RV ALASKA - The Black Canyon of the Gunnison & Colorful Colorado's Historic Mining Towns

Fortunes were made and lost in the old mining towns of the American west, and some fortunes just never materialized.  Many towns went from boom to bust in only a few short years.  Some of them turned into ghost towns – or disappeared entirely.  Others not only held onto their history, but celebrated it, enticing tourists to visit or even relocate.  Although we had passed through Durango, Colorado, on our way to Mesa Verde National Park back in 2010, we had never made it north to the other old mining towns of Silverton, Ouray and Telluride.  The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park remained an elusive check mark on our bucket list, as well.  Nearing the end of our expedition to Alaska, we worked our way back east through Colorado to visit with friends and visit the destinations that had remained just out of reach for way too long.

Base camp for our explorations was the Pa-Co-Chu-Pak Campground in Ridgway State Park, located less than 20 miles from Montrose.  With a population of just over 21,000, Montrose was an excellent place to reprovision, get the truck washed and enjoy a couple of visits to Culver’s for their scrumptious frozen custard.  The weather was a blend of sunshine, clouds and showers, but the rain didn’t hamper our plans, and we managed to accomplish everything we set out to.

Date(s) – September 6th – September 9th

Total Miles Traveled to Date – 17,502

Wildlife Sightings to Date – Lots of deer - 8 does, 2 bucks and 2 fawns!  Plus, 1 osprey.  We first saw the bucks, the fawns and six of the does in the meadow across from our campsite in the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground early one morning.  Then, as we were enjoying our coffee and the quiet view out our big back window a little while later, they all came within a foot or two of our trailer as they accessed a game trail down to the Uncompahgre River below us.  Didn’t one of the phone companies use the phrase “reach out and touch someone” in their marketing program some years back?  Maybe AT&T?  Well, that slogan came to mind because I’m pretty sure we could have.

So now, our total wildlife sightings to date are: 1 fox; 4 feral horses; 3 loons; 2 ptarmigans; 6 ospreys; 101 dalmatians eagles (including 2 fledglings); 4 seagull chicks; 16 swans (including 2 fuzzy cygnets); 9 sea lions; 33 seals; 17 sea otters; 1 river otter; 4 cow moose; 1 bull moose; 5 grizzly bears (including a sow with 2 cubs and the back end of one grizzly retreating into the brush); 8 black bears; 1 coyote; 1 snowshoe hare; 8 rabbits (including one cute little baby bunny and one very fast bunny that just managed to cross the road safely); several small herds of bison with at least 2 dozen young calves; 21 deer (including 2 fawns and 2 bucks with their racks covered in velvet); 9 mountain goats (including 3 tiny and adorable kids); 23 bighorn sheep; 62 elk (including 7 calves that hadn’t yet lost their spots and a number of bull elk with full racks covered in velvet); several small herds of pronghorn antelope (including 2 mamas with 3 newborn fawns between them); 4 great blue herons; dozens of American white pelicans; at least a half dozen families of adult geese with goslings; and several dozen ducks (with lots of little ducklings).

Highlight(s) of the Day – Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is not the most beautiful or exciting National Park we’ve ever visited.  But I do appreciate how each Park has its own special character and personality, and this one was no different.  The Black Canyon was carved by the Gunnison River over the course of approximately two million years.  The National Park Service refers to the canyon as “steep, deep and narrow.”  The deepest part of the canyon is from Warner Point to the river – 2,722 feet.  The canyon’s narrowest point at the river is just 40 feet wide.  And, although the canyon runs through the National Park for 14 miles, its total length is actually more than three times that at 48 miles.  Black Canyon was impressive, quiet and lacking a bit in the amenities department.  On the day we visited the North Rim, we ended up eating lunch in the truck, since we found no picnic tables in that section of the Park.  It was Lunch with a View, for sure, but it definitely would have been more fun if we had been able to make a real picnic out of it.  The Visitor Center is on the South Rim, and that section of the Park was a bit busier than the North Rim.  Still, it wasn’t crowded at all, and we enjoyed stopping at each viewpoint along both rims.  Truth be told, Alan took a lot of our photos.  When I was looking out I was fine, but looking directly down from those heights would have been uncomfortable and frightening.  I didn’t even make it near the edge of the viewing area at many of our stops.  (Actually, I didn’t think I was going to make it out of the truck at a couple of them.)  Luckily, Alan didn’t complain about being the Photographer of the Day.  I think he was probably remembering the terrible time I had on our last day in Canada – and didn’t want a repeat performance.  I finally got to see the bottom of the canyon when I was going through our photos to choose some for this post.  Yup, good thing I didn’t look down.

