We are back from Silverton. We had a fantastic trip and it was hard to come back to the 90+ degree weather. A huge thank you to the gentleman (and lady) from OFRT for showing us one hell of a time. You guys are awesome!

Day 1 - travel
We drove to Durango Wednesday afternoon and set up camp in the Wal-Mart parking lot. For anyone who does not know what the road from Durango to Silverton is like, you definitely do not want to drive it after dark hauling a trailer and camper. We stayed up late Wednesday night talking to some people from Albuquerque who were camped next to us and we headed out early Thursday morning for Silverton.

Day 2 - travel // Silverton
The drive from Durango to Silverton is probably some of the most scenic stretch of highway in the country. You travel over two mountain passes, Coal Bank Pass (elev. 10,640) and Molass Pass (elev. 10,910). The road is narrow, often with no guardrail and a steep drop off with many switchbacks. It is certainly not for the faint of heart or inexperienced driver.

We spent Thursday setting up camp just outside of Silverton. Mike has been camping here for several years and the view is spectacular. We went into town to grab some lunch at Handlebars Restaurant. Good stuff if you are ever in the area. If you happen to be passing through on a Sunday, make sure you try the Cream of Green Chili Soup.

Day 3 - Stony Pass // Cunningham Gulch
Friday was our first trail day. We decided to run Stony Pass. We opted to take a small detour up Cunningham Gulch (County Road 3B) and found the Buffalo Boy Mine. The tram house is still standing as well as the cable supports. The elevation at the top was 12,600 feet, making it the highest elevation the Pinz had seen so far.

The view coming down from Cunningham Gulch was great. There was a huge lush meadow of green grass and wildflowers. On the way down, we saw 3 large elk grazing by the stream.

After our detour, we continued on the Stony Pass Trail. Our goal was to do some fishing that day, and we had heard great things about Kite Lake. We made the 6 mile journey down a side road to Kite Lake only to be totally rained out. It was pouring. We sat and ate lunch in the Pinz before finally turning back.

The headwaters of the Rio Grande are found along Stony Pass. We crossed it several times during the day so we could officially say we have driven across the Rio Grande in our Pinzgauer!

Day 4 - Kendall Mountain
Saturday morning we planned to run Kendall Mountain before the OFRT crew arrived. Much to our surprise, they came earlier than we expected. As they set up camp, we took off to run the trail. Kendall Mountain was also a scenic trail with lots of meadows and flowers. At the top, the road dead ends into 2 large houses. Just down the road from there, a Sherpa was tending to a huge flock of sheep up on the side of the mountain.

We made a quick drive down a short road to a mine entrance. There was also an old bus outside. The Kendall Mountain trail continues up above the tree line to a really neat looking mine entrance. Mike hiked to the top (you can see him in the picture) and found that it was closed off.

On the way back to camp, we spotted a moose eating in a small pond just off the road. We took the dogs for a short walk when we got back to camp to the Animas River, near where we were camping. We found a huge dam and beaver hut. I wanted to make friends with it, but I guess beavers are not too friendly.

Day 5 - Motorcycle Day
Sunday was the first motorcycle day for Mike and the OFRT.

Day 6 - Ophir Pass // Imogene Pass
Monday we ran Ophir and Imogene. The top of Ophir is very rocky, and well above the tree line. Elevation 11,789 feet. Once you start descending Ophir and get below the tree line, the landscape is think with Aspen trees. It was so thick in some places the trees were growing intertwined with each other. The little town of Ophir rests at the bottom, home to some 160 people. It is a cute little community, mostly summer and vacation homes.

Imogene is a fun trail. A little sketchy in places, but the views are worth it. There is a decently preserved mining town still intact close to the top where you can walk around. The top, elevation 13,114 feet, offers a spectacular view. There is a mailbox at the top. Who knows why.

Day 7 - Motorcycle Day
Tuesday was the second motorcycle riding day for Mike and OFRT.

Day 8 - Engineer Pass // Lake City // Cinnamon Pass
Wednesday was a cruise over to Lake City to eat at Southern Vittles. Without a doubt, one of our favorite restaurants ever. We got to Lake City via Engineer Pass, which is where we stopped to take to panoramic picture with the Pinz. We came back via Cinnamon Pass and saw several marmots running along the road.

Day 9 - Corkscrew Gulch // Hurricane Pass
Thursday was supposed to be a motorcycle day for Mike, but we woke up to overcast skies that looked ominous. We decided to take the Pinz out and run Corkscrew Gulch. Corkscrew is a widely popular trail and is a nice drive. At the top, we stopped to take another panoramic of the basin below. We made a short detour near Gladstone to check out a mine we saw from the top of Corkscrew. The mine had been flooded and a spillway built. We later learned they hope to start producing from the mine again, and the water is helping to maintain the integrity of the mine.

We headed back to camp via Hurricane Pass (elevation 12,417 feet) and got a great view of Lake Como. We decided to take the Old Hundred Mine Tour and it was fun. The tour is given by old miners who are pretty knowledgeable about what really went on in a mine.

On the way back to camp, we spotted another moose in the same place with her calf. Pretty neat.

Day 10 - Motorcycle Day
Friday was the third and final day of motorcycle riding for Mike. A trip with Mike is never complete unless someone learns how to breathe fire. The pictures speak for themselves.

Day 11 - Minnie Gulch // Maggie Gulch // travel
We packed up Saturday morning and said goodbye to the OFRT crew. They had a long drive ahead of them and they hit the road. We wanted to run one more trail before we left. Mike knew there was a stamp in great condition at the top of Minnie or Maggie Gulch. We spent a couple of hours doing both, and found the stamp at the top of Maggie Gulch.

Overall it was a fantastic trip. OFRT 2011 should be just as epic.

2010 Silverton pictures can be found here.