Nasty Austrian🇦🇹 Conquers da 🇺🇸 & 🇨🇦
- Thread starter big oil
- Start date
big oil
Race Dog
This section of road is part of the 235-mile-long San Juan Skyway that extends west from Durango to Mancos and Cortez, before it turns northeast to Delores and Telluride, continuing to Ridgeway, and looping back to Ouray, where it joins the Million Dollar Highway.
big oil
Race Dog
From Durango, US 550 makes its way to Silverton for 48 miles, loosely parallelling the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The road travels by Trimble Springs, hot springs that have been open for visitors since the late 19th century. It then runs north along the Animas River through the Hermosa Valley and the San Juan National Forest where it goes past Haviland Lake and Electra Lake.
big oil
Race Dog
Drivers pass by Engineer Mountain and Twilight Peak before climbing over Coal Bank Pass, which has a summit of 10,660 feet. It then makes its way to Molas Pass at an elevation of 10,899 feet, which offers a panoramic view of Molas Lake, the Animas River Gorge, and Snowdon Peak.
Engineer Mountain
Engineer Mountain
big oil
Race Dog
The road then descends into Silverton, where numerous historic buildings can be seen, as well as mine tours at the Old Hundred Gold Mine and the Mayflower Mill.
The mountains create their own weather patterns. As you'll see below, it turned cold and rain.
The mountains create their own weather patterns. As you'll see below, it turned cold and rain.
big oil
Race Dog
The highway continues from Silverton for 23 miles to Ouray. It proceeds up Mineral Creek Valley before ascending to Red Mountain Pass at an of 11,075 feet. The ruins of the Longfellow Mine are visible along the way. At the top of the pass are several pull-outs, where the mining ruins of the rich Red Mountain District can be seen. The road then begins to gradually decline about 2,000 feet as it makes its way along the stunning, steep canyon walls of Uncompahgre Gorge.
The weather clears.
The weather clears.
big oil
Race Dog
Along the way, numerous mining sites can be viewed from the highway in what was once the booming Red Mountain Mining District. Before reaching Ouray, Lookout Point offers a grand view of the town of Ouray. Along this trek, the road has steep grades, hairpin curves, and no guard rails. Ouray, a picturesque town known as “Little Switzerland of America,” provides one main street, no traffic lights, three waterfalls, four hot springs, and the famous Ouray Ice Park.
I have video footage later on from Silverton to Ouray.
Oh, it's cold and rain again, I was in heaven. I love cold air.
I have video footage later on from Silverton to Ouray.
Oh, it's cold and rain again, I was in heaven. I love cold air.
big oil
Race Dog
Oubones said:
Agreed, southwest Colorado is one of my favorite places to ride motorcycles. The northwest quadrant is fabulous as well. The eastern half of Colorado is boring and not very pretty.
big oil
Race Dog
There are a number of stories about how the road got its name of the “Million Dollar Highway.” These include a legend that the road was made from a million dollars worth of gold and silver filled tailings, another tale of a woman who traveled the road saying: “I would not travel that road again for a million dollars,” and another that the land was purchased for a million dollars.
big oil
Race Dog
However, it is also said the name came from a comment made at a planning meeting in 1921. At this time, a meeting was held to discuss plans to rebuild the highway. As the men reviewed the contracts to rebuild the highway, one gentleman remarked that all of the contracts added up to a figure very close to one-million dollars. In further comments, he began to refer to the road as “…this million-dollar highway….” and the name stuck.
