San Miguel County is where Telluride is located, and a place I enjoy visiting in the Fall. On this particular trip, I spent most of the day driving back roads so ran out of time without actually going into Telluride. Placerville is a small community located on the highway to Telluride. Named for the placer gold mines in the 19th century, fewer than 700 people now reside here, some of which may be seasonal. The homes are mostly away from the highway, some along the San Miguel River and many part way up the surrounding mountains. This area has a lot of Entrada sandstone, much like you might find prominently in Utah, which is not that far from here.
One neighborhood has a small lake for use by residents, with a picnic pavilion, raft and tiny beach.
The Uncompahgre National Forest occupies much of the county, so there are numerous roads, unpaved of course, leading back to Forest Service campgrounds, hiking trails, etc. One of the roads leads to Woods Lake, a popular fishing spot and campground. I've enjoyed fall foliage there in the past and was not disappointed this time.
Another back road is one through Ilium Valley, also running alongside the river. I made a first-time visit to Sunshine Mesa, which is probably 10,000 feet high and affords great views of the valley.
There are also good views of distant mountains, including the jagged ridge known as the Ophir Needles. This formation is named for the old mining community called Ophir, which is located below the mountain. I got several photos of it, offering closer and closer views.
There was also a good view of the San Miguel Mountains, which form the box canyon in which Telluride is located.
In the tiny community of Ames, I made a point of re-visiting a couple waterfalls that aren't well known because of their remote location. The first one, Mystic Falls, drops some 200 feet into a canyon. The drop is so long, I can't get the full thing in a single frame of my camera. It can be seen from the parking area, but a trail leads around the head of the canyon to a spot at the top of the waterfall. If you cross the creek and hike farther, there is another waterfall. I've done that in the past, but not this time.
A little farther up the road is Upper Ames Falls on the same creek. The drop here is only about 80 feet into a gorge. More people visit these waterfalls in Winter, when they are frozen and attract ice climbers.
A few miles south of Telluride is a small lake surrounded by colorful Aspen trees. A favorite stop of mine in the Fall, Cushman Lake is primarily used for fishing.
As I approached Telluride on my way home, I stopped along the highway to capture a closer view of those mountains that surround Telluride.
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