Day 10

Today I hit the road at 8:30, and what a road it was.  I rode to Silverton which was a beautiful and winding road.  I rode and walked around Silverton for a bit and then took off for Ouray, and that was a whole different level of "road".  This road is called the "Million Dollar Highway", I think, because it cost a million dollars per mile to construct and when you ride it you can tell why.  The road sometimes literally sits on the edge of the cliff. There were places where there was no shoulder at all, and the asphalt just hung over the edge. I don't think I have ever hugged the yellow center line more than I did on this road. There was absolutely NO room for error.  The terrain was gorgeous, and even though the road was a little frightening at times, it was a  lot of fun to ride. I think I was very lucky in that there was very little traffic.  I had heard that the weekends are crowded and this is not a road that you want to be on with people trying to be in a hurry.  On the way back from Ouray, I stopped back in Silverton and had lunch at a great restaurant called the Pickle Barrel.  After I finished lunch I noticed that the Durango to Silverton steam locomotive had just arrived in town, so I went to check it out, and then headed back to Durango.  The weather was perfect and the ride was a real highlight.

Silverton, Colorado

Silverton Courthouse

Silverton street scene

Road to Silverton

More Tunnels

Twisty Road

Ouray, Colorado

Street Scene, Ouray, Colorado

Durango to Silverton Steam Locomotive

On the way back to Durango