Colorado’s Western Slope

July 27 – Aug 5, 2019

Our 6 week trek through Colorado started along the Western Slope in the town of Montrose. Montrose sits on high grasslands at the southern end of the Uncompahgre Valley in Western Colorado. The valley is arid and is only arable due to the water diverted from the Gunnison River via the 5.8 mile long Gunnison Tunnel (opened in 1909). An important agricultural and manufacturing hub, the area around Montrose also provides lots of tourist and recreational activities.

With the plummeting depths of the Black Canyon National Park just to the east, the towering and majestic San Juan Mountains to the south, the expansive Uncompahgre Plateau to the west, and lake-bejeweled Grand Mesa to the north, and an expansive water sports park right in the middle of town, Montrose is literally surrounded by an endless variety of prospects for exploration and adventure. Shake off the road at the Montrose Rec Center, the newest and largest recreational center on the Western Slope. Featuring a 5,000 sq ft, fully equipped weight room and fitness center, indoor walk/jog track, cool-water lap pool with a slackline and drop slide, warm water leisure pool with a lazy river, playground, and zero-depth entry beach, and two-story slide, and so much more. There is something for everyone! — visitmontrose.com

Based on the above description, I would say that the town’s motto of “Stay here. Play everywhere.” really does apply.

Montrose/Black Canyon KOA

Having visited Montrose two years ago, we once again chose the Montrose/Black Canyon KOA for our base camp. We had a level pull-through gravel site at the end of a row with plenty of shade and a large grassy living area. Unfortunately the tree cover prohibited satellite reception but with available cable and several off-air channels, we adapted.

The campground provides easy access to downtown restaurants and shopping. Naturally we had to visit some of our favorite restaurants including Guru’s Restaurant, Horsefly Brewing Company, and Trattoria Di Sophia. As an added bonus, Pizza Hut delivers to the campground.

Since the KOA doesn’t have tennis or pickle ball, we decided to check out the courts at the Montrose Rec Center. They have both indoor and outdoor courts so we were able to play a few games one Saturday.

Telluride

When planning our day trips from Montrose we decided we had to include Telluride (about an hour and a half away) since neither of us had been there before. A former mining town and well-known ski area, Telluride (elevation 8750 feet) sits in a box canyon surrounded by steep forested mountains and cliffs.

Gold was first discovered in the Telluride region in 1858, and the fledgling mining camp was founded under the name Columbia in 1878. Due to post office confusion with another mining camp called Columbia in California, Telluride was forced to change its name by the U.S. Postal Service in 1887.

There is disagreement on where the name Telluride actually comes from. Most say town leaders named it after tellurium, a non-metallic element associated with rich mineral deposits of gold and silver (which was never actually found in Telluride) to lure investors and workers by the promise of implied fortune. Others maintain that it originated from the castaway call “To-Hell-You-Ride,” shouted by those who knew of the town’s boisterousness as well as the rough and lengthy road to the rugged southern San Juan Mountains.

As mining business boomed so did Telluride’s population. Nearly 5,000 people inhabited the “Town without a Bellyache” at the height of the Gold Rush, and more millionaires (per capita) lived in this thriving community than in New York City at the turn of the century. By 1904, more than $360 million of gold was pulled out of Telluride’s mines. However, the world of mining was tough and would set the town on a boom and bust cycle until the development of a ski resort in the 1970s. — wikipedia

While researching Telluride, I was surprised to find out that it was here that Butch Cassidy committed his first bank robbery.

On the morning of June 24, 1889, Robert LeRoy Parker, who would soon become the notorious train and bank robber known by his alias Butch Cassidy, and his accomplice Matt Warner walked into the San Miguel Valley Bank, at the site of what is now the Mahr Building. Warner pulled the teller over his desk, threatening him with death as Parker filled a bag with cash, eventually calculated to be $20,750, more than half a million dollars in today’s currency when adjusted for inflation.

Warner, Parker and one or two other accomplices then headed west out of Telluride on horseback, urging their horses into a gallop and firing their revolvers as a warning to any would-be pursuers as they left town. — telluride news.com

Concerned about parking in downtown Telluride, we decided to drive on to Mountain Village and park in the garage near the gondola. From there, we rode the free Telluride/Mountain Village Gondola.

