I took a rare week off in early April for a Colorado road trip. In less than seven days I traversed six mountain passes, twice crossing the Continental Divide.
My first stop was the Colorado National Monument near Fruita for a rendezvous with a friend. In my 30-plus years in the state I’ve never visited this expanse of red rock and canyon country. As it was early in the season, the campground was pretty empty as were the hiking trails. There were some bicyclists on the rim drive through the park, enjoying what has to be one of the more spectacular rides in the state.
The Monument is part of the National Park Service and was established in 1911. The area had first been explored by a fellow named John Otto who went on to become the first park custodian.
While camping in the park one of the volunteers politely warned us that we might have to pack up and leave if the threatened government shutdown took place. Ain’t that America, I thought to myself.
The next stop was a brief visit to the town of Ridgway which, unlike Salida, already had tulips popping out of the ground, a promising sign. But ahead of me lay Red Mountain Pass, one of the more dreaded passes for those like myself with mild cases of acrophobia. That southbound trip never fails to cause a “white-knuckle” effect with me and I found myself mechanically regulating my breathing to keep my heart rate down. And this on a blue sky day with no traffic. I can’t imagine driving a big rig over this pass in bad weather – it would require nerves of steel. Silverton was the next stop where a fire the previous night had gutted two historic downtown buildings. When I arrived workmen had begun boarding up the windows and doors of the brick structures but the word on the street was they could probably be saved.
Durango was the next destination with its infamous “bridges to nowhere,” spanning U.S. Hwy. 160 east of town. The unused structures are a stark reminder of very bad planning and the thoughtless zeal of the boom town mentality.
I attended the Bluegrass Meltdown Music Festival, a pleasant musical event, now in its 16th season. Unlike the outdoor festivals prevalent around the state, this one takes place in the theaters, coffeehouses and nightclubs in the historic downtown. I’m not a huge fan of bluegrass music but it’s hard not to appreciate all the great talent, of all ages, to be found enjoying the early spring vibe in the Southwestern mountains.
It was then time to head back over Wolf Creek Pass and the Divide then over Poncha Pass and home to the Upper Arkansas Valley.
– Mike Rosso
