Our last day in Colorado and we are determined to make the most of it. We head west out of Ridgway, checking on the foliage along County Road 7 again but find the leaves mostly brown and still green, so we head back on the main road toward the Dallas Divide. We can see storm clouds toward the southern high pass but the weather forecast is for clearing in an hour.
The area near Placerville heading toward Telluride has steep red cliffs which quickly change to high mountain peaks and deep channeled valleys of the San Juan Mountains. The foliage is multicolored compared to the yellow aspens of Red Mountain Pass. The highway runs alongside the San Miguel River, one of the last free flowing rivers in the southwest. Flowing 81 miles, its cool, clean water provides a rare refuge for native fish; 30 miles of this river are protected in preserves.
It is cloudy and misting in sections until we reach Lizard Head Pass, elevation 10,246 ft. and the western section of the San Juan Skyway. As we eat our lunch, the clouds break revealing a dusting of snow on the nearby peaks.
With the sun breaking through, we anticipate a scenic drive back and are not disappointed. Trout Lake’s north shore is quite a sight with tall mountains and orange aspens.
We decide to explore the little town of Ophir, off the main highway on a dirt road. At first sight, Ophir, established in 1881, looks like an abandoned mining town.
Driving a few miles further up the road, we see a small village (population 159) set in one of the most beautiful places to live. Though it is not for the faint of heart as avalanches are frequent and the weather is subarctic; the road is closed in winter. Ophir Pass to the east connects to 550, Red Mountain Pass via a 4 wheel drive road that winds high above a cliffside without guardrails! The town is located two miles from the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, the world’s first hydroelectric plant to supply alternating current electricity for an industrial purpose (mining).
There is still daylight as we approach Ridgway, and daylight must not be wasted, so our last night here is spent fishing the Uncompahgre River at Pa Co Chu Puk one last time, and surprise, surprise, I catch a rainbow around 14”! Ray 0 Linda 1