San Juan Mountains (7/23/2017), Montrose (7/29/2017)

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.

FUNC Festival, Montrose (7/22/2017)

FUNC (Fun On The Uncompahgre)

Montrose is fortunate to have the Uncompahgre River running through town and long ago built a large park next to it.  Several years ago, the river was modified to provide a white water course used for kayaks and Stand Up Paddleboards (SUPs). 

This has given rise to an annual festival that features river races and other family fun,  As you might expect, there was music and various vendor sites for food, drink and accessories related to river running.

On a hot summer day, kids and dogs always find interesting ways to keep cool.

Races were staged in several different classifications, with cash prizes for each class.  Negotiating the buoys marking the course was part of the fun, especially when multiple entrants arrived at the same time.  Survival was the name of the game.

Spectators had the "boulder bleachers" and the bridge to offer good views of the action, and cool off between races.

Even those not entered in the races had the opportunity to enjoy the cold water, which was snow in the mountains just a few hours earlier.

As I walked back to the parking lot, I passed the skateboard area and enjoyed watching some of the kids showing off their skills on various devices.

 

Owl Creek Pass (7/2/2017)

I've been enjoying the company of grand-daughter Lauren for several weeks, staying close to home to help her get to her two jobs (that's right, the thoroughbred farm in the mornings, volunteering at a vet clinic in the afternoons).  On Sunday she had a well deserved day off, so stayed home to clean her room and catch up on laundry.  I decided to escape to the mountains and headed for Owl Creek Pass.

Leaving Montrose, I noticed the temp was 93F, typical for the past few weeks.  As I turned off on the access road, storm clouds were forming over the mountains and the temp had dropped to 77F.  Climbing the mountain road, I began to experience thunder and lightning, but not close enough for concern.  Before reaching the top, I was in rain that soon turned to snow...those big, wet flakes that quickly covered the road with a light coating.  At the summit, just over 10,000 feet elevation, the temperature was a solid 45F.  I decided immediately not to do any hiking as I had planned.

Even after the rain stopped temporarily and the snow had melted, clouds and mist hung heavy over the mountains.  Driving a spur road that leads to some very nice campsites, I spotted a young mule deer buck with mangled horns and a large sore on its hind leg.

Back on the main road, there were good views of the Cockscomb and Chimney Rock, where the original True Grit was filmed.  There were also numerous patches of snow left over from winter.

 In the woods, I spotted an old "cowboy camp" trailer, parked there amid the trees.  No idea how long it may have been there, I don't think it could be towed away at this point.

With all the recent snow melt, Owl Creek was flowing strongly, so I took a few photos of some of the waterfalls as the creek tumbled down the mountain.

All along the road were pretty wildflowers, such as columbine, lupine and Indian paintbrush.

Taking the Middle Fork Cimarron Road, there were good views of more jagged peaks.

I passed Silver Jack Reservoir, stopping only long enough for a quick photo, then turned off on the road to Rowdy Lake.  An aging "hippie" lady camped by the road asked for a ride to the lake, since her car wasn't up to the rough spots ahead.  I assumed she lived out of the car, but it turned out she was there only for the week-end, and she works for the Federal government in Denver.  Wish I had gotten a photo of her colorful campsite and vehicle.

More wildflowers lined the road as I finished the loop and headed for home.