We really liked Ouray!  It felt like an honest-to-goodness town out of the Old West, warmly welcoming, with people out and about all over town having a good time.  Ouray was established in 1875, and is located at the point where the Uncompahgre River turns north out of the magnificent San Juan Mountains.  The views were gorgeous, and restaurant we chose for lunch didn’t disappoint.  The Mineshaft Restaurant is tucked inside the Twin Peaks Lodge, and the chef(s) delivered an experience much bigger and better than the restaurant’s tiny size would suggest.  I don’t usually talk much about a specific meal, but the food and service at the Mineshaft were top shelf.  We started with an order of haystack onions – thinly sliced sweet onions deep-fried to perfection.  As I recall, Alan had the half-pound Angus Burger & Fries; I had a Traditional Cobb Salad – and it was amazing!  If we ever make it back to Ouray, I’m pretty sure we’ll be heading directly to the Mineshaft.  Our friendly and knowledgeable (but very laid back) server made this an exceptionally enjoyable experience.  When we mentioned debating whether or not it was worth taking the leftover haystack onions with us, he encouraged us to do it, promising they’d be great on a sandwich or salad.  (Actually, we sautéed them in a skillet on the stove the next day and they were almost just as fabulous the second time around.)  Alan and I both like the vibe that Ouray projected.  This town held a solid appeal for us, and I could see spending time really exploring Ouray’s history and architecture on a future visit.

Do y’all remember actor Dennis Weaver?  He was born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1924, and died at his home in Ridgway, Colorado, in 2006 at the age of 81.  Through his family’s efforts, the Dennis Weaver Memorial Park in Ridgway was established in 2007.  This little park took us by surprise.  We just happened upon it and enjoyed a quick stroll through it before the rain showers started in earnest.  There’s a bronze plaque affixed to a large rock in the park, with the words of a poem written by Weaver engraved on it.  A beautiful work of art was donated in Weaver’s memory by Gerrye and Bill Widger, and it was just stunning.  Sculpted by Vic Payne of Cody, Wyoming, this bronze memorial is an anatomically correct depiction of an American bald eagle in flight.  The sculpture weights 2,800 lbs., and has a wingspan of 21 feet.  Any yet it appears to be precariously balanced on a stack of imposing rocks.  Like I said, stunning.  The small park had a walking trail, places for meditation and a small picnic area down by the river.  This park hadn’t been on our radar when we arrived, but it was our good fortune to take note of the sign at its entrance and stop for a visit.

“I saw an eagle in the sky today, flying free upon the wind.

In my dreams I touched its wings, caught the wind and flew with him.

Oh, what glory it was for me, flying free up in the sky,

For dreams become reality, if in our souls they never die.

So seize the moment which is now, for your eagle lives within.

Hold the vision of your truth; dream your eagle and fly with him.”

~ Dennis Weaver

By the time Alan and I had reached Ridgway State Park, we had logged over 17,000 miles.  We were ready for a little down time, and this park was a delightful place to enjoy it.  Behind our campsite, a steep embankment led down to the Uncompahgre River, and we could see just a sliver of the water through the brush from our campsite.  But a short bike ride through the campground brought us to a place where the river was easily accessible.  While we were exploring the river’s edge, there were several men fishing along its banks in one direction, and a Park Ranger conducting a program for young students in the other.  While Alan chatted with one of the fishermen, I crossed the footbridge to the other side of the river to explore the trail a bit.  Our Pa-Co-Chu-Pak section of the State Park was fun to explore, but we really enjoyed the time we spent at the Dallas Creek section.

On our way back from Ouray late in the day, we stopped at Dallas Creek to poke around a bit, since the view of the reservoir from the road was gorgeous.  It happened to be a weekend, and Dallas Creek was busy.  I wouldn’t say crowded, but busy.  We vowed to fit in a longer visit the next day, keeping our fingers crossed for good weather – or, at least, fewer rain showers.  Luck was with us the following day.  Not only did the weather hold out, but we practically had that entire section of the park to ourselves.  Quiet and unpopulated – just the way we like it.  We set up our camp chairs and settled in, taking in the solitude and the beauty of the water.  Italians have an expression – “dolce far niente” – that translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing.”  I’d say that was a perfect caption for our final afternoon at Ridgway State Park.                           

