Ouray Colorado - Memorial Wknd

[Christophe Noel]

My wife and I returned from a great weekend up in Ouray, Colorado. I used the Discovery for the first time in anger. Found some trails that really made me put a nice puker my driver's seat. There are some spooky drop offs up there. Ophir Pass was closed at the 11,700ft summit so we couldn't take the "short cut" to Telluride. We got stopped by 1/4 mile of really unpassable snow. Probably 20ft deep. More than my little avalanche shovel could handle. Super bummed I didn't bring my back country skis. Idiot!!

If you've never been, you better go.
View attachment 8129

View attachment 8130

View attachment 8131 Up the road from this picture, the trail narrows and has a nice 1,000ft drop off the right side. As a rock and ice climber, I don't mind exposure but in a 5000lb vehicle it reall sucks.

 

[Darren]

Nice shots, and glad to hear you had a good time! I was down there as well, actually, but didn't try any of the roads knowing they were closed. However, I had seen a report that someone posted about Cinnamon being open as of 5/18. I'm sure of the validity of it, though.

Did you mainly just drive around checking out the area, or what all else did you do?

 

[Bighead]

Darren, when do all the trails usually open up down there?

 

[erod]

Nice! looks like there is still a good amount of snow down there. the san juan are great...i need to get back down there. telluride has some great music coming up if your looking for excusses to go back! thanks for posting!

 

[Christophe Noel]

Did you mainly just drive around checking out the area, or what all else did you do?

I took my mountain bike and just toodled around on some fire roads. I did a nice ride up Ophir after we drove it. That sucker hurts on a 29er single speed, but that's the fun of a single speed, right? We did a couple hikes and a lot of sitting in the sun just relaxing. I've done a lot of adventuring in that area. I used to be a regular at the ice climbing park and have climbed Sneffels, Mount Wilson and a few others near by. This is the weekend I usually do the Iron Horse road race and criterium so just chilling out was a nice change. Very nice. I did fall in a creek. Does that count as an adventure?

 

[erod]

i'd say...nice work!

 

[Scott Brady]

Christophe! Nice adventure The Discovery is looking excellent by the way.

Lets see some more pics...

 

[hattrik21]

I love that area. I can't wait till Aug when I get to go back.

 

[Christophe Noel]

More Photos:
View attachment 8142 For a rookie, this trail wasn't easy. Pictures can't tell the story. Those were rather large ledges for a rookie.
View attachment 8143This signaled the turn around for me. I don't do mud. I've worked on enough trails to know when NOT to continue.
View attachment 8144Maybe living in Arizona makes me thirsty, but water is really a cool thing when I see it. Moments later I fell in that dang creek. Extremely funny. Full on swim. Moron.

 

[Darren]

Moments later I fell in that dang creek. Extremely funny. Full on swim.

Yikes! I'm glad you thought it was funny! I would've thought it would've been dang cold and would've hated life for a bit, and would've hoped no one would see me walking back out! I would have to chalk that one up as a mis-adventure. However, you did get to see some of my favorite set of falls, which are pretty cool. I was wanting to take some pictures of them again, but it wasn't to be on this trip.



Lance, on a normal year, they start opening in mid-June with the last ones opening around July 4. The timetable should be a bit earlier this year.

 

[cbmontgo]

Great pics. I just wish I lived closer to that kind of scenery...

 

[Grease Cruiser]

Hey, I was there during Memorial Day weekend as well.
We tried to go over Owl Creek Pass for something mellow (wife was 7 months pregnant) but it was closed.
The San Juans are one of my most favorite areas in North America.

 

[viter]

More Photos:
View attachment 8143This signaled the turn around for me. I don't do mud. I've worked on enough trails to know when NOT to continue.

that road looks so inviting, wish I could be there
yet another place to visit!

 

[77blazerchalet]

Also there twice on Memorial day weekend (sorta)

Here's an entertaining coincidence for you. Do fly-overs count as being there? First pic below was taken several minutes before I recognized Marshall Pass & Monarch Pass while on my way from Vegas to Pittsburgh Friday the 25th. Those two were the next ground sites I recognized after the southern Lake Powell area, so a line between those points would have put me over the San Juans.

The next trio of pics are from my May 30, 1991 drive over Ophir in my 2wd Plymouth Champ. It sure helps when a bulldozer has cleared the road a day or two earlier! Also this is proof of global cooling rather than global warming? Well, maybe not, but it is nice to see more snow in that area in just the past couple of years.

Regretfully, I'll be off-road abusing my VW GTI again this year on my late July Colorado vacation, my Blazer Chalet isn't ready for long distance driving yet.......