High Highway

I feared the "million dollar highway." This is the name for the stretch of U.S. 550 that goes from Durango to Ouray Colorado. It was carved out of the side of the mountains in the 1930s. And nobody's sure if the road got its name from the high construction cost or the spectacular veiws. I'd say the latter because this roadway is stunning. The drive is sort of like a ride on Disneyland's Matterhorn. You're plunged straight into a massive mountain range. And for most of the drive there is a moutain wall on one side and a 700 foot drop off with no guard rail on the other. I'm not a fan of driving on gaurdrailless twisty mountain roads. But this drive was fairly simple. Nobody tried to run me off the road, nobody was in a hurry, and most of the drivers like me were just happy to go the speed limit --- which was a mere 35 mph on most stretches because of all the of the tight curves --- and enjoy the scenery.

This shot was taken at Molas Pass, which is just outside of Silverton CO, at an elevation of 10,000 feet.

I love the photo misfire. They are so much more realistic than the posed picture. Her you see us in our natural state --- I'm fooling with some machinery and Karen can't be bothered.