June 10, 2026

Alpine meadows and snow on the mountains

We just finished a long beautiful day riding a grand loop from Cortez, CO to Durango to Rt 550, the Million Dollar Highway, through Silverton, Ouray, then Ridgeway; then south on CO 145 back to Cortez. About 235 miles and lots of photo stops and schmoozing with fellow travelers.

The rock formations changed in dramatic ways

The Million Dollar Highway was built during the silver mining rush in the mid-19th century to help supply and cash-in on thousands of prospectors who searched and mined for riches. it was a spectacular feat for its time considering the rugged and remote terrain. There was even a railroad built to Silverton to meet the needs of several boomtowns. After the boom of silver mining went bust, tourism eventually kicked in as a means to support the economy. Natural hot springs and pure alpine air were draws for folks in the cities. Ouray, for example, has an immense system of public hot spring baths, and still promotes itself as “Switzerland in America”. We stayed in Ouray on our 2017 trip and enjoyed the baths very much. There is a lot to enjoy in this quaint and picturesque town.

There are several passes that offer breathtaking views, and a lot of fun riding, like Molas Pass at 10,900 feet, Coal Bank Pass at 10,650 feet, nd Red Mountain Pass at 11,020 feet. We stopped at a turnout at Molas and Red Mountain Passes to gawk and marvel and share with fellow travelers, some on bikes and some not.

A shoutout here to Bruce and Terri who advised us to stop and look!

We enjoyed meeting a foursome at Molas Pass from Manhattan Kansas. They were two pairs of brothers who are also cousins on a weeks long adventure. They couldn’t believe we’d ride all the way from Philly and still like each other at the end. (We’ve done it four times now.). At another stop we met a couple from Munich, Germany who were traveling for five weeks. The husband had been a German Air Force officer in the 60’s stationed in Texas and spoke quite fluent English. We were joined by a couple from Lancaster, PA who were honeymooning and wanted their picture taken. Before we knew it there were about ten folks chatting while taking in the sights. There was even a very tall, skinny fellow dressed like a hippie from Paris, TX, named Tom. He was on his way to somewhere in Idaho and figured to get there when the spirit moved him. He was very excited about his divining rods that leads him to precious metals. He had quite a tale, let me tell you.

We had lunch in Ouray at Maggie’s Burger Joint and met Dave and Lisa from Boise, ID. They ride their own Indian cycles and are living their best life. They are in the area for an Indian Cycle rally and very excited. There is something about sharp curves at 7,000-10,00 feet with no guardrails. Lisa is a relatively new rider and seemed a little intimidated by the Million Dollar Highway. But she’s game and Dave seems a good support. It was fun meeting them.

We resumed our ride to Ridgeway and turned south on CO 145 through Telluride and a big swath of the San Juan National Forest. Much of the ride paralleled the Dolores River making a really pretty and relaxing ride.