Too busy being Grandpa this summer to travel very much, but I did make one trip into the San Juan Mountains. My neighbors and good friends Butch and Jayne were able to join me, which made it a much more pleasant trip.
After driving through Ridgway and Ouray, we took a quick spin through the old ghost town of Ironton before heading up Corkscrew Gulch. I've made this trip more than a few times, as it is one of my favorites. I never tire of the views you get of the Red Mountains.
Butch and Jayne didn't seem to be bothered at all by the mountain roads, they appeared to enjoy the drive and the views.
It was a beautiful morning and the wildflowers were blooming nicely.
We left the main route and turned toward Gladstone, an old mining area that still has one active mine. We forded a stream where a young man had driven his Suburu beyond the point of good judgment. He told us he had gotten hung up on a large rock and had to jack up his car to get free. He walked ahead to scope out the remaining road, then turned around and retreated back to Silverton.
Next we hung a left and drove up to Velocity Basin, a beautiful area I had not visited for nearly ten years. Butch and I took a short hike up the hill to get a better view. Last time here I walked all the way around the lake, but we agreed to skip that today.
It's easy to see where the heavy snows, and avalanches, occur and stop vegetation from growing.
From there, we took the good gravel road to Silverton and enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Grand Imperial Hotel.
Unfortunately, bad weather rolled in while we were lunching. We stuck it out, however, visiting Animas Forks ghost town, California Pass and Hurricane Pass before joining Corkscrew Gulch again for the return trip. Too bad the rain prevented any serious photography, but I will share a photo from a previous trip. This is Lake Como as seen from California Pass.
A few days later in Montrose, I went out for sunset as one of our frequent thunder storms came through. The rainbow is worth sharing, and the sunset that followed wasn't too bad, either.
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