Lowlight(s) of the Day – Believe it or not . . . Telluride.  This mining town was founded in 1878, and was originally named “Columbia.”  It was renamed in 1881 to avoid confusion with another mining camp.  Telluride is located at the end of a long box canyon that runs along the San Miguel River Valley, and it’s surrounded by the San Juan Mountains.  While I really loved the architecture remaining from the late 1800’s, the town itself practically shouted money and privilege, with maybe just a touch of arrogance.  Wealth was obvious in Ouray, too, but that town still felt warm and welcoming.  Shops and restaurants in Telluride looked a little too ritzy for my taste, parking was a problem, and the “haves” seemed a bit diligent about keeping out the “have nots.”  This, of course, is in my humble opinion only; for all I know, the residents are friendly and the town is welcoming to visitors.  Just sayin’ that it didn’t feel that way to me.  I was happy to check Telluride off of our bucket list, but I doubt we’ll return.

We didn’t make it to Silverton, mainly because of the Million Dollar Highway.  The Highway (U.S. Route 550) runs for 25 miles between Ouray and Silverton.  The spectacular views are to die for – and an average of seven people do so on this road each year.  The Million Dollar Highway is twisty with hairpin turns, steep drop offs and no guardrails.  Allegedly, in the past, rocks had been used as guardrails, but they made it difficult for the snowplow drivers, and they were removed.  (The rocks, not the snowplow drivers.)  I really do understand that the Highway is a “don’t miss” attraction and an amazing highlight for many visitors to the area.  Thanks, but I’ll pass (out).  To each his own.  I do feel bad that Alan didn’t get a chance to experience it.  I offered to wait at a coffee shop in town if he wanted to explore it on his own, but he declined.  I will admit that I was relieved, since I would have spent the entire time he was gone imagining the truck going over the edge and plummeting into space – which would have been only slightly less terrifying than traveling the road myself.  The way I see it, there’s always YouTube.   

Campground(s) – In researching campsites at Ridgway State Park, I had found that the park had three separate campgrounds, all with RV sites – Dakota Terraces, Elk Ridge and Pa-Co-Chu-Puk.  After doing some poking around, reading reviews and looking at photos, I had decided on Pa-Co-Chu-Puk – and we both agreed that it was the best campground for us.  We enjoyed the views and the access to the Uncompahgre River.  The sites were well spaced and the campground was quiet.  The only thing I didn’t like about it is that it’s located below the dam.  Much better, in my opinion, to be above the dam.  Since Ridgway is a State Park, we ran into the $10.00 daily permit fee again.  We had paid just $43.24 (including tax) for our campsite with full hookups – a really reasonable price.   But, of course, it was actually $53.24 thanks to the required daily permit.  Not that $53.24 was unreasonable for a site with beautiful views and full hookups; it was that old feeling of being nickeled and dimed that bothered me.  What made it worse was that we were required to tape the bright green permits for all four days to our windshield, blocking part of Alan’s view.  Not happy.  Would we camp at Ridgway again in the future?  Yes, because it’s a beautiful park and less than 20 miles from Ouray.  But that doesn’t mean I have to like the additional fee for a daily permit.                

Laugh(s) of the Day – Ya gotta love it . . . 

The green and white sign on the gate says, "KEEP GATE CLOSED AT ALL TIMES."

Pics(s) of the Day

This is what you get when you tell Alan you need the trailer tires as close to the edge as possible.

Site #265 in Pa-Co-Chu-Pak Campground at Ridgway State Park

Gorgeous views from our campsite

The Uncompahgre River - It was right about here that I saw the "Mountain Lions Active in Area" sign.

Magnificent scenery on our way to the North Rim of the Black Canyon

Stunning scenery in the National Park, as well

"Big Island," as seen from the North Rim

The colors of nature fading off into the distance

That's Warner Point on the right.

Not as deep as the Grand Canyon, but still pretty grand

Amazing scenery in Telluride

I love the architecture from the 1800's.

Rain showers on the return trip from Telluride

Ouray - same architecture, different atmosphere

My exceptionally delicious Cobb Salad at the Mineshaft Restaurant

This image looks like it's from Dennis Weaver's "McCloud" days.

Dennis Weaver's poem

Vic Payne's sculpture in Dennis Weaver Memorial Park - so impressive!

How did he DO that?!

We saw breathtaking scenery everywhere we went.

"The sweetness of doing nothing"

Up Next – Woo-hoo!  On our way to Fort Collins, Colorado to visit friends we’ve known for . . . Wait!  How long?  Oh.  I didn’t think I was that old.