Million Dollar Highway: 1940

This is truly one of the greatest last frontier drives ever. We used to drive up from New Mexico to play basketball with Ouray and Silverton. This road made bus trips very interesting. Great photo.

If I am not mistaken this section of road climbs over Red Mountain Pass.

A few years back I rode my bicycle over this pass, with 750 other riders,on the way to Durango. While it is now a "modern paved highway" it still has no guardrails as they would be an impairment to clearing the many feet of snow they get each year. The drop off right next to the edge of the road(first on the right side then the left) made some want to hug the center line, but the car traffic was not conducive to this.

The night before we left for the ride a shop owner in Ouray gave bikers this advice. "For the first 12 miles lean left. For the next 12 miles lean right."

The creek you see at the bottom of the photo flows into Ouray and is diverted through perforated pipes set along the canyon rim in the winter. The sheets of ice formed by the water trickling over the rocks create a perfect ice climbing venue, with competitions every January and February. The creek flows into the Uncompaghre River (Native American name meaning "no cell service"). The hot springs in town are a great way to take the chill off your bones after a day on the ice.

[My favorite summer activity: Jeeping the Alpine Loop and exploring the ghost towns along the way. Especially Animas Forks. The Western Hotel in Ouray is a good place to stay. Or the Beaumont if you want fancy. - Dave]