The 30th Anniversary Tour, 9.19.22 - 10.15.22, Part 4 of 12: Ophir Pass, Alta Lakes, County Road 7
So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way. “Clouds” - Joni Mitchell
Pretty much every day in the Ridgway area the forecast called for clear skies in the early mornings and then a chance of rain by the afternoons. I battled cloud cover all week yet still managed to get some good sun breaks. On the fourth day in the Ridgway area we drove the Jeep back towards Red Mountain Pass. Stopping again at beautiful Crystal Lake, we got out and walked around one end of the lake and back again. This time we were there earlier than before so the sun had yet to fully light up the hillside. I took my time there and let the sun work its magic and got a few more photos before moving on.
Crystal Lake and Red Mountain
After crossing Red Mountain Pass, we turned off onto the Ophir Pass Road. While considered one of the classic Jeep passes in the area, Ophir is much tamer than Black Bear or Imogene. I would think an SUV could do it but we were glad we were in the Jeep. Ophir Pass works its way up the valley and tops out at 11,789’ before dropping down past the little town of Ophir where it connects to the highway coming out of Telluride. Driving up to the pass was pretty tame and it gave Bridgit more confidence as we climbed above the tree line. Soon we came to a rocky, narrow defile that was the actual pass.
Climbing the east side of Ophir Pass
East side of Ophir Pass
Ophir Pass ahead!
At the top of Ophir Pass
Gettin’ high!
At the pass we met up with another Jeep full of Texans and we exchanged taking photos for each other. The west side of the pass was certainly a bit more challenging but we handled it fine. It was definitely steeper, more rocky and considerably more exposed. Only wide enough for one vehicle in many places, we had to pull over a few times to wait for uphill vehicles to pass by before continuing down. The views were just beautiful as we descended towards Ophir. The aspens were bursting with color. Beaver ponds dotted the valley. Rocky peaks rose up above the trees.
Looking back up at Ophir Pass from the west side
The west side of Ophir Pass
The road down Ophir Pass
The Ophir valley
Aspens above the town of Ophir
We drove past Ophir down to the highway and turned north. In a very short distance we took the turnoff to get to Alta Lakes. This road was pretty rough. We climbed up about five miles past the old ghost mining town of Alta before arriving at a pair of lakes called Alta Lakes. Rising above the lakes was a huge granite wall of Palmyra Peak. I had originally wanted to hang out here until sunset to see the sun light up the wall a brilliant orange color but again, the clouds looked like they had other ideas. We did linger there for awhile. There is another higher lake tucked up and behind the two lower lakes but you can’t drive to the upper lakes and we weren’t in the mood to hike so we just hung out at the lower lakes for awhile.
Since it was pretty clear that the clouds weren’t going to cooperate we didn’t wait for sunset before heading back down the road. We did get some nice sun on the way down lighting up the aspens and Wilson Peak. When we got back to the highway we drove back into Telluride which was only a few miles away. This time we were able to go into more of the shops. Bridgit got her shopping fix in but in truth we didn’t buy much of anything. For me the two highlights were a wonderful photo gallery with incredible images and a used guitar shop with some really rare old acoustic guitars. In no particular hurry we had a really nice time having a drink at the rooftop bar of the Last Dollar Saloon. For dinner we ate at The Alpinist and the Goat which specialized in fondue. I can’t say it was as good as our fondue meal in Grindelwald, Switzerland, but it was a delicious meal.
Alta Lakes
Lizard Head, Sunshine Peak and Wilson Peak
Along Alta Lakes Road
Coming into Telluride
Downtown Telluride
Rooftop of the Last Dollar Saloon
Our last full day in the Ridgway area was sort of a mishmash of things. We had no specific plan. We needed groceries so we got that out of the way early. I still hadn’t driven down County Road 7 yet so after dropping off the groceries we headed out towards Dallas Divide and turned onto 7. This is also the road that goes to the Blue Lakes Trailhead. Blue Lakes are a trio of very lovely lakes underneath Mount Sneffels. They can be accessed from Yankee Boy Basin or from the end of County Road 7. The hike was just a little too much for Bridgit so we just wanted to drive to the trailhead for the views along the way. My research had stated that the great views start at 6.7 miles and I found that to be accurate. We came around a corner and had a great view looking up the valley covered in aspens to a high rocky ridge anchored by Mt. Sneffels. The clouds were keeping Sneffels in shadow so we continued further to the end of the road at the Blue Lakes Trailhead. On the way back we stopped in the same spot and I waited about forty-five minutes but the clouds never cooperated so we moved on.
14,158’ Mount Sneffels
Mount Sneffels from the 6.7 mile mark
Aspens and split rail fence near the Blue Lakes Trailhead
Since it was our last day in Colorado we treated ourselves and drove into Ouray to take a dip in the Ouray Hot Springs pool. The place has five different pools, each one a different temperature. After a good soak and swim it was time for lunch. Now this next part is important so listen up. I’m sixty-five years old so I’ve had quite a few burgers in that period of time. At Maggie’s Kitchen in Ouray, I may have had the best burger I’ve ever eaten. It was so good I had to go back to the kitchen and let the cooks know about it. I can’t tell you exactly why it was so good, but whatever they are doing, they are doing it right. It was one fine hamburger!
Ouray Hot Springs
After a browse through the town of Ouray, it was still reasonably sunny and reasonably early so we figured we would give County Road 5 one more try. This time we continued beyond the five mile view and drove several more miles down the road. We did find a great vantage point that had a good view of the entire Sneffels Range but no amount of waiting was going to part the clouds that kept the peaks in shadow. It just wasn’t meant to be but I can always go back!
The Sneffels Range from County Road 5
The following morning we would leave Colorado for the next stop on the 30th Anniversary Tour. Part 5 continues the story!