We could not drive northward on highway 550 because of the huge and out of control wildfire engulfing the forest, near Silverton, Colorado. Thus, we decided to drive through the San Juan mountain range, a little farther west then we initially wanted. We later found out that this highway is actually better for larger vehicles than our original choice. Who would have guessed? Because if you look at both roads on a map, they look identical. Apparently, going over the pass near Silverton, there are many hairpin turns and steep grades, which is not ideal for large rigs like ours. All-in-all, we were fortunate to have been redirected in our route to the north, via highways 145 and 62.
Our journey through this part of the mountain range made me wish I that had a motorcycle. The weather and views were perfect, and the unclogged open roads, contributed to a stress-free cruise. Driving a large truck while towing a 33 foot travel trailer can be nerve racking at times, especially in hi-traffic areas. Thankfully, traffic was light which allowed us ample opportunities to pull over and take pictures without feeling like we were in someone else's way.
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| The layers of mountain and forest add so much depth. |
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| The completely out of control inferno known as the 416 fire near Durango. |
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| Wide pull offs along the highway gave us opportunities to take pictures and walk Paco. |
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| Ah, if I had a motorcycle to enjoy this. |
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| A lot of nature and not a lot of people. |
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| Gentle slopes and wide turns make this easy to drive. |
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| Lots of red rock in this part of Colorado. |
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| You can vaguely see the white smoke being blown over the mountain ridges. |
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