October Ouray tip

I’m planning a trip to Ouray/ telluride mid October and I’m wondering how the trail conditions are around that time? I know snow is off and on around that time but do the trails close down around that time? I’m really hoping to run imogene pass when I head out that way. Also what trails do you guys recommend around that time, we’re planning to be around Ouray and telluride, and possibly a day or two around Colorado spring area. Thanks

 

You'll want to take a look at this newer thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/visiting-colorado-this-is-your-local-information-thread.646537/ Or you'll find a bunch if you search the Colorado section on the pass name. The short answer is nobody knows and October is pushing it. Like I told the guy coming in September near the current end of that thread, might be open, might be closed, might be closed just a couple of days. If we get early, heavy snow, it could shut down in September. If the hot and dry we've had this summer continues, it could be open til November. The same will apply to any of the trails in the high country there, Alpine Loop (Engineer/Cinnamon passes), California and Corkscrew and Ophir and Black Bear passes, among others. It's a beautiful part of the state, but October is the average 'any day now, done for the year' month. You'd need to check back a lot closer to time so see how the weather has been and is predicted to be (or other issues like rock slides).

 

Hello fegerfan2525. You will really enjoy it here. I live in Ouray. Like @acidchylde said, it will really be iffy in mid October. Last year, which ended up being a lower snow amount than normal, it was right around 10 or 15 Oct 2019 that all of the trails got closed in this region. Also, when we've had a pretty dry spring and summer, 2 days ago it snowed up by Marble CO and on Independence Pass( a paved highway crossed there) between Aspen and Twin Lakes, CO. And in over the next few days, there is snow expected above 10000ft spread all around the state,to include the San Juan mountains. Of course, those first bouts will mostly likely melt the next day. And, of note, it has rained the last few days. 4wheeling just after rain or snow is usually shunned upon as it really does a number on the trail. Not sure what your accommodations (hotel, camp, etc) will be; we've had a record summer with regards to profits from tourists in the local shops. It really isn't known if that level of tourists here in Oct will continue, but with more folks working online [in their underwear, from home] and kids doing school online, it is possible that the tourist level will be higher than the normal, end of Labor Day drop off. So, if you are thinking reservations, maybe consider making those sooner than later. Our normal leaf changing period (historically the last of the tourist are then until Christmas time or so) is the start of the second week of October. I'm starting to hear that it may begin earlier than normal due to the drought conditions that have existed. The trade off is that we should also get some red aspen leaves. Normally, they are orange and then yellow. So....who knows.

As @acidchylde also said, the normal trails to see are Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene Pass, and Governor Basin in the immediate area. Out of Silverton is the Alpine Loop. Maybe do Silverton to Eureka to Animas Forks and over Cinnamon pass to Lake City, and return over Engineer Pass to California and Hurricane pass back down to Hwy 550 via Corkscrew Gulch and head north back to Ouray. Another great loop is south out of Ouray to Black Bear Pass and down to Telluride and then up to Imogene Pass back to Ouray. That route has to be done clockwise as Black Bear is one way on the Telluride side of the pass. Another quasi loop is Ouray south to Ophir Pass. Ophir is also a pretty easy one to do. From Ophir either straight back to Ouray or maybe visit Telluride and back to Ouray via Imogene Pass.

Are you also looking to do some hiking? If you are, I can send a few awesome recommendations for you.

Have a great day!!

 

Campingalan thanks for the information. We are camping throughout our trip and we have all our reservations already made. I’m also hoping the trails stay open until we get there I Really want to run Imogene pass and Yankee boy basin. I don’t want to run hard trails that would push the truck due to our 1300 mile drive home at the end of the trip. And hiking recommendations would be awesome! We’re actually starting at the great sand dunes national park then going to Durango for a night then spending the rest of the time in Ouray before we head home.
Thanks again.

 

Sounds great! Glad you have reservations made. Our local paper had an article about our friends that own the Ouray RV Park and Cabins have had their best year ever. Ha...I was driving back from the Great Sand Dunes national park about 2 weeks ago. There was some road construction by Gunnison that had traffic stopped. There was a motor home that was part of a 2 rig caravan that I struck up a conversation with. They were coming to Ouray and didn't have reservations. I pretty much knew how that was going to work out and highly recommended they try calling a few places. And, we pretty much only have 1 boondocking option for a full sized motorhome.

