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Engineer Pass -
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At several points along the way to the summit there will be side roads branching off. Some of them lead to old mining operations and may well be worth exploring, but the main pass road is fairly well marked. This is also a good time to keep an eye on the weather as roads above timberline can be daunting in mountain storms. The pass is 12,800 ft. high and at, or near, the summit there is a small road perched on a narrow ridge leading to a lookout spot. If you can stand the eternal winds here, the view is well worth the effort. You are looking at the heart of the San Juan mountain range. The descent is a snap compared to the first half of the road although you may still have to dodge (or get out and move) large boulders. You’ll see lots more old mining buildings, plus a few streams, lakes and waterfalls. The route follows the north bank of Henson Creek most of the way into Lake City. A stop at an outdoor café there for coffee and pastry (or something stronger, depending upon the condition of your nerves) is a fitting end to an outstanding drive. The return to Ouray can be accomplished by one of three alternatives. If you’ve still not had your fill of 4WD roads, drive past Lake San Cristobal and take the Cinnamon Pass road. The tamest, and longest, return route is to go north on CO149, branch off on the Blue Mesa shortcut to US50 and return via Montrose and US550. A more scenic variation of that is to drive the Owl Creek Pass Road (4WD not required) from where it heads south off US50 just east of Cimarron. A good road atlas helps. I use the Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer published by DeLorme Mapping. I’ll throw in a few hints of which you are probably already aware. Regardless of how warm it is in Ouray, take some warm clothing along. Remember that, on Colorado mountain roads, the vehicle heading uphill always has the right of way. Clearances and road conditions may dictate a compromise to that, though. If you’re traveling in early summer or fall make sure that the road is open (and will stay that way). Local inquiry will be helpful. Be sure your vehicle is in good condition, with a full gas tank. Take along some coffee or bottled water, a few snacks and carry out all your trash. Without question, the most spectacular scenery occurs when the aspen change to variations of gold and orange. This can occur anytime after early September, although it was September 30th when I drove the Engineer Pass road. The change usually occurs first at the higher elevations. The aspen may be green in Ouray and golden a few thousand feet higher up. It’s not out of the question, though, to have heavy snow in the higher elevations by the first of October so, again, be sure to check locally. I mentioned the Cinnamon Pass Road earlier. Taken
from Lake City, it will go over a 12,620 ft. high point before descending and joining
another road which gives you the option of going to either Silverton or Ouray. Another 4WD
road crosses over Imogene Pass from Ouray to Telluride and is notable, not only for its
history, but also for the many stream crossings on the Ouray side. There’s lots more
scenery to be enjoyed from a high-clearance vehicle. In mid -July the drive through acres
of wildflowers in the Yankee Boy Basin is magnificent. The Ophir Pass road is yet another
way to get from Ouray to Telluride without quite as many thrills as the Imogene Pass road.
So many opportunities – such a short summertime in which to enjoy them. More on the San Juans
Lyle is a bona-fide mountain nut of some 74 years
standing. Having first gazed in awe at the Rocky Mountains during a brief posting in
Colorado Springs in 1942, he returned frequently. Some of these trips were Questions about planning a similar trip? Comments for
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