PICTURES: 1. top of Corkscrew Pass; 2. red mountain from Pass 3. top of Pass (lunch time but too cold to eat outside the jeep); 4. plowed roads leaving Pass; 5. remains of Mogul mine.
Snow, snow, and more snow! The mountains are really beautiful and the creeks are all rushing. Even though some of the high roads are not open yet we are enjoying seeing the snow. We've never been here for snow melt before and it is gorgeous (if you don't look at the muddy road).
We drove to Silverton and intended to drive the road to Cinnamon Pass (part of the Alpine Loop). Engineer Pass is not open so you can't drive the entire loop (and of course Engineer Pass is the best part of the trail). But somehow, I don't know how there aren't that many roads here, we made a wrong turn and ended up on the Gladstone/Corkscrew Pass road. We were saving this road for a bright, clear day (cloudy yesterday) but decided to go ahead. It was a great road crossing over the mountains at over 12,000 feet. We later learned that it had been plowed the day before so there was still lots of deep snow all around and judging from the tracks we were the first ones to travel it this year. How many ways can you say beautiful?
The trail comes back out on hwy 550 from Silverton to Ouray which is the "million dollar hwy" and just drop-dead gorgeous in it self. Toured Ouray and then enjoyed the scenic ride home.
All of your pictures are really amazing. Such good quality too. Very much enjoy them! Love you guys!
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