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Re: [RC] Roads to Durango - Sky Ranch

Well, I respectfully disagree - ha!  If I am telling someone who's pulling a trailer, a good route to Durango, I sure wouldn't send them over Red Mountain Pass - summer or winter.  That's an 11,075 ft pass, 2 lanes, a narrow, windy mtn road.  Yes, if you're not pulling a trailer, great!  But in July, it will filled with slow-moving RV's, tourists, semi's, you name it.  (In winter it can be really treacherous, but we're talking about July.)
 
On Red Mtn pass, there are some areas with no guard rails that if you hung a tire over the edge you could go down a couple of thousand feet.  Not my idea of a good road for pulling a trailer to a ride.  It would be very slow going, for one thing.  Yes, it's pretty, but the roads between Moab / Cortez / Durango are also pretty, they're not as congested, and it's a quicker route.
 
I've driven to Grand Junction many times from Cortez, and the fastest way (again) is through Moab - certainly not through Durango, and also not through Telluride/Montrose.  I do go both ways, and actually prefer going through Ridgeway and Montrose,  but if I'm in a hurry, or if there's a lot of snow on the roads, I go through Utah to get to Grand Junction.
 
Of course, I live here and I'm not in tourist mode -- so, if anyone wants to know some "scenic" routes, summer or winter, send me a line, I love to drive and I know the roads pretty well.
 
Carla Richardson
Colorado
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 10:41 AM
Subject: Roads to Durango

Hi Carla,
 
I agree with you that the road from Moab to Monticello to Cortez is a great two lane road for US---most of our city fellow riders might now agree---hehehehe
 
If she is really adventuresome, you can take the La Sal cutoff road through Naturita over toward Montrose and once on the Western Slope---she would see Silverton and the Million Dollar Highway---which I agree is rather breathtaking but in July should be heaven----as long as she is driving a good vehicle.  But as you point out, if she is coming from the almost any direction, the fastest route really is across Utah on I 70 to Grand Junction and then down the Western Slope.
 
Joane
 
 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Sky Ranch
Date: 02/02/06 09:15:55
Subject: Re: Roads to Durango
 
Gee, the road between Moab and Cortez is just fine, mostly 65 mph, 2 lane
blacktop.  Very scenic, too.  The road between Cortez and Durango is also
very scenic, mostly 65 mph some 2 lane, some 4 lane.
 
We do have a lot of dirt and gravel roads around here, but those are state
highways and are just fine for travel and pulling trailers.
 
I agree, if she isn't starting out in Moab, there could be a better way to
get to Durango.  If she's coming from the north, though, I wouldn't suggest
going through Silverton and Ouray -- that can be a difficult mountain road
even in the summer.  If she's coming from the west, I can't see many other
routes to Durango than through Cortez.
 
Carla Richardson
Colorado
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joane Pappas White" <lyoness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 10:33 PM
Subject: Roads to Durango
 
 
>
>
>  Hi Valerie,
>
>
>
> I agree with Carla that the simplest way to get from Moab to Durango is
> through Cortez ---BUT what you really ask us, I think,  was the quality of
> the road.  I am sure that Carla would agree that all depends on your
> definition of a road and what amount of time and adventure you want in
route
> to your destination.  While Shakespeare's rose may be a rose by any other
> name, a southern Utah/western Colorado road may NOT be a road at all.
>
>
>
> You ask directions from Moab but how did you get to Moab and why are you
> going that way in the first place?  Of course, Moab is one of my favorite
> places in the whole world but, since I don't think you live there, it is
not
> exactly the most direct route from about anywhere you star,  if what you
are
> looking for is a good road to Durango.
>
>
>
> If what you want is scenery and if time allows adventure, then certainly
> Moab is a excellent choice for those reasons.  If that is what you want,
> there is an second alternative route through Moab for fun and adventure---
 
> if that is not your goal and you merely want to get to the ride, then
> neither is the quickest or surest route to Durango.
>
>
>
> So what is your starting point and is your goal the quickest, fastest way
> through Utah or do you have time to smell the roses and see God's Country?
>
>
>
> Joane and the Herd
>
> Price, Utah
>
>
>
>
 

Replies
Re: [RC] Roads to Durango, Sky Ranch
[RC] Roads to Durango, Joane Pappas White