Tuesday, June 26, 2012

SW COLORADO, SILVERTON TO OURAY

The sun through the window wakes us up.  We clear our heads with fresh perked coffee beside a mountain stream.  One more time through Silverton for breakfast and groceries and then we head north.  We stop at Red Mountain Pass (11,018 feet) to inspect an old mine shaft and enjoy the many Colorado wildflowers.
Next we visit Box Canyon Park where Canyon Creek falls several hundred feet cutting through the rock to form the box canyon.

In the old mining town of Ouray we cruise down main street and stop at the historic Ouray Hot Springs Pool where we decide to take a bath.  The pool is huge, about the size of 3 olympic pools.  It has 3 sections ranging between 75 degrees to 104 degrees.  We go for the hot pool but are only able to stay in it for 15 minutes.

After watching a soft ball game we hike into town and have probably our worst meal so far at the Silver Nugget.  Not only was the food bad, but they only accepted cash as payment.  Main Street is about 1.5 miles long and packed with every kind of shop you can think of.  Plenty of saloons and restaurants too.  We stroll up one side and down the other before heading to our parking spot at the pool.  We take the dogs for a swim in Red Mountain Creek beside the pool.
Castilleja, Indian Paintbrush

Mertensia ciliata, Tall Chiming Bells

Clementsia rhodanthe, Rose Crown

Aquilegia coerulea, Colorado Columbine

Veratrum californicum, False Hellebore

Abandoned mine entrance.

Red Mountain Pass

Road through Red Mountain Pass from Silverton to Ouray, Colorado

Box Canyon, Ouray, Colorado

Box Canyon Waterfall

Rare Black Swift nesting.

View of Ouray, Colorado from Box Canyon

Mitch hiking up to top of Box Canyon

View looking down on Box Canyon

Tunnel entrance connecting trails.

Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird at feeder.

Male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird at feeder.

Pine Siskin

Black-Headed Grosbeak

Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel

Chipmunk

View of Ouray, Colorado

Ouray, Colorado

Amphitheatre surrounding Ouray, Colorado

Ouray Hot Springs and Fitness Center

Mitch checking to see how hot the hot spring is.

Ahhh, just right.







1 comment:

  1. I especially like the wildflower pictures.

    ReplyDelete