Day 4

Ouray KOA Ouray, Colorado

We have decided to stay in Ouray a bit longer.  In order to stay at the campground we are in, we needed to change sites.

We were still on our way by 9 this morning.  The plan today was to do a portion of the Alpine Loop.  To travel the entire trail is more than 100 miles.  We thought about going half the distance and staying in a hotel overnight in Lake City.  The hotels were around 200.00 a night.  I would rather spend that money on other fun things! 

The ride today was rocky and steep from the very beginning.  There was a Chevy Blazer 2 cars in front of us.  He was stuck and we waited for him to figure his way out with the help of his friend.  We found out that it was only the second time he had ever driven off-road and he was “kinda nervous.”  Adding to his difficulty was that he was driving a manual transmission.  Tim told him to take his time and go slow.  We stayed a distance back so that he wouldn’t feel pressured and just hung around with him at a much slower pace than normal…just in case he got into trouble.  There were lots of difficult rock maneuvers.

The attrition rate on the trail was high from the get go.  One Jeep turned around and headed downhill after a radiator leak.  A Cadillac Escalade had also turned around…probably realizing quickly that his vehicle was not suited for the trail. 

The sky was grey and then we had some rain showers making the trail just a little slippery.

We passed yet again more avalanche sites.  The trees really do provide insulation for the snow beneath.  In may areas the snow was several feet thick.

Today was more technically challenging and less lovely.

I started to pay attention to the changing leaves and then I began to look for rainbows as the sun popped in and out.  I then really started to look for beauty in the smaller details.  I saw moss and lichen growing on rocks.

Rain droplets on leaves and branches.

Scarlet red berries.

Tiny yellow alpine flowers.

Sporadic purple asters.

Rushing streams.

Tiny fir trees making their way into the world.

A mining shack.

As we ascended the tree line, in the alpine tundra, we were treated to fantastic vistas.

We caught a marmot sunning himself on a rock.  I took about a dozen pictures…I only saved one…or two…

We stopped for a late morning snack…apparently, I was getting a little hangry.

We drove through a deep snowbank.  This was the result of a significant avalanche.  You could still smell the scent of pine from all of the splintered trees.  There were branches and tree trunks haphazardly mixed in the snow.  What combination of elements caused these trees to come tumbling down the mountainside?  Melting snow, the weight of new snow, high winds, the bald mountaintops? These roads are only open for a couple of months each year.

We drove into the town of Silverton.  There is a neat historic Main Street with restaurants and shops.  Today there was an organized road trip with a bunch of classic cars.  The town was bustling!

We stopped for lunch at the Gold Block Brewery and had a salad and a delicious buffalo chicken pizza.

We took highway 550 back to Ouray.  When we got back it was nap time! Then blog time. Then dinner time. Our days pass so quickly!