An early start this morning was necessary as we had some miles to do, and some scenic but possibly tricky roads to navigate. There is a lot written about the Million Dollar Highway, especially how many deaths occur on it, but by dinner time, we will have driven it safely. Hopefully!
Leaving Basalt and nipping to the 7-11 for some supplies (read that as donuts), we toddled along the CO-133 toward Hotchkiss, following the North Fork Gunnison River for most of the way.
Scenery was again spectacular. Passing through small towns like Redstone and seeing the Coke Ovens, rising to 8750 ft as we drove over McClure Pass, and then down into smaller towns such as Somerset crossing under the West Elk Mine of the Mountain Coal Co.
Then into Hotchkiss to turn onto the CO-92 heading to the Blue Mesa Dam.
Before we traveled to the USA, we became aware of a Blue Mesa Bridge that had been closed because of structural failings. Luckily for us, this bridge was east of the Blue Mesa Dam, nearer Gunnison, but really affected the amount of traffic we would see - it was strangely eerie seeing such little traffic, as we ascended and descended on our way to the Blue Mesa Dam. en route though, there was some unbelievably beautiful scenic overlooks which gave a view of the Gunnison River.
This holiday has taught me dams are amazing and huge constructions, with Blue Mesa being no exception. What is troubling, and something I have rarely thought about with any gusto, is the effect of global warming on the water levels. It is obvious here, and as we will see later at the Hoover Dam in Las Vegas, that water levels are lessening because of the extremely hot weather we are seeing nowadays in the summer months.
We now had our sights firmly on the Million Dollar Highway, so leaving Blue Mesa Dam and heading for Ouray, and the start of that stunning piece of road was something we were keen to do. However, what I had failed to do, and which caught me by surprise, was the beauty of that road between Blue Mesa and Montrose, and of course onward to Ouray. I have said it before and will say it again - simply breathtaking!
A quick stop in Montrose at the (what we now know as the greatest convenience store in the world) local Walgreens, we soon found ourselves in Ouray. This is another town where I really wish we could have spent longer... it looks really cool and a lot of fun!
I only learned of the Million Dollar Highway when I was doing all the planning for this trip, but it soon became an item on my bucket list - and despite the slightly wet weather, it certainly did not disappoint. The views were one thing, but the adrenaline generated when navigating a narrow road with death inducing sheer drops is something I urge everyone to experience. Watch the video - you will quickly notice there is a distinct lack of guard rails - and that certainly gets your attention!
It is a slow going part of the drive - but oh so worth it. Plenty of steep drops, switch backs and tunnels carved into the rock make this unforgettable.
It is now fair to say, after the last few days (Royal Gorge, Pikes Peak, Independence Pass etc), that this holiday is delivering in a far greater way than we anticipated.
After Silverton, we had a calmer but just as beautiful run down to Durango, and the night in the Caboose Motel - which I do very much recommend also. Almost a throwback to a bygone era, it is quaint, but roomy, but best of all, only a five minute walk to our chosen restaurant - The Serious Texas Bar-B-Q! Effectively a take away joint, but by gosh, the food was a-bloody-mazing!
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