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The Boy rose earlier and decided to break their fast at the IHG free breakfast based on the utter lack of dining options in Green River, hitting the road, the morning sky had a smoky tinge from a fire the started in Colorado!
A Red Sky Morning, a Fire's Warning!
On the morning of July 10, 2025, lightning strikes ignited wildfires on the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, the smoke from that intense blaze was drifting 3 hours west (191 miles!) and smoking out the Canyonlands National Park ! For the hour it took the Boys to drive from Green River to the Canyonlands, smoke drifted over the bland desert highway, until!! The return of that awesome red rock!
A Return of the Red Rock in the Canyonlands!!!
Canyonlands National Park preserves a colorful landscape that has been eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River and Green River. Legislation creating the park was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on September 12, 1964.
A Dramatic, but Smoky View of Canyonlands!
The park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the combined rivers—the Green and Colorado—which carved two large canyons into the Colorado Plateau. While these areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character. Author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor, described the Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere."
A Mike and Bone in front of one of the many cool Arches in Canyonlands!
The Boys, taking a Smoke Break!
Mike and Bone stopped to survey the amazing panorama, agreeing that it is breathtaking, especially since there was not a lot of oxygen due to the smoke!!!
The Boys hiked around the top for 30 minutes, snapping pics from all angles, but reality hit. Any real hike would chew up most of the day and be pretty much the same as what they just did in Capital Reef except today, including the smoke, which made it a hard pass for the Boys, that packed their hiking sticks and started the trek east!
Beating a Trail East!
One of the million reasons for the "hard pass" was Mike wanted to trek the famous pass between Ouray and Silverton!
Cruising through colorless Colorado
As the colorless desert slowly changed into the verdant mountains of the Rockies as they crossed into Colorado, the Boys started to get excited for the Million Dollar Highway! Better known as U.S. Route 550, which connects Ouray and Silverton and is known for its awesome views and breath-taking hairpin turns with out guardrails, a road right up Mike and Bone's alley!!
Riding into Montrose!
The Boys planned to make their base the bucolic little town of Montrose is known as the Gateway of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, which was planned in advance since that was the next days target and was right down the street from Ouray, where the Million Dollar Highway starts, a good place to use as a base for the day!
The Boys didn't really check Montrose out, the quickly dropped their gear in a IHG, then boogied down through Ouray (the "Switzerland of the Rockies") and up into the hills hoping not to drop off a cliff on the Million Dollar Highway!
Two Bucks on the Million Dollar Highway!
The Million Dollar Highways was originally constructed in the late 19th century as a wagon trail to transport miners and supplies to the area's rich gold and silver mines. Today, the Million Dollar Highway is a popular scenic byway that winds its way through the San Juan Mountains, offering breathtaking views of jagged peaks, steep canyons, and cascading waterfalls.
Mike and Bone started in Ouray where the highway climbed up and over Red Mountain Pass, reaching an elevation of over 11,000 feet. The road is narrow and winding, with sharp curves and steep drop-offs, making it a challenging drive for even the most experienced drivers. After only a couple of miles up the road, Mike and Bone took a pic of Ouray, which already was a ways down!
As the road descends towards the town of Silverton, it passes through a series of switchbacks which the Boys experienced on their way down to Silverton!
A Long way (down) to Ouray!
They didn't dally on the Million Dollar Road on the way to Silverton, which is a picturesque town known for its well-preserved Victorian architecture. The Boys were keen on finding some dinner!
Heading down into Silverton
Silverton is in a remote part of the western San Juan Mountains. Started as a mining town, it’s first mining claims were made in mountains above the Silverton in 1860, near the end of the Colorado Gold Rush and when the land was still controlled by the Utes.
Silverton was established shortly after the Utes ceded the region in the 1873 Brunot Agreement, and the town boomed from silver mining until the Panic of 1893 led to a collapse of the silver market, and boomed again from gold mining until the recession caused by the Panic of 1907.
Mining finally dried up in 1992, and Tourism has become the primary source of income, in fact the entire town is included as a federally designated National Historic Landmark District, the Silverton Historic District. The Boys parked the Land Cruiser and got out to walk the 4 square blocks that make up most of the town looking for grub!
Hanging out in Downtown, Silverton!
The Boys parked the Land Cruiser and got out to walk the 4 square blocks that make up most of the town looking for grub! It was a hot dry afternoon and Mike and Bone quickly realized their dining options were few. There was a very nice Hotel with a good steak dinner and a hour and a half wait! Nixing that option, they settled for a nice outside pizza joint right next to the Hotel with two cold beers! The pie and beers were awesome, dickering with the local wait staff was fun, but as the Sun starting the lean to the horizon, they had no desire to drive the guardrail-less switchbacks at night! So they beat a path back toward Montrose!
Back on the Million Dollar Highway!
Dilly Dallying Back!
After a looong day of driving (and driving an agenda!) Mike and Bone took a leisurely drive back, enjoying the pull-offs to marvel and the simply amazing views of the scenic San Juan's!
Mike and Bone with the Red Mountain on the Million Dollar Highway!
Each switchback on the road provided another postcard view for the Boys to stop and check out.
An Amazing Vista !
Instead of being relieved of be down from the Million Dollar Highway, they were almost sad, the views were so awesome that the Million Dollar Highway gave the Boys a million cool memories and pictures!
Hooray!! Back in Ouray!
For a day that started in Green River Utah and ended in Montrose, Mike and Bone had covered some ground! They pretty much parked the car, went in their Hotel and crashed around 10:00 PM!