So, for the hiking, what do you folks enjoy to do? lakes? waterfalls? above treeline? Just short couple of hours options? Or, long days up to incredible areas?

 

Lakes and waterfalls would be nice, no waterfalls here in Illinois, but preferably not super long hikes since we will have our 3 year old hiking with us.

 

Ok...that definitely changes it a bit with a youngster that young. In Ouray, we have 2 waterfalls. I'm just down the Cascade Waterfall on the NE side of town on 8th Ave. From Main St, you drive up 8th Ave about 500 yards or so to the parking area (at the top of the hill). Then it is a 200 yrd walk up the path that has a foot bridge that you'd cross, then follow the trail up hill to the base of the waterfall. When you are there, you'll see a trail that peels off and actually goes up to a shelf that is about 50ish feet above the bottom that you can get behind the water fall. The other falls are the Box Canyon Falls on the SW side of town. It is run by the city and is about $5 per person. From the parking lot, there is a small building that is the visitor building where you'd pay. Then it is a short dirt trail that takes you to the grated stair case to drop into the small canyon. It is pretty neat as the canyon is only about 15 yards wide with a 50 or 60 ft water fall drop. If you take your vehicle on Hwy 550 south of town, about 1/4 or 3/8ths of a mile a turn off called Camp Bird Rd (it's the road that would take you up to Yankee Boy Basin; it's also the road you would either head up to or be coming back down from Imogene Pass). After a 120-150 degree right switchback, you'll cross a bridge in about 100yards. Just past the bridge, on the left, is a small shack. That is for the Ice Climbing park. Park there.....you may want to walk back to the bridge as on the south side is the newly opened Via Ferrata and the Ice Park. On the north side is the lesser part where both the Ferrata and Ice park are terminating. Walk back uphill about 100 or 150 yards and on the right side (looking over Ouray), you'll see a small white sign for the Perimeter Trail that circles the town. Go about 1/4 mile on that trail and you'll come to the top side of Box Canyon falls (no charge for this area). There is a grated steel bridge that crosses the top of the falls and offers plenty of visual stimulation. On the opposite side of the bridge is a tunnel where the trail continues. It's about 6' tall and maybe 30 or 40 yards thru it. Maybe just walk through it to see the other side, then return back to your vehicle. That whole walk is pretty much level and easy for 3 yr olds.

If you haven't been here before, the drive to Silverton (45 min) is a very beautiful drive (that's that same drive you would take if you were maybe to consider going down to do the Ophir Pass drive, then head north up to Telluride and take Imogene Pass back to Ouray. Or, maybe go do Yankee Boy Basin up to as high as you want, the return back down the hill and turn South to do the Imogene to Telluride, and maybe head South to do Ophir and return to Ouray heading north of 550. I took my Crown Vic over Ophir Pass; just had to do good wheel placement. Of course, from Telluride, you could always return to Ouray via the highway too. Also in that direction is the town of Durango; about 45 min south of Silverton. Those 2 segments combined is probably what I'd call a top 10 scenic highway drive in the country.

Lakes....hmmmmm....no lakes, to speak of in Ouray proper. South of Ouray on Hwy 550 towards Red Mountain Pass and Silverton is what we call Ironton Park. It is a flat 1-1.5 mile area with Crystal Lake on the west side of the road as it levels out for that short period. You can walk across the earth dam/dike for about 300 yards and turn left (south) onto what is part of the old Otto Mears rd (from back in the gold years of the late 1880s). It would be a down and back walk that is mostly flat. You'd end up walking on 2 sides of the lake for an out and back walk on the same trail.

If heading south for site seeing by Silverton or so, if you go about another 5-10 miles south is Molas Pass. On the western (right side when driving south), you'll reach the turn off for the Molas Pass Campground. There is a day use parking lot that has a trail that goes around about half of the lake and then continues generally NE as that is the Colorado Trail that goes to Denver. The mountains that you are seeing across the lake are part of the Weminuchee Wilderness area (the largest wilderness in CO); it offers an impressive view too that starts to resemble Patagonia.

A zinger option is drive hwy 550 north from Ouray. You'll pass through the town of Ridgway. About 2 miles north of Ridgway, there is a county road that turns into a forest service road to the right (east). That road passes through the Cimarron Range; going over Owl Creek Pass. The Cimarrons are even more similar to Patagonia as of any other range in the lower 48. Again, that road up to Owl Creek pass is a very benign road; I wouldn't think twice to drive my Crown Vic up it, at night, with night vision goggles, maintaining a pretty fast pace as to drift. Anyways, drop over the east side of Owl Creek pass down to what is known as the Silver Jack Reservoir. That is a stunning leaf turning place to go, as well as around the Reservoir, there are several short trails. It is really fun for kids. There is also a picnic area and porta potty spot above the lake.

