We scrapped our initial plan to explore the county roads around Silverton after reading they are 4WD rough roads. Instead, we chose to go up Owl Creek Pass to Silver Jack Reservoir. This is the road that True Grit and How the West was Won were filmed.
What a beautiful drive it is, climbing up to 10,000 ft. with the Cimmaron Mountains to one side and views of Chimney Rock on the other.
We stopped for lunch alongside the Cimmaron River, which comes out of Silver Jack Reservoir. With my eyes in the camera viewfinder, photographing the creek, I am surprised when a huge black cow appears in my photo.
Groves of aspens with backdrops of gold and green beckon me to walk in the woods. Other than the atvs on the road and an occasional cow, it is peaceful.
Silver Jack Reservoir is almost dry, the sandy bottom visible as cliffs and undulations.
We have certainly been fortunate with the weather and couldn’t ask for more beautiful days, temperatures in the 60’s, blue skies, puffy clouds and little wind.