then the majestic Molas Pass comes into view.  At 10,910 feet above sea level, it's an impressive site; you're not done climbing yet as the fun is just starting to intensify.

 

Molas Pass

 

 

The first town you will finally reach is Silverton; originally it was called "Baker's Park" after Captain Charles Baker.  It is a small town with many  of the original buildings from the 1800s still standing.  From Durango, you can take a scenic ride on the Durango-Silverton Railroad to the town and back again; during the winter holiday season, the "Polar Express" runs for children to enjoy.

 

 

Now remember that mining was the main reason why settlements began in this section of the Rocky Mountains.  Historical restorations are taking place by the Idarado Mining Company in the San Miguel Valley; also, don't be surprised to see an abandoned mine shaft sticking out towards the highway as you drive through the mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between Silverton and Ouray is Red Mountain Pass whose summit reaches 11,038 feet above sea level.  The drive is exhilarating along the narrow mountain road, but the scenic views are worth the anxiety.

 

 

 



Red Mountain Pass

 

 



Then comes the city of Ouray, much larger than Silverton and certainly offering much more for visitors.  It has all the modern conveniences, intermingled with the charm of the Old West...have I mentioned the awesome scenery enough yet!?!  As you take the hair pin turns on the highway exit, the slower speed will allow you to get a full appreciation of the city itself.  Feeling stressed out from the drive; check into your hotel/motel and take advantage of Ouray's natural hot springs.  I bet that piece of news just got your full attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since it was spring time, snow was melting with the warming sun; don't be surprised to see a waterfall cascading down a mountain wall, only to become icy rivulets reaching out towards your vehicle.  There will be a tunnel or two blasted out from the natural rock...this was such an awesome adventure!

 

 

 

 

If you continue northward on Route 550, your next stop will be Ridgway; it has become a haven for artists and artisans.  Stop in at the True Grit Cafe for a meal; True Grit should sound familiar as Ridgway was the setting for the classic John Wayne movie.  Take a walk along the main street and stop in at the local shops; many of the artists though have shops in the back streets.

 

 

We continued on Route 550 until we reached Grand Junction; had a great dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ, and made the long ride home to Monticello.  As scenic as traveling Route 191 to Monticello is, it was anti-climactic after the journey on the San Juan Skyway (Route 550).

Mary Cokenour





Total Amazement of the Rocky Mountains.

Back in 2006, Roy decided it was time to go meet his family; in other words, see what they thought of me, and how we all got along.  His mother and brother still live in Moab, Utah while one of his stepmothers and half sisters live in Farmington, New Mexico.  With our jobs back then, we could only take a little vacation time and we had to factor in that neither of us wanted to fly; two days to drive there, two days to drive back and five days of actual visiting...nine days total.

So in the middle of May, off we drove to Utah and I am so totally, 100 percent happy that we did; I got to finally see parts of the United States I thought I'd never see.  Sorry Kansas, but you're one state I could do without...6 hours of flat, brown land and not much else to see.  We traveled Interstate 70 which we could pick up in Pennsylvania (where we lived then) and drive all the way through to Utah.  The drive was long, sometimes tedious; we took turns sleeping and driving, so we wouldn't have to waste time nor money staying overnight at a motel.  There was time to sleep once we checked in at our hotel in Moab; the Best Western Greenwell Inn.




Copper Mountain Area
 

Anyway what I truly want you to know about is my first introduction, up close and personal, with the Rocky Mountains.  No photo or video can ever do them justice; the reality of the Rockies is so intense...emotional...stunning.   Roy stated that I basically hugged the windows of the car with my mouth hanging open in astonishment.  At rest stops I couldn't breathe enough of that cool, clean air; couldn't feel enough of it on my skin; I loved touching the stone of the  mountains; feeling the tingle of any snow that was still in the area on my fingers.  Whenever I hear anyone is traveling from the East coast out West, I tell them that they must either drive; or if flying, get off in Denver, rent a vehicle and drive through the Rocky Mountains.  It is an experience that should never, ever be missed out on.  We drove through the Rockies again in October 2008; and finally May 2009 when we did our final move to Monticello, Utah....the feelings, the awe, the amazement of the Rocky Mountains did not change.




Near Vail
 

  OK, Geology lesson coming up; The Rocky Mountains stretch 3000 miles between the northern most part of British Columbia in Canada to the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.  While there are sections of mountain range that reach out from the Rockies and have particular names, San Juan (Colorado) and Teton (Wyoming) to name a couple; the mountains in Alaska and Mexico are not part of the system.  The Continental Divide is located in the Rockies and basically deems which way water will flow, either to the Atlantic or the Pacific Oceans.  Lesson over...







