Tom is Touring the Gunnison to Durango Route

I thought that there might be some interest in Tom Olson's email to me regarding the touring around Gunnison Colorado. Tom is a guidence counselor at the high school that I have lunch at every day. He is a major participant in the TOTs (That other Table). Generally he is off shooting lighthouses in North America. He is a phtographer and a major photographic contributor to the now defunct San Joaquin Valley Sporting News that we founded on the web.

June 12, 7th day


I stayed at the Comfort Suites in Gunnison last night. After packing the car I headed for Western State College where Pat & Sue Brown graduated. It is not a big campus, but it is not small either. They are building some new buildings, one of which is a student union building.

After touring the grounds of the college I decided to drive 28 miles north to Crested Butte. It was a pleasant drive through ranch land and when I got closer to my destination I could see a lot of mountains surrounding this mountain community at 8,924 feet above sea level. So that gives me an idea of the height of the surrounding mountains if I was already at almost 9,000 feet.

I stopped at the Visitor’s Center and talked to two people. After looking at the historical section of the town I headed up a dirt road toward Kebler Pass. I stopped several times to take photos of the surrounding mountains and when I got to the Pass I asked someone to take my photograph next to the Kebler Pass elevation sign which read 9,980 feet above sea level. Then I drove up a few yards and crossed over to Ohio Pass (10,033) and worked my way down toward the highway that would lead me back to Gunnison. Again I stopped several times and took photos of the distant mountains and Aspens. The road over Ohio Pass offers some excellent views of the Castles, the appropriately named formations in the West Elk Wilderness. This upper stretch of the Ohio Pass has massive aspen forest, providing limitless photo opportunities for photographers. This road was a little rougher than the one up to Kebler Pass but very passable. But I did have to drive more carefully.

When I got to the highway I did not recognize the road. I did not know at the time I was on a different road than the one I drove up from Gunnison. I drove into a ranch and saw someone working around a house. I asked him if the road out at the entrance of the ranch would take me into Gunnison. I said I just came over Ohio Pass and I was not familiar with the road to Gunnison. He said, “You went over Ohio Pass in that car! I just came over Ohio Pass this morning and it almost scared me to death.” It wasn’t long before the road connected to the one I took in the morning and I was soon back in Gunnison.

I was hungry and decided to eat lunch in Gunnison because I thought it might be a long time before I would find a place to eat on my way to Durango. I ate a pork dinner at the Pallesades Restaurant. I had planned to take Highway 50 out of Gunnison to Cimarron. Just before Cimarron I was going to take Owl Creek Pass Road southeast over Owl Creek Pass (11,120 ft) and then meet up with Highway 550 to Ridgeway. However, it was late afternoon (after 3 p.m. and the skies were getting dark and it looked like rain). Beside Owl Creek Road was dirt and I knew it would be several hours longer to take this road than if I drove into Montrose (23 miles) and then take Highway 550 to Ridgeway. From Montrose (5,806 ft) I drove south on Highway 550 passing beautiful vistas of snow capped mountains, roaring streams, and interesting communities. I drove through towns with interesting sounding names such as Uncompahgre, Colona, Ridgeway, Ouray, and then I went over Red Mountain Pass (11,075 ft) before dropping down into Silverton where the Durango-Silverton Railroad runs. I am going to take that train tomorrow if weather permits.

The Animas River begins its race to the sea just south of Silverton and flows pass Durango and on into New Mexico. South of Silverton I went over Coal Bank Pass (10,640 feet) and drove pass Electra Lake and through the towns of Hermosa and Trimble before driving into Durango.

The motel I will be staying in is located on Highway 550. I am scheduled to stay in the Econo Lodge motel. Durango, appears to be a “party town” with many fine restaurants, saloons, and the narrow gauge railroad. The price one has to pay for lodging is quite excessive for what you get. I am paying $92.65 for a very small motel room with no heat because the woman told me they are on a central heating-system. She said it takes a long time to convert from heating to air conditioning and they have just converted to air conditioning so heat is not available right now. I think they converted too soon because it is cold at night. Also the bathroom needs lots of work (the faucets are old and do not work easily and other irritations. But this was the most reasonable considering most hotels were wanting $150 and up. I have stayed in worst, but the Internet is free and fast. Most of the so called “uppity” hotels always seem to charge me for internet.

After dumping my stuff in my room I headed for the train station to see what I needed to do the next morning. I was able to pick up my ticket at the ticket booth, the lady told me where to park and what time to be at the station in the morning. I walked out on the train platform and watch the last train return from Silverton. I took a few photos then walked up the street to see what businesses were operating. I passed an old hotel and went inside to see what it looked like. I heard piano music coming out of the bar, tavern, or saloon (LOL) and peek inside. A man was playing one of those old pianos and tunes from the 1800s. He was good. I decided to have a non-alcoholic beverage and listen to him play. The place was crowded and the waitresses were all dressed up in 1800s outfits (I will leave the description of their outfits to your imaginations). Another piano player relieved the first gentleman and he was equally good. I finished my beer and left. I remember I need a bottle of water to take with me on the train and the waitress told me there was a place across the street that sold bottled water. I purchased my water and went back to the hotel. I was not hungry because I had eaten a big dinner in the late afternoon in Gunnison. I was tired from my 12-hour day and went to bed. They wanted me at the train station by 7:45 a.m. I am looking forward to the trip tomorrow.

Take care.. Pat