Big Dominguez to Silverton - Day 7
Silverton: 9,318'
Mileage: 151
Day 7 (Thursday)
Jim found his missing tent pole under his tent. Packed up and ready to roll we left the campground to backtrack to Divide Rd. We could see the La Sal Mountains in the distance to the west. We finally started to see some aspens in vibrant yellow. We also passed some amazing ranches. I can't imagine how much it would cost to buy one of these today (I'm guessing most of them are long time family ranches passed down from generation to generation) but, I know where my lottery money would go!
Mileage: 151
Day 7 (Thursday)
Jim found his missing tent pole under his tent. Packed up and ready to roll we left the campground to backtrack to Divide Rd. We could see the La Sal Mountains in the distance to the west. We finally started to see some aspens in vibrant yellow. We also passed some amazing ranches. I can't imagine how much it would cost to buy one of these today (I'm guessing most of them are long time family ranches passed down from generation to generation) but, I know where my lottery money would go!
We took the Last Dollar Rd into Telluride. Another beautiful road with great scenery and more amazing ranches. I want a ranch like these were you name the various entrances to the property such as East Entrance.
We dropped in next to the Telluride Regional Airport which sits at 9,078' making it the highest airport in the US. I am surprised the airport is open year round. We split up for everyone to pick their choice of lunch. Jim and I had Mexican at Esperanza's and the other guys went for a burger.
Telluride has a high end ski town vibe to it. There's big money in and around Telluride and is supposed to be a hot spot for Hollywood socialites and other well to do folks.
We dropped in next to the Telluride Regional Airport which sits at 9,078' making it the highest airport in the US. I am surprised the airport is open year round. We split up for everyone to pick their choice of lunch. Jim and I had Mexican at Esperanza's and the other guys went for a burger.
Telluride has a high end ski town vibe to it. There's big money in and around Telluride and is supposed to be a hot spot for Hollywood socialites and other well to do folks.
After lunch we headed out of Telluride over Ophir Pass to get into Silverton. Ophir Pass is considered one of the easier passes in the San Juans. But, with fully loaded bikes it's not exactly easy. There has been an unusual amount of snow bringing with it with multiple slide/avalanches leaving a lot of loose rock on the pass. I was following too close and had to stop in a less than ideal spot. When I went to take off I just dug into the loose scree. Additional effort was futile as I dug in to the swing arm. Luckily, Jim and I had our headsets charged and I was able to get him to come back and give a push. Once I got going I made sure I didn't have to stop and could maintain my momentum to the top at 11,814'.
People have rated the passes for various levels of difficulty and that difficulty can vary greatly based upon which direction you are traveling. A pass like Black Bear Pass is limited to one direction because of the difficulty.
People have rated the passes for various levels of difficulty and that difficulty can vary greatly based upon which direction you are traveling. A pass like Black Bear Pass is limited to one direction because of the difficulty.
Silverton is night and day difference from Telluride. Where Telluride has a high brow aura, Silverton has welcoming feeling as if if you've been transported back in time to a simpler life. Even though Silverton has it's fair share of tourism, it doesn't have an over bearing touristy feel. I think Silverton attracts more of the adventures and hunters and Telluride draws the vacationers and skiers.
Once into Silverton we checked into our room and headed for dinner at Handlebars Saloon. After dinner we went across the street for ice cream and then we walked through Silverton. We stopped by the last concert of the year and listened to music for a bit before heading back to the room. This would be our last night as we planned to get up in the morning to head back to the truck and iron man it home for a death back home. Certainly not a ending we planned. But, it was an amazing trip nonetheless.
The San Juan Mountains is a beautiful place. I look forward to more exploration of this area and have already started making plans!
I appreciate all the pictures that Bob took and shared.
Once into Silverton we checked into our room and headed for dinner at Handlebars Saloon. After dinner we went across the street for ice cream and then we walked through Silverton. We stopped by the last concert of the year and listened to music for a bit before heading back to the room. This would be our last night as we planned to get up in the morning to head back to the truck and iron man it home for a death back home. Certainly not a ending we planned. But, it was an amazing trip nonetheless.
The San Juan Mountains is a beautiful place. I look forward to more exploration of this area and have already started making plans!
I appreciate all the pictures that Bob took and shared.