FOUR-WHEELING IN THE SAN JUANS…

The Devil's Kitchen
with a fire & brimstone
stove

Looks like Dave needs his oil changed and we can get a spot at the James M Robb Colorado River State Park, so it’s back to Fruita and Grand Junction.  Dave get’s his spa day: Oil change, injector cleaning and a new air filter.  We get in a hike to The Devil’s Kitchen at the Colorado National Monument and then it’s back to Ridgway for more fun in the San Juans and beyond.

This week we’re at the Dakota Terrace Campgrounds at Ridgway State Park.  We’re on top of the hill with lots of room and views down to the reservoir.  There are water and electric hook-ups.  No Sewer hook-ups at this campground, but there’s a Dump Station by the entrance.

Abandoned mines dot the mountain landscape and the old mining roads are now the play ground for the 4WD crowd.  Roads are rated from easy to extreme and attract ATVs, Jeeps, and big trucks (like Dave.) 

High Country Meadows

Owl Creek Pass began life as a cattle drive trail. – This “moderate” road heads into the heart of the Cimarron Mountains.  It winds through ranchlands, along creeks and over high country meadows to the 10,114 ft. pass.   Along the way we see pine and aspen forests, lakes and the peaks of Chimney Rock and Courthouse Monument.

Last Dollar
Gas Pump

Last Dollar Road is classified “easy” and is one of 5 routes from the Ridgway/Ouray area to Telluride.  We take this route after a series of thundershowers do Dave gets a mud bath.  There are some great views of the San Juan Peaks and the Sneffels Range.

Over the pass, the road
gets exciting

Ophir Pass another moderate road, was established as a wagon road between mines.  It starts as a gradual ascent winding through aspen forests and wildflower meadows to the 11,789 Summit.  Immediately over the pass it’s a whole different movie. Here the trail is narrow and shelf-like and there’s one sharp switchback.  After that it’s a beautiful ride to the bottom.

Animas Forks
Ghost town
on the Animas River

The road to the Animas Forks ghost town follows an old railroad bed out of the town of Silverton.  Silver was first discovered in Animas Forks in 1875.  Harsh living conditions during the winter prompted the government to offer free lots and assistance with home building to early settlers and within a year the population boomed to 200 with 30 cabins, a post office, general store, hotel, two mills and a saloon. Unfortunately there was never enough silver to overcome the harsh conditions & the town eventually died. Today it's a popular stop. The Cinnamon Pass Road starts at Animas Forks.  The day we visit, there is a line of Jeeps, Trucks and ATV’s winding up and down the road. It’s a bit too bumper-to-bumper so we pass on this pass.

Although most of our days are spent exploring the 4WD trails, we expand our activities and stop at the Trail Town Still.  Last Year Sunset magazine named this tiny craft distillery the “The Best Surprise in the San Juans.” They produce 5 micro batches of: Whiskey, Vodka, Rum, Gin and Tequila and specialty flavored versions of these spirits.  It’s a great spot to do a tasting flight and try some specialty cocktails.  They don’t do bar food, but you can get a elk,

 jalapeño & cheese brat sandwich with a bag of chips to soak up some of that alcohol ;-)

While we’re here visiting ghost towns and close mines it’s in the news.  Seems that the Environmental Protection Agency, accidentally let 3 million gallons of heavy metal infused water from the Gold King Mine leak intothe Animas River.   The polluted waters turned the river orange and flowed south into New Mexico, Arizona and ultimately into the Colorado River and on into the Sea of Cortez. This is one event at one closed mine.  The Colorado Abandoned Mine Land program has inventoried over 2,800 abandoned mines on public lands. That’s a lot of pollution potential for the Western United States.