Mountain Getaway

We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary a little early by taking a trip to several areas in southwestern Colorado. Some of them were places we'd each been to before, but never together and not for a long time. Plus there was lots of 4-wheel driving available, with plenty of scenery (I took hundreds of photos!) and great camping spots. We got a late start on the first day so we found a camping spot in the Gateview area just outside Gunnison, about 3 1/2 hours west of Colorado Springs.

The next day we drove through Lake City (stopping to take advantage of the Wi-Fi so we could check the day's Tour de France results) on our way to the American Basin and over Cinnamon Pass (12,640 feet), part of the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. Camp Redcloud, about 5 miles past Lake City, is where I lived and worked for almost a year when I first moved to Colorado after (finally!) graduating college in 1997. Although my personality and way of thinking have changed a lot since I worked there, I'm so grateful that this was my first exposure to Colorado and that I had so many amazing outdoor experiences there.

The American Basin is one of the most beautiful spots on earth, especially in late summer when thousands of flowers are in bloom everywhere you look. The extra rain we've had this summer was certainly in evidence, not only in the abundance of flowers, but also in how green everything was. Sometimes there were so many greens so far up the mountainside, it looked like a soft, verdant blanket had been tossed over it. If you feel like tackling one of Colorado's many 14ers (mountains over 14,000 feet), you can hike up to Handies Peak on the trail leading through the Basin. We didn't have a lot of time so we stayed in the lower area with all the flowers. Cinnamon Pass ended near the town of Silverton, which I'd heard a lot about but was a little disappointed in. I'd love to go back sometime, though, to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

At our second campsite (probably the prettiest site we had on this trip) we met a couple named Bob and Shirley, both in their 70's, who had driven many of the 4WD passes in Colorado over the years. Steven had a great time talking with Bob and poring over the maps they had both brought. Bob's maps were over 25 years old. Shirley said she had never been scared while going over the passes, which helped relieve my mind (a little bit), since I'm very afraid of heights and kept imagining us tumbling over the edge.

The main 4WD pass that Steven wanted to do was Black Bear Pass (12, 840 feet). It's listed as "extreme" and "difficult" on most websites and maps, and while I have great confidence in Steven's driving skills, I was still hugely nervous about being along for the ride. The most difficult areas were The Steps and The Switchbacks; several of the switchbacks required 3- or 4-point turns, which involved much stopping and backing up and inching forward until we were safely around. The upper portion of the pass is one way only, for good reason--many times the road was literally the width of the truck. Thankfully I had my camera and the beautiful scenery (and Roxy in the back of the cab) to help keep me distracted, or I looked away from the exceptionally high drop-off we were driving next to, usually on my side of course.

In the end we made it with no mishaps and I would definitely say it was worth it. Steven is ready to go back and do it again but I might have to wait a little longer. The spectacular Bridal Veil Falls is about halfway down, past the most hairy switchbacks, and it was nice to get out and take a little break from gripping the "oh s**t" handle for so long. It's the highest free-falling waterfall in Colorado, with the former power plant for the town of Telluride nestled at its top.

The pass takes you into the town of Telluride, where we walked around for about an hour. No sightings of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes or Oprah Winfrey, but we did see many amazing old buildings and had some yummy homemade ice cream. Telluride is also a famous ski resort, with some pretty extreme runs and a mountain village set up away from the main town, accessed by a gondola. The gondola also runs in the summer, but we still had Imogene Pass to get over so we didn't ride it.

All along the way on every pass we drove, there were old mines and mining camp remnants. Sometimes they were so remote and precarious, I marveled at the mindset and the circumstances that would have driven people to take their chance at living there. One site near the top of Imogene Pass used to have dozens of buildings and even a public school, but it looked like you were on the moon because it was only rocks and shale as far as you could see, plus it was cold and windy. The mining deposits and runoff still affect the water; streams were cloudy and ponds were a brilliant turquoise/light blue. Apparently any fish you might catch from them are not recommended for eating.

Imogene Pass is the second highest pass in Colorado (13,114 feet) and turned out to be a little trickier than we thought. At the top you get an amazing view of mountains covered in iron ore, giving the mountains a vivid rust color. We made it safely down that pass, too, into the town of Ouray. In the winter, ice climbers converge upon this small town to tackle its many challenging areas. In the summer, the 4WD roads, hot springs, and proximity to other historic mining towns bring tourists from all over. One place we stopped had a "vapor cave", basically an underground sauna of sorts, but in a cave. I think I might feel a little too claustrophobic to stay in it for too long, plus it was really hot in there! I only took a picture of the entrance; I'm not sure how far back you actually go.