Volosaurus rex
Doctorate in Volology
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- Dec 2, 2009
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Which one? If you mean the Owl Creek Pass Road, it's gravel. As best I recall, it begins near Ridgway and travels in a northeastward direction toward Owl Creek Pass and then loops back to the west toward Montrose. It’s a pretty drive, although it does not traverse terrain that is as spectacular as Ouray County Roads 5, 7 and 9. Portions of it can be a little rough, but it’s not scary.
The links I provided illustrate terrain covered by all of the roads cited above. With respect to the Last Dollar Road, the following description may interest you:
“The drive takes you from Dallas Divide, over the west end of the Sneffles Range, to Telluride. The road isn't difficult and can often be done in most two- wheel [drive] cars that have a decent amount of clearance. An SUV is the best way to drive the road though. There can be mud puddles on the Telluride side that may stop two wheel vehicles. If it is wet or snowy, I wouldn't attempt it even in four-wheel drive. There is a lot of gumbo on the road that can get very slick and deep in the rain. . . . I'd take an SUV to drive this road, that's the best bet.
To find Last Dollar Road, drive south of Montrose on US 550 about twenty miles until you come to Ridgeway. At Ridgeway turn west onto Colorado 62 for about ten miles until you reach the top of Dallas Divide, a small 8970' pass. Don't forget to look off to your left, south, as you drive up the pass. This is truly some of the most glorious scenery in Colorado or anywhere else for that matter of fact.”
Note: If you are traveling westbound on State Route 62, it is easy to drive by Dallas Divide. There is a little hill that partially obscures it on your approach and the parking area, which is to the left, is in a slight recess, as opposed to being eye level to the driver.
“Continue driving over the top of Dallas Divide. Just over the top, turn left onto Last Dollar Road. There is a sign at the turn. There are lots of beautiful scenes almost immediately. For a while you drive along a flat bench At approximately 6 1/2 miles from Dallas Divide, the road forks. The right fork goes down to Sawpit which is on CO 145. Don't take this right fork. Take the left fork which takes you over the mountains and down to the Telluride Airport with tons of gorgeous scenery along the way.
Shortly after taking the left fork mentioned above, Last Dollar Road starts climbing in easy switchbacks over the end of the Sneffles range. About ten curves up you come to the place where I took the picture I call Aspen Road which you can see just above and to the left. You probably won't even recognize the spot. I've been back several times and even I hardly recognize it myself. The last time I was there, almost all the leaves were off the trees, the white trunks were all mud splattered, and the road a badly rutted mixture of mud and old, crushed Aspen leaves. . . . I never seem to be able to remember that all good photographs are one-of-a-kind things; they exist for a split second in time and are then gone forever. They never seem to be repeatable” (http://www.hanselmannphotography.com/AllArticles/LastDollarRoad1.html).
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. I'll fight TO before I let him try that one alone at less than 💯%. Especially since there is no way I am doing it!
