Trip Report Ouray/Silverton Trip August 2023

[zmotorsports]

I don't do a lot of trip reports but the wife and I just returned from our annual Ouray, CO trip and I have to say we have never seen as much wildlife as we did last week. Also, with the heavy winter we had the waterfalls were spectacular this year as well as some remaining snow drifts along the trails. Not quite as much snow remaining as there was in 2019 but quite a lot.

This was mine and the wife's 17th year traveling to the Ouray/Silverton area where we've hosted about 7 gatherings and rallies in the area. In the past we've hosted our friends RV'ing group with anywhere from 14 to as many as 22 RV's/Jeeps/couples. This year was a much, much smaller group as we didn't advertise amongst our RV'ing friends and many of them were attending the club's Buena Vista pre-rally the same week.

Some good friends of ours accompanied us and as they were traveling from their summer home in northern Idaho, they stopped at our home for the night and plugged into the shop, then we traveled together to Green River the next afternoon.

Here are our two rigs side by side in Green River where we stopped for the night as the wife and I had to work part of the day on Friday and couldn't get away until early afternoon. In case anyone is interested, we were informed by our friends that this will be the last trip in their 2019 Newmar Dutch Star coach as they will be selling it in a couple of months. Their previous coach was a 1999 Country Coach Magna that they purchased new in 1998 and had put just over 220k miles on it before ordering their new Dutch Star in mid-2018. We have enjoyed traveling with this group and this couple in particular since we met them in 2009 and will hate to see them sell it.




The next morning with satellite dish stowed and slides retracted we were ready to depart and head for Ouray.


Our camping spot for the week in Ouray. Not bad scenery at all.


On day one we ran Governor's Basin and the water crossings were very notable that there was still a lot of runoff coming down.


After lunch we no longer put the lawn chairs and cooler away when we looked up and a deer was wandering around the hillside just above us while we had sat and eaten lunch. We didn't seem to bother it one bit.


As we descended the 12k foot elevation and our lunch spot we came to the off-shoot for Sidney Basin. We have done this many times but the couple others were unsure if they wanted to attempt it. It really isn't a bad route, just a bit rough in a few spots and a narrow slightly off-camber shelf road right before it joins back up with the main trail. Ultimately, we decided to take the route and the views were amazing. There was still so much snow remaining.


Timing was everything on this trip because had we not taken the Sidney Basin route, we would have missed this cinnamon colored black bear that crossed the road right in front of us and began enjoying the berries along the trail. We also had the entire trail to ourselves that day so we just stopped, shut the Jeeps off and watched him.




Again, he didn't seem to be bothered by us one bit as we stayed there watching him for at least 15 minutes before he got bored with us and wandered off.


Stay tuned, more to come......

 

[zmotorsports]

As we hit the main trail I asked the group if they waned to go see the Coors waterfalls and there was a resounding YES. With the abundance of runoff this year we figured they would be spectacular and they did not disappoint.


I was then told the group wanted to head up Yankee Boy as we were already pointed in that direction. Yankee Boy isn't my favorite trail just because it is not as scenic as others in the area and the road is narrow and groups are usually less than cooperative when passing them on the narrow rough road. However, this year we had the entire trail to ourselves again, at least until we were nearly back down when a group was starting up. We ran it in a relatively short amount of time and even saw more waterfalls further up the trail.


At the top there was even a small kettle pond this year which many years is not evident. This year it was full enough that it was right up to the trail's edge.


On the next day we ran the Alpine Loop. We started at Mineral Basin then took Engineer Pass over to Lake City where we ate lunch. After lunch we headed out of town on Highway 149 to the county road 30 turnoff then started up Cinnamon Pass back towards Animas Forks.

Just past the lake and as the brush was thickening I noted something lying down in the thick brush/willows. I told my wife I thought it was a moose and of course, she didn't believe me. Well, I was hell bent on showing her a damn moose. I told the group to hold up while I flipped around and searched for the dark spot I saw. Sure enough, there was a large cow moose lying down minding her own business that we otherwise would have driven right past.




The next day we wanted to keep short as others wanted to wander around the town of Ouray so we did the Red Mountain Mining District trail. This is a short trail taking off on county road 31 from Highway 550 and winds its way around the area and then pops back out onto Highway 550 just north of where Ophir Pass takes off.

Here is just one of the many wheelhouses and mine remnants still standing on this historic trail.


More water crossings that many years are dry.


More mining remnants.


As we descended we found another quite full kettle pond. This one usually has water in it but not this much.


This is one of my favorite mines as it has an old Ingersoll Rand compressor still relatively intact outside. The motor armature is damaged and removed but the piston and rod as well as the flywheels and boiler tank are still remaining.



Stay tuned for more.....

 

[zmotorsports]

As we passed the 12' foot elevation mark for the second time in two days we were met with more breathtaking views.



After hitting Highway 550, airing up and heading into Silverton we went on the search for lunch. I had been bragging to the group about the hamburgers at Handlebars all day so the group was salivating. We parked and walked up to the restaurant only to find a note on the door that they were closed for the day. SHIT! And we had looked it up online the night before on purpose to make sure they were open but evidently is was a spur of the moment thing and not listed on the internet. Damn fake information on the internet, who'd a thunk it.