Beaver Creek
 

Lake Dillon
 

Two popular rest stop areas is Lake Dillon or Beaver Creek.  The rest stop at Lake Dillon overlooks the area and the view is breath taking.  Beaver Creek is a small mountain town which surrounds a lake; quaint and picturesque.





We stopped in Vail to gas up the car; funny, but we did that all three trips.  Vail is the typical ski town; crowded and over priced.  In October, even though there was natural snow on the mountains, the snow machines were working full force to accommodate the skiers.

 

 

As you begin to descend from the Rockies towards Utah, you start to notice a distinct change in the landscape. 

 



Dotsero, Colorado
 

Grand Junction, Colorado
 

What was once lush forest and snowy peaks turns into desert surrounded by desolate grey hills and mountains; my husband calls this the "badlands" of the Rockies. This landscape continues to Grand Junction and all along Interstate 70 in Utah (mountains on the right of I-70 are called the "Book Cliffs" as they resemble library book stacks).

 

The Book Cliffs
 

Like I said before, you can "ooh and aah" at photos or videos of the Rocky Mountains, but you won't get the true experience of them unless you're up close and personal.  Oh, an instance that occurred all three times while going through; a herd of Big Horned Sheep along the roadside...a ram and his ladies.  Of course there was no where to pull off, so a photo could be taken, and I swear that is how those creatures planned it out.  However, if you get to see them, you are so lucky as they are amazing animals; large, majestic and beautiful; just like the Rocky Mountains they reside in.

Mary Cokenour



 

 



Now where to start this new adventure....

Back in 2006, my then "boyfriend", who is now my husband decided it would be a good idea to bring me out to the Southwest. He had been born in Denver, Colorado and lived in many areas throughout Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Roy wanted his family members to meet me, and lets be honest, he wanted their approval. I was curious about them too, and lets be honest, I wanted to see what I was really getting myself into. We rented a car with a large trunk; I knew we'd be bringing back lots of souvenirs and what-nots. 

                                                             Yes, Yes!!!  I will admit to it now, I actually brought home a real tumbleweed.








Driving across the country can be a thrill depending on what routes you use, and the states themselves.  If you live on the East Coast, make sure you do most of the traveling on Interstate 70; it's the simplest route.   Watch out going through St. Louis, Missouri as their highway system is a bit erratic lane wise; you believe you're in the correct lane and suddenly a sign tells you to jump three lanes over if you want to continue on your designated route.  Kansas is by far the worst state to travel through; nothing but flat, brown land for six hours and billboards full of religious gloom and doom. 

The most spectacular state is Colorado and traveling through the Rocky Mountains; no photo in a magazine or show on the television screen can do them true justice.  Roy laughed watching my reaction, "Honey", he said, "You had your mouth wide open in shock the entire way through".  Of course I did!  I was in a place I'd never, ever thought I'd ever be in, and it was absolutely breath taking.

The entire trip there took two days and we were so exhausted by the time we reached our final destination, Moab, Utah.  Roy's mother and brother still live there, but we decided to stay in a hotel instead.  We showered, got a quick meal and then collapsed into bed; not waking till the next morning.  Opening the door and stepping out onto the balcony, I was greeted by the sunlight against the Red Rocks; the bluest sky I'd ever seen; and air so fresh my lungs went into shock.

Don't worry, I'm not going to give you every detail about this trip, nor a slide show of photos that will take hours.  What I will do is tell you that I fell in love, in love!!!, with the area; the ecosystems, environment, animal life, plant life.  Lying on flat rocks out in the desert, I was contented as any of the local lizards.  There is barely any humidity, the air is clean and I could breathe!  I walked for hours, climbed rock piles so high that Roy stated, "The spirit of the mountain goat is within you", along with "Come down from there before you kill yourself!!!".  I wanted to stay out here and not go back to Pennsylvania's blue-green skies of pollution, and humidity so high that you always felt damp and steamy.

We did eventually move out to Utah, and this story will develop with each separate writing.  There will be lots of photos, so if my writing bores you, at least enjoy the visuals.  Oh, why did I really start this new blog; the photos.  I have always been pretty adept at taking nature and landscape photos, and folks kept saying, "You should start a travel blog".  My food blog, Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook is pretty well established now, and picking up in popularity. As I was taking a ride through the Abajo Mountains today, taking photo stops and letting one of my dogs romp around, a title for this blog finally hit me that I was happy with. I have brown eyes that are constantly growing wide at the thrilling sights of the Southwest; hence the name.

So here is my introduction for this new blog, and I've lots of thinking to do about how I'm going to introduce you to all the adventures I've had, and all the new ones I'll be having.  I may go in time order, I may jump around a bit; ha! more like a lot, but it's going to be a grand time no matter what.

Thanks for reading....

Mary Cokenour