October 7, 2016 - Part 1

We took a 25 mile ride on the Million Dollar Highway this morning from Ouray to Silverton through the San Juan Mountains.  This classic stretch of two-lane blacktop snakes its way through the San Juan Mountains, the wildest and most rugged peaks in the Rockies.

The first 12 miles through the Uncompahgre Gorge to the summit of Red Mountain Pass is the most spectacular, characterized by steep cliffs, narrow lanes, and a lack of guardrails; the ascent of Red Mountain Pass is marked with a number of hairpin curves used to gain elevation, and again, narrow lanes for traffic—many cut directly into the sides of mountains.

The origin of the name Million Dollar Highway is disputed. There are several legends, though, including that it cost a million dollars a mile to build in the 1920s, and that its fill dirt contains a million dollars in gold ore.  As the locals say, though, you'd have to "pay me a million dollars" to drive that stretch in the snow.  - courtesy of wikipedia