Oh well, it taught me a valuable lesson at least. As we were wandering around searching for another place to eat before the train arrived in town someone mentioned a brewery that advertised pizza. For those that know me, I'm not one to deviate from a plan very well and once I get my sights set on something I don't waver. Now pizza did sound good but I was still pissed I wasn't stuffing a burger in my pie hole.

We found some tables and ordered a pizza and drinks. I have to say the pizza was freakin' amazing and it proved that I just need to be more flexible and go with the flow. Yes, I was teased a bit as I made comments about how delicious lunch was as the group knows me all too well I guess.


The next day the plan was to head up Corkscrew Gulch, over Hurricane Pass, California Pass and into Animas Forks where we'd eat lunch. There were several large snow drifts/slides still visible along Corkscrew Gulch. This was also the first trail of the week where we really encountered much traffic and it was minimal.


The drift was well over 10' tall still.


More breathtaking views.




Hurricane Pass @ 12,730' elevation.


As we descended Hurricane Pass there were a couple more snow drifts.


Lake Como at the top of Poughkeepsie was as beautiful as ever.


More to come.....

 

[zmotorsports]

Ever since we saw the moose the day earlier on Cinnamon Pass the wife had been going on and on about how she had never seen a bull moose in the wild. I jokingly told her I'd find her a "Bullwinkle" if she'd let it go.

Well, as we were heading back to Ouray from Silverton later in the afternoon we were on Highway 550 just before Red Mountain and I spotted something large and dark stepping out of the trees. I got on the radio to the group and slowed to nearly a stop when two more walked out of the trees. Again, timing was everything because had we not stopped for lunch in Silverton we would have missed these moose. There was no other traffic on the road other than our small group so we stopped and let them take their time crossing the road which they did. They didn't seem to be in a rush or be bothered by us stopped there taking pictures.




Even after crossing the road they were in no hurry to get into the trees as they stopped to sniff their way along the roadside.


After several minutes of snapping pictures, they walked off the road and down into the willows on the opposite side of the road.


The next night after returning to camp a couple of us decided to run into Ridgeway to have dinner at True Grit. Their pork green chili is to die for.

As we were heading south on Highway 550 back towards Ouray there is a slight offshoot going to county road 23 that the wife and I like to take which allows us to pass along some farms and residence and usually nets us some wildlife sightings. The rest of the group headed back to camp as we took the turnoff.

As we were driving four elk stepped out of the trees and allowed us to photograph them.


We got back to camp and showed the pictures to the group and told them what they missed. Well, that wasn't going to happen again I guess because the next night after dinner we were asked to take them on the backroad where we saw the elk. Not knowing if we'd see the elk again we reluctantly agreed and this time we saw a herd of at least 30+ elk. There were several bulls in the group but it was a sight to see.




We had been eagerly awaiting for Black Bear to open throughout the week as we had member of the group who anxiously wanted to run the iconic Black Bear Pass. We had been watching the San Miguel County's website and other areas for news of the trail's opening but it still remained closed on the last day of the trip. Some were disappointed as we generally run Black Bear Pass into Telluride, then get the hell out of Telluride as quickly as possible by way of Imogene Pass.

With not wanting to take the group by pavement into Telluride and add a bit more dirt and scenery, we took Last Dollar over to Telluride.

Here we are airing down on the last day and last run of our 7 days in the area.


At elevations over 12k feet we were once again blessed with some amazing views.


Last Dollar was a success and we got praises for taking the group on that particular trail as it is nothing technical and many had not heard of it before.

As we neared the top of Imogene Pass, there's a mine that we generally stop at for lunch. We found an excellent spot in which to have lunch at on the last day of the trip. Lawn chairs out with good friends and good food.



That concludes our Ouray trip from 2023.

Thanks for looking.

Mike

 

[moab_cj5]

Thanks for sharing! Looks like an awesome trip! Sharing great scenery with great people is what wheeling is all about for me.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks for sharing! Looks like an awesome trip! Sharing great scenery with great people is what wheeling is all about for me.

Thank you and I completely agree. My wife and I feel like we know the area quite well so we enjoy showing it to others, especially to those who experience it for the first time.

Thanks for checking out my trip report.

Mike

 

[OldGeezer]

Thanks for the report! I Tried to get up Governers Basin July 22nd but was stopped by snow just beyond the Sidney Basin road. Unlike you there was way too many rigs going up Yankee so I didn't try it. I thought about the Red Mountain loop but the crowds was too much for me. I left.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks for the report! I Tried to get up Governers Basin July 22nd but was stopped by snow just beyond the Sidney Basin road. Unlike you there was way too many rigs going up Yankee so I didn't try it. I thought about the Red Mountain loop but the crowds was too much for me. I left.

Thank you.

On Governor's Basin, just at the last 1/4 mile or so from the top on a large swooping curve, north facing slope, there was one rather large snow drift remaining across much of the trail. However, it had melted back just enough that hugging the downhill side allowed a driver's side tire in the snow going up and a passenger's side tire coming down, we were able to drive around it. We were the first set of tire marks through that small section and we saw evidence of several turning around just prior to it so I would gamble that it was melting fast enough that even the day or two before it would have been impassable and by the end of the day or the next day it probably melted back enough to retreat completely from the trail.

We had stopped for lunch at the very top where the gate is closed for the functioning mine entrance and had the entire mountain to ourselves.