In 1996 a first-of-its kind gondola system opened between Telluride and Mountain Village in one of the world’s great mountain towns.  The 3-stage Garaventa CTEC gondola cost $16 million to build but is completely free to ride.  Thirty-nine million passengers later, this unique system operates 275 days each year and 19 hours per day.  The lift features three haul ropes and cabins interline between sections 1 and 2, from Oak Street to Station St. Sophia and Mountain Village.  Section 3 further connects Mountain Village Center to Station Village Parking.  The Town of Mountain Village owns and operates the gondola (at a cost of $4 million a year) with funding from Telluride Ski & Golf, the Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association and San Miguel County.  The parties in 1999 agreed to fund the gondola through 2027. — liftblog

At Station St. Sophia we jumped off to explore the area around the 10,540 foot summit and enjoy the view of the San Juan Mountains.

We then continued the ride down into Oak Street Station. If you are planning to visit Telluride, be sure to ride the gondola down into town. You can’t beat the view!!

After making our way through numerous touristy shops, we stopped to enjoy a leisurely lunch at Esperanza’s Tequila Restaurant (enchiladas and margaritas – yum) before concluding our visit and riding the gondola back up to our starting point.

Ouray

Although we had visited this town on our previous trip through Colorado, we had to include Ouray in our list of day trips. With an elevation of 7,792 feet and surrounded on three sides by 13,000 foot snowcapped peaks, Ouray is home to hundreds of miles of historic Jeep roads, sulfur-free hot springs, and a world-famous ice park.

Nestled in the quiet serenity of a box canyon so picturesque it’s been dubbed the “Switzerland of America,” the historic town of Ouray is one of Colorado’s most under-the-radar destinations for a winter vacation. What began as a bustling mining camp in the late 1800s has transformed into an outdoor enthusiast’s playground, with an abundance of winter activities, such as ice climbing, backcountry skiing, and snowmobiling. The town’s entire Main Street is registered as a National Historic District and includes beautifully preserved buildings that have been converted into locally owned retail shops and restaurants. And while its location along the Million Dollar Highway makes Ouray a happening place in the summertime, when the snow starts to fall and the area’s iconic waterfalls turn to ice, this small mountain town is the place to go for a low-key, adventure-filled getaway. — 5280.com

After checking out the neat shops along Main Street, we (once again) stopped at Maggie’s Kitchen for a couple of fantastic hamburgers.

Curecanti and Crested Butte

For our third day trip we opted for to visit Crested Butte (approximately 2 hours away) – another new area for us. Our route took us along the Gunnison River through the Curecanti National Recreation Area.

Curecanti National Recreation Area is a series of three reservoirs along the once wild Gunnison River. The reservoirs that make up Curecanti today are a destination for water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. Best know for salmon and trout fishing, Curecanti also offers opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, and bird watching. — nps.gov

Along the way we turned off on the Morrow Point Dam Road for a glimpse of the dam, spillway, and reservoir.

From there we returned to our route and drove on to the town of Crested Butte – another historic mining town situated at 8885 feet above sea level.

Crested Butte began as a supply camp for local silver mines in the 1870s and evolved into one of the most productive coal towns in the Rockies during the 1880s. Coal continued to drive the town’s economy until the mid-twentieth century. After the mines closed, a ski resort opened on Crested Butte Mountain, the nearby 12,000-foot peak from which the town got its name. In 1974 a historic district of some twenty properties in Crested Butte was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2002 the district was expanded to include 313 historic buildings and other structures. — coloradoencyclopedia.org

We loved browsing through the shops housed in the colorful buildings lining Elk Ave. As an added bonus, art show vendors were busy setting up tents displaying their wares in the middle of the street. Deciding where to eat lunch was difficult with all of the various restaurants. We finally opted for Thai food at Ryce Asian Bistro where we were rewarded with delicious food and a table overlooking the stream at the back of the restaurant. We would have liked to spend more time in this lovely town but, with a long drive back to the RV, we decided it was time to head back.

Final Impressions

I think we might have fallen in love with the Western Slope and its historic mountain towns but there are other areas of Colorado that we need to experience. Join us in the next post as we move on to the Eastern Slope.