Colorado - 2017

Once again, I had a terrific summer exploring the San Juan Mountains south of Ouray. I stayed at the Centennial RV Park, a well maintained park where the hosts went out of their way to make me feel at home. Most of my neighbors had jeeps which gave me someone to ride and socialize with. Click here to see a slideshow of my version of back-to-school's "what I did this summer".

Black Bear Pass

Owl Creek Pass

Owl Creek Pass is a scenic ride on a dirt forestry road between Highway 550 north of Ridgway and Highway 50 east of Montrose. Although there were some rough patches (think rumble strips), a passenger car could easily make this trip.

Major Crash

Ever wonder what an ATV that rolls down the side of a mountain looks like...

Let's hope the rider was able to get off before it started to roll.

Imogene Pass

Gene's friend, Sue, had never seen the San Juan Mountains so we took her up to Imogene Pass which overlooks Telluride at 13,114 feet. Click on photos to enlarge.

I'll bet these young people wish they had my energy <grin>

Cheap RZR wash 

Attractive couple posing for the cover of RV Living Magazine

Stony Pass

Stony Pass is an easy but rough trail east of Silverton that takes you up onto high alpine meadows that are currently covered with wildflowers...

Click on photos to enlarge

And then you descend through a forest of aspens...

We returned via Cinnamon Pass to Animas Forks and then back to Silverton for dinner at Handlebars. It was a long day's ride that left me worn out by the time I arrived home.

RZR Riding

Gene, a fellow RZR owner that I rode with in Moab, is in town which was just the excuse I needed to take the RZR up into the San Juan Mountains. We rode Yankee Boy and Governor Basin until the afternoon rain chased us off the mountain.

Click on photos to enlarge

Lake near the top of Yankee Boy

The wildflowers are out at the higher elevations and are absolutely beautiful

Poughkeepsie Gulch

While Black Bear has the reputation as one of the more dangerous trails in the San Juan Mountains, Poughkeepsie Gulch is the more challenging trail, mainly, because of "The Wall". Although I rode down it last year, I was curious to see if I could ride up it this year.

What I discovered is that I could not make it up the wall under my own power, at least, in a hailstorm (bad weatherman). Fortunately, Bill winched me up to the top.

Those white streaks in the photo are hailstones
(click on photos to enlarge)

Photography was limited due to the bad weather but I did get one shot that I liked...