vacation help for this week, please

[chas57006]

My wife and I are visiting our daughters in Colorado, we spent this weekend with our daughter in Denver and are spending next weekend in Longmont.

We are going to drive down to Durango and work our way back during the week.

What are the must do things I should see or do along the way?

Is the train ride to Silverton worth the time?
Thinking about going to Telluride on the way back.

Thanks
Charlie

 

[zsnowshredder]

The train is a looooong day, but the sight's are beautiful. Most people that visit us like to do a raft trip, they leave from down town durango. The downtown area is nice to so it's fun to explore all the cool shops. Ken & sue's is best food in town.

 

[03RMK800]

Assuming you are taking I70 to Grand Junction then south --

Check to see if any ski areas are running lift rides-- Loveland, A Basin, Keystone, Breckinridge, Copper, Vail, Beaver Creek and Durango Mountain Resort are on your main route.

The cave at Glenwood Springs is a nice tour. Has a zipline and other amusements, too.
Plan 2 plus hours.

The hot springs pool at Glenwood is good.

Colorado National Monument at Grand Junction. Hour or so to drive through with some stops at the overlooks.

Alternative to Colo. National: If you don't mind missing Grand Junction--Go over the Grand Mesa. Highway 65 exits in mid-way through Debeque Canyon, follow the signs over the top to Cedaredge, down to Delta then head south again to Montrose.

Ouray-- If you are driving your SUV takes a while (ask a local) but drive up into at least lower Yankee Boy basin. (I took a Buick to the lower end years ago but I was younger).

Take your time south of Ouray- Red Mountain, Coal Bank and Molas passes are great.

Telluride is in a box canyon and not on a "direct" route from any where. Unless you are fourwheeling, you go to the t intersection at the bottom of the canyon west of town and drive east up to the town.
To get to the tee--
Telluride from the north side by highway--nice drive over Dallas Divide from Ridgeway.

Telluride by highway from the south-- not sure about any direct route from Durango but if you can get the highway that runs through Rico and up, its good.

Real off the direct route (but decent highway) -- Make a loop on Colorado 141 south of Grand Junction- Gateway, Naturita, etc. Long ride.
Make the loop from I70 in Utah to Moab, then south to Montecello (spelling) then east to Cortez and Durango. Long ride.

Mostly, have fun!

 

[densnwbdr]

Charlie,
I think that 03RMK covered alot of it. Depending on how you are going to Durango. I personally would take 285 out of denver and go that way down to Hwy 160 and make the trip over Wolf Creek Pass then come up the back way up Hwy 550. Telluride is beautiful as well as Ouray. Check the hot springs in Ouray. A few winery's in the Grand Junction area are kinda cool. If your in to hiking, there is hanging lake just outside of Glenwood Springs. Also the Black canyon of the Gunnison is pretty amazing.

 

[dejadoo]

Lots of different ways to do that loop, do 285 on one of the ways.
Do Cottonwood and Cumberland passes if you want to get of the beaten path, or at least Monarch Pass if you want to stay on pavement.
Wolf Creek pass into Durango, Mesa Verda is worth taking a look.
Black Bear pass into Telluride if you want an adventure.

Doing 70 like mentioned above on the other way.

 

[aphoric]

Moab is worth the extra mileage if tou are on that end of the state. Arches National Monument is very unique an beautiful. If planning on driving over Cottonwood pass, check CDOT's website. It closes in the winter and winter is on the door step. Crested Butte is nice, you can see eagles near there, the sand dunes may or may not be interesting. There is the Cortz and Toltec (sp?) railroad that goes past the sand dunes and may be a shorter trip. The Royal Gorge is interesting and there is a rail line that gives you like a 2 hour trip through there. Pike's peak might also be up your alley.

 

[03RMK800]

Good suggestions, but

Black Bear pass into Telluride if you want an adventure.

????

Black Bear is more than an adventure. If you aren't driving a high clearance, short wheel base vehicle that you don't mind scratching, don't take Black Bear. Blackbear is one way from Red Mountain pass west to Telluride.

If you are driving a reasonable capable 4wd (not any cross-over that I am aware of) you can go from north of Silverton over Ophir Pass to Ophir and Telluride. It is southerly of Telluride.
Alternatively, you can run the route northerly of Telluride, going over Imogene Pass between Telluride and Ouray.

Ophir and Imogene are two-way, and are more "normal" 4wd route than Blackbear. If you four wheel, Imogene and Ophir probably fit at the easy-moderate end of the scale. Blackbear is the upper end-- Class V or VI. The last couple miles are steep and difficult. It is only time I have ever worried about running out of talent for hundreds of yards.

The Ophir-Imogene routes make a loop that most people spend a day to do.

Any of the 4wd stuff-- watch the hell out of the weather. I was snowed out of Engineer Pass (east of Ouray) the third or fourth weekend of September a couple of years ago.


Alan

 

[dejadoo]

Good suggestions, but

????

Black Bear is more than an adventure. If you aren't driving a high clearance, short wheel base vehicle that you don't mind scratching, don't take Black Bear. Blackbear is one way from Red Mountain pass west to Telluride.

If you are driving a reasonable capable 4wd (not any cross-over that I am aware of) you can go from north of Silverton over Ophir Pass to Ophir and Telluride. It is southerly of Telluride.
Alternatively, you can run the route northerly of Telluride, going over Imogene Pass between Telluride and Ouray.

Ophir and Imogene are two-way, and are more "normal" 4wd route than Blackbear. If you four wheel, Imogene and Ophir probably fit at the easy-moderate end of the scale. Blackbear is the upper end-- Class V or VI. The last couple miles are steep and difficult. It is only time I have ever worried about running out of talent for hundreds of yards.

The Ophir-Imogene routes make a loop that most people spend a day to do.

Any of the 4wd stuff-- watch the hell out of the weather. I was snowed out of Engineer Pass (east of Ouray) the third or fourth weekend of September a couple of years ago.


Alan

Well, I said an adventure, near death maybe, I did it in a stock Jeep Cherokee and a S-10 Blazer. I guess I should have put a there since it was somewhat of a joke.

Parking at the top of Cottonwood and doing the short hike up the hill
gives a great view looking towards Aspen.