Day fifty three, Durango co to moab ut

Big day today, 433 kms, left Durango about 9.00 am and immediately got held up at the scene of a head on accident on the 550 just north of town, so it took about 45 mins to head back to town and take the bypass the Police had set up. Worth the wee delay of course, the section of the 550 between Durango and Ouray is called the “ Million dollar Highway” mainly due to the cost of construction and the gold mining country it negotiates. From Durango you climb over both the Coal Bank and Molas passes before dropping into Silverton. Molas Pass tops out around 10,340’ asl. This is some of the most stunning scenery in the USA I reckon, massive big country, remnants of snow still clinging to the tops not far from the road, outdoor adventure companies everywhere, from 4wd to mountain biking to side by sides. This country is so big it is hard to show just from a few pics bu t what a stunning ride. This is the third time we have ridden this road, love it every time.

Coffee at Silverton, a colourful wee town, only the Main Street is sealed, all the side streets are gravel, the first town pics below are Silverton.

LeAving Silverton there is more of the same to get over Red Mountain Pass and Down In to Ouray, that second town pic of a slightly bigger town is Ouray. The pics of the Twisties and switchbacks are dropping from Red Mountain Pass down into Ouray. Lunch in Ouray.

Leaving Ouray, we hooked across to duck back into Telluride down low, then took the Gondola put to the Mountain village up high, which was flat to the boards with downhill mountain bikers making the most of the summer and the outstanding MTB park in the Mountain village.

Back Down the Gondola and on the bikes and out through Placerville the next 40 odd kms were through the San Miguel Canyon, funnily enough following the San Miguel river……… ya never would have guessed that would you.

Climbing out of the canyon a bit later, through Naturita we hooked a left on Route 90, headed up through Bedrock and along to Moab.

A big day, but awesome riding and totally awesome scenery. I don’t even need to tell Colorado or out of state riders about the million dollar highway as everyone knows about it, everyone has ridden it.

Ride it again, what a cool part of the world.