Ouray CO

We're heading south (all of 18.5 miles) to the town of Ouray, our next stop. Ouray in southwest Colorado is tucked into a narrow valley surrounded by the San  Juan Mountains and National Forest. It is a quaint little town with a population of about 1000 and an elevation of 7800'. For those of you (like me) who have never heard of Ouray, it is known as the Switzerland of America. Our friends, Josh and Kristen (whom we met way back in June in Rainer OR) recommended that we come here to see the fall colors.







Our first evening, we decided to inject some money into the local economy by enjoy a few beverages at Ouray Brewery. They have seating on the roof where you can quench your thirst and watch the world go by below you.

After quenching our thirst, we move on to a the corner restaurant for a dinner of authentic coconut curry soup, chicken in peanut sauce and Pad Thai. Yummy and very reasonably priced. 

While there, we do a four wheel drive trip in the mountains 

taking in sites like old silver mines, some of which, sadly are now being cleaned up by the EPA because of arsenic and various other chemical leaching into the soil and water table.

Imogene Pass

and Yankee Boy Basin

before heading back to Ouray.

One of the other things Ouray is known for is ice climbing. Each year, the town creates the Ouray Ice Park in the Uncompahgre Gorge by spraying water down the canyon walls. This is the venue where they host the Ouray Ice Festival. It was a little too warm to start building the ice falls when we passed by on our four wheel drive trip. 

Can you imagine this canyon filled with ice falls?

As beautiful as it was during the day up in the mountains, a cold front was moving in and our next day was a snow day. 

We (okay maybe Tom) were planning on taking Hwy 550 (aka the Million Dollar Hwy) to Mesa Verde, but this section of Hwy has been named to the USA Today's list of 'Worlds Most Dangerous Roads'. With the snow and ice left from the storm the day before, we decide "discretion is the better part of valor," and we take an alternate route to Mesa Verde National Park... Maybe next time?