I wrote a tiny bit about my trip last month when I uploaded some photos, but here’s a little more on the trip I took.
Before I started my new job, I had a week to take a relaxing trip. There were a number of destinations on my mind, but I decided on travelling through southwest, Colorado for 2 purposes, to see the backcountry mines and ghost towns I’ve heard about for so long and to experience a few of the hot springs along the way too.
Places I visited - Gunnison & Crested Butte, Lake City, CO and Engineer Pass. Pike Snowden’s Cabin and other small mining ghost towns. Pagosa Hot Springs and the nearby Wildlife Refuge, Durango and the Durango / LaPlata Airport to pick up Amy. Telluride and Mountain Village. Ouray and the Box Canyon Lodge Hot Springs and more mountain passes near the Bird Mine and other Ghost Towns. Then on North to the Dillon Dam Brewery and Back Home!
There were too many awesome places to name any of them as “the best”, but some highlights were - The Wildlife Refuge 5 miles south of Pagosa Springs, where they rescue wild animals that would otherwise be put down. The baby bear was super cool, and the mountain lions awe-inspiring.
Hwy 149 south to Lake City was beautiful and Engineer pass and the mining ghost towns was the bomb! I thought I’d have to rent a jeep, but that road is very mild, and as long as you have clearance and keep your brakes cool and the vehicle in low gear - you should be fine. The scenery was just gorgeous and because it was a weekday, I had all the mountains just about to myself. Pike Snowden’s cabin was cool, and being out in the middle of nowhere in 2008, was hard to believe that this man lived there in the late 1800s. Only the mines kept people in that area. I spent the morning of my birthday hiking around and sightseeing in the backcountry on Engineer Pass. That was awesome.
The Pagosa Hot Springs were beautiful and I lounged there on the evening of my Birthday. It was $200 bucks to get a room there but hey, it was a treat and guests of the Pagosa Spa and Resort can use the springs anytime all night (They kick the public out of there at 10pm). I was the last person to be soaking at midnight when another Birthday said goodbye until next year. I didn’t get out of the hot springs until 1:30 in the morning the next day, then went back to my room, slept better than I ever have, and woke back up to go soak in the springs some more. Sure it smells like sulphur, but I have never felt better.
I then went to Durango to pick up Amy at the airport. I bought her a ticket for $200 bucks and flew her 1 way to the Durango LaPlata airport (since she had to work earlier in the week). I had dinner at the Strater Hotel’s Mahogany Grille and then stayed at a budget hotel to keep costs down.
Amy and I headed to Telluride and Mountain Village. We were going to stay in downtown Telluride, the cost was ridiculous. Instead, we stayed at The Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa. That place was as nice as the Ritz and we loved it. We toured around Telluride’s stores and also drove a little ways up Black Bear Pass! (Caution, DO NOT attempt Black Bear pass in large cars, passenger cars and automatics. You need super low gears to crawl down that mountain pass and it is crazy rough.
Finally, we headed to Ouray, where we stayed at the Box Canyon Lodge and Hot Springs. They have little redwood hot tubs out back that are very cozy. Unlike the Pagosa Hot Springs, Box Canyon’s hot tubs close at 10pm, so get there early and go often. We also drove up into the mountain wilderness to look at the Camp Bird Mine and that road was a lot sketchier than Engineer pass and more steep. The “Mouse’s Chocolates” store in Ouray is fantastic – be sure to buy some scrap cookies, where they throw all of their chocolate and candy scraps into a batch of sugar cookie mix and create the best cookies I’ve ever eaten.
Amy and I topped the trip off with a stop at Dillon Dam Brewery where only I enjoyed a beer or 2 and we ate some delicious lunch! Their French Onion soup is the bomb!
The entire trip for me was a VERY leisurely 9 days – (1 week flanked by both weekends.) I saw so many mining ghost Towns, mountain vistas, historical sites and wildlife. I am ready to do this trip all over again! It was super fun.
The route to plan on Google maps is: Denver / Castle Rock to Colorado Springs, West to Gunnison, to Crested Butte, back south through Gunnison and west to Highway 149 south to Lake City. Drive on Engineer’s Pass. Then South and Southwest over Wolf Creek Pass to Pagosa Springs, West to Durango, then Northwest to Telluride and Mountain Village. Then around the mountains to Ouray (make sure to see the Bird Mine and other ghost towns if you have a vehicle with clearance) and back home through Grand Junction onto Highway 70 east back to Denver.
If anyone has questions about this trip or would like more information, please let me know!
Bill
