Telluride

Telluride has limited parking, so we parked up at Mountain Village and took the tram into town.  The tram is actually several gondola's.

The first part of the trip was up the mountain to Mountain Village Plaza, where we caught the 2nd gondola which took us over and down into Telluride.  It sure looks like a long ways down.

Joanie Leckey, a WIN friend who stays in Telluride during the summer, met us for our day trip and she suggested Smuggler Joe's for lunch.

Reading this sign reminded me of the movie 'Paint Your Wagon', where they were going to tunnel underneath of the town thinking of all the gold dust which would have fallen through the cracks.

I showed some long distance pictures of the powerhouse and falls when I came off of Imogene Pass (see my previous blog), but today we drove to the powerhouse.

The building is really quite impressive as you drive there.

And we made it.  Here I am looking at the back of the house.  Interestingly, we talked to some Idarado Mining Company workers and got the following update about the power plant.  In 1991, Eric got a long term lease from the state and he sent the turbine and guts of the power plant off for rebuilding.  Once he got it back, he got the power plant up and running, for the first time since 1953.  He then remodeled the house and moved his family there.  But in 2010 the Idarado Mining Co. bought out his lease and took over the power plant.  The mining company is in the process of updating all the electrical wiring and conduit outside.  No one is living in the house at the present time, and the power plant is currently turned off during the maintenance and updating.  It is planned to have it back online in the next few months.

Standing at the base of the falls.

These were the switchbacks to drive up to the power plant.  You didn't run into town for a quart of milk, that's for sure.

Here is the Smuggler Mine, now owned by Idarado Mining.  I guess this is why they want the power plant in operation.

On the way back to Dolores, we stopped at the Rico Hot Springs.

Personally, I wouldn't get in.  The water was nasty looking.  Some folks who did use the hot springs some years back, remember it turned their clothes a rusty red/orange.  I like hot springs, but I'm not so sure this one would be good for your health.  Maybe too much minerals or at least not the right kind.

Imogene Pass

We stayed on at Durango for a few more days so we could drive up to Ouray and down to Telluride over Imogene Pass, a 4-wheel drive experience.

Ouray is best known for its hot springs.  We weren't stopping but I just had to take a picture.  Twenty years ago when I brought my kids here for vacation, it cost $15 for 2 adults and 2 kids.  Now it is $15 for just one adult.

Just outside of Ouray is where you start towards Yankee Boy Basin and Imogene Pass.  This is when you hope the rock above you is very, very solid.

One of the still active mines in the area.

They want to make sure you know there is no trespassing.  Gates are all padlocked, too.

I don't know when the sign was put up, but I figure the $1 Trillion dollar amount doesn't reflect todays high gold and silver prices.  This is the largest dollar amount I have seen yet for any of the old mines visited this year.

This is what's left of the Ruby Trust Mine.

Twin Falls is located in Yankee Boy Basin.  

Just a couple of miles into Imogene Pass we stopped and looked down on Camp Bird Mine, another active mining operation.

The first part of the trip over Imogene Pass was over ground like this, not much of a road at all really.

Upper Camp Bird Mine, which is no longer active, had some people out sifting through the tailings.

Starting up the steep part of the climb to Imogene Pass.

Almost there, we can see the top.

Once at the top, we can look down on Savage Basin and the Tomboy Mine and Tomboy Ghost Town.  It sure looks like a long way down to the bottom of the valley.

Imogene Pass, at over 13,000 feet, is the 2nd highest pass which you can drive over in the U.S.

Starting down the other side.  It was hazy, so the view off the top was not as impressive since you couldn't see very far.

I think this outhouse is just a little too air conditioned for my taste.

There isn't much left of the Tomboy Town site and old Tomboy Mine.

Just some more of the tailings and remains of the Tomboy Mine.  In 1897 the Tomboy Mine was sold to the Rothchild's for $2 million dollars.  It only had a peak population of 900 and closed in 1927.

As we get closer to Telluride, you can see the road to Black Bear Pass.  It's difficult to see in this picture, but at the end of the canyon is a waterfall, Bridal Veil, and above it is the first alternating current power plant in the U.S.

Bridal Veil Powerhouse sits on a 4,500 ft cliff and Bridal Veil Falls is 365 ft.   Built in 1907 it was used in its original configuration until 1953.  (This picture is off the web, I did not take it)

They say the wildflowers are wonderful in the spring and early summer, but this is all that is left for fall flowers.

Overlooking the town of Telluride.
We stopped and had lunch in Telluride before heading over Ophir Pass.  I guess I was overloaded by the great scenery on Imogene Pass, because I didn't take any pictures of Ophir Pass.  Sorry.

On our way back home to Durango we stopped to take a closer look at this entry to a gated community.  Notice the grass growing on top of the roof?  And the gate itself looks like a large piece of barb wire.