Of course, the cats meow waterfall in the area is Bridal Veil Falls above Telluride. 2 ways to get there-- over Black Bear Pass, which is 1 way to get there and from Telluride, you go all the way through town and continue on the forest road and up a few of the zig zags of what is the road coming down from Black Bear Pass. I "think" you can drive mostly up to the bottom of the Bridal Veil Falls. That is the largest water fall in CO. I've never did that drive from Telluride. I've only did it coming over the Black Bear pass drive. So, it is possible you hit the "no driving past this point" sign and have to walk the rest of the way.

Have a good one

 

I almost forgot....just south of Telluride on hwy 145 is 1st, Alta Lakes. It is about 35-40 min south of town. Then another 35 min or so south is Trout Lake. There are a fair amount of houses around it, but you can still get access to the lake and the view is really awesome! If your familiar with the Netflix show "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", the skit in it called "A Gold Canyon" or "All Gold Canyon" or something like that was filmed by that lake.

The Alta Lakes would be a great one if you do Ophir Pass as you pass it between Telluride and the western side of the Ophir Pass.

 

We were just in Telluride last week and hiked to the base of Bridal Veil Falls. There are several options. You can park by the Pandora Mill, and it is a little over a 1 mile hike to the base of the falls. You can either walk up the road or they have a relatively recently opened trail through the woods that adds a bit of up and down to the hike and keeps you from having to deal with jeeps/trucks passing you. From the parking area at the base of the falls, it is about another mile up a couple of switch backs to the top of the falls. You can hike it or drive it, but it is apparently a more technical road requiring 4 low than the road from Pandora to the base of the falls. Once you get to the top of the falls, you have to turn around, as the road continues up Bear Creek Pass from there and is one way downhill.

We hiked from Pandora to the base of the falls using the hiking trail, and then walked back down the road. The trail is cooler and shaded, but is a lot more rugged climbing up and over roots, boulders, etc. and you don't get a lot of broader views of the scenery due to the trees around you. The road is easy and relatively smooth and you can get a good look back down into town and look at the geology around you, but you have to deal with vehicles coming past you as you walk. Overall it was a cool little hike, but if I had it to do over again, I would have driven the base of the falls and then either driven or hiked to the top from there. The falls themselves are really beautiful and the scenery in the canyon around Telluride is gorgeous as well.

 

Anyone going to be in that area next weekend? Wife and I are going for a long weekend and have plans for Black Bear and probably Imogene on Saturday, Sept 12th if anyone wants to link up.

 

Hi Jake......I have a quick trip for work tomorrow to Phoenix on 7/8 Sept. Then my next trip is 13-18 Sept to Des Moines. I'll be here on the 12th, but supporting my buddy on his virtual(but doing the actual course) Imogene Run on 12 Sept. Oh....now that I think of it, they are working on a bridge by Tomboy Mine over on the Telluride side. So, from Ouray, you could go over the pass and down to Tomboy mine; then would have to turn back towards Ouray (maybe just come back and then head up to Yankee Boy Basin or Governor Basin.

So.... I may not be supporting his run.

 

Was up at Alta lakes this morning when the snow rolled in. Forecast called for 8-10 inches in telluride starting around 3. It started snowing at Alta around noon. Decided to head down, the road out wouldn't be too fun covered in snow

 

Welp... dang it. I'm headed out of Oregon towards Moab and then Telluride/Ouray, etc. Watching the webcams and getting sad. Happy to see rain and snow falling to help with the fires but sad the passes may be closed now.
Oregon is on fire and worsening with dry high winds.

 

Heading down south this Thursday and plan on getting on Yankee Boy Basin and then to Imogene Pass Friday. I got a 2" lift with Off-Road stock tires and little off road driving experience. Will have traction boards and recovery strap. Normally I wouldn't worry about Imogene pass, but I will have a pregnant passenger and would really hate to be in a slippery situation. Any thoughts?

 

On my way back from Colorado. Yankee Boy was in good shape. Imogene was closed for bridge repair. Not sure how far you can go from the Ouray side.