TravelAwaits
May.10.2021
It’s easy to spend a week exploring the San Juan Skyway. It takes you through some of the most majestic scenery and charming towns in southwestern Colorado.
A Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway, the 236-mile loop starts in Durango and leads you to scenic Silverton, through Ouray and Ridgway, then on to Telluride, Dolores, and Manco, all through the heart of the majestic San Juan Mountains.
Let’s explore ranch B&Bs, secluded lakes, old gold mines, ghost towns, hot springs resorts, top-notch ski hotels, Puebloan ruins, and archeological sites in southwestern Colorado.
Janie H. Pace
1. Durango
Low snowfall has led to catastrophic conditions around the West. Image credit: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Feb. 26, 2021 From the print edition
On the afternoon of Feb. 1, seven friends set out on skis from the Opus Hut, a backcountry lodge located high in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The sky was blue, the temperatures relatively warm, and a recent series of storms had left a sparkling blanket of fresh snow on the alpine slopes, just begging to be etched with fresh ski tracks. After a climb, the crew dropped one by one down a sparsely treed, northeast-facing slope called The Nose. Minutes later, four of them were swept away by an avalanche. Only one would be rescued alive.
A final Colorado Avalanche Information Center report on the slide near Ophic Pass released Sunday provides details on the deadliest Colorado avalanche since 2013 capping a week where 15 backcountry travelers have died in slides across the U.S.