Highway 285 vs 160 (Denver, Grand Junction, Durango: camping, living in, most dangerous)

[chilaili]

Which is the more scenic/interesting drive in May? Hwy 285 south from Denver or Hwy 160 west to Cortez from Walsenberg? Do either of these roads go over any major mountain passes? Is the weather generally okay along these roads in early- to mid-May?

Thanks!

[McGowdog]

Well 160 goes over La Veta Pass which is not too shabby, but not too bad unless they get dumped on, then you've got Ft. Lyons-er Garland , Monte Vista, Alamosa, Del Snort-er Norte, South Fork... not necessarily in that order, then the dreaded Wolf Creek Pass! Then you've got Pagosa Springs, Bayfield, then Durango, ultimately heading to Cortez, Mancos?, and if you veer off the beaten path, the 4-Corners area... which is not really worth seeing unless you have an urge to stand on some symbolic spot that's supposed to be where 4 states come together. Side note: NM, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah are all exactly the same on this one spot. Boring...

Now, 285 takes you through Conifer, Bailey, through the South Park region, through Fairplay, Buena Vista, Salida, over or near Monarch Pass... I believe, then down and around through or along the San Juan Mountains with the awesome Collegiate Mountain Range of 14ers to your west along most of the way, then down through Center and onto 160.

So the best thing is to do both. Go down 285 to 160 and head West and do Wolf Creek Pass instead of La Veta Pass and Walsenburg. Walsenburg is like Bodie California without all the glitter.

Flashforward to Davey: How do you get from Salida to Durango or ultimately Cortez without taking 160 or Hwy 50 through Gunnison and Blue Mesa to 550? And is that Million Dollar Highway (Red Mountain Pass- Colorado's deadliest avalance crossing) to Durango passable/safe in early to mid-May?

[Userdavey]

Originally Posted by chilaili

Which is the more scenic/interesting drive in May? Hwy 285 south from Denver or Hwy 160 west to Cortez from Walsenberg? Do either of these roads go over any major mountain passes? Is the weather generally okay along these roads in early- to mid-May?

Thanks!

285 for me. La Veta Pass is crossed by 160, it is scenic too, but 285 is sweet.

You need to take I-70 just past Vail and take Hwy 24 through Minturn to Leadville and then back up 91 through Climax to Copper Mtn. Take your camera.

There are others like 550 down by Durango, but they are a ways away.

[chilaili]

Cool - thanks for the help. I've been trying to decide which route to take to Cortez in my little Tucson and was hoping for something worth looking at along the way.

[Userdavey]

Originally Posted by chilaili

Cool - thanks for the help. I've been trying to decide which route to take to Cortez in my little Tucson and was hoping for something worth looking at along the way.

In that case I would definitely take 285. When you get to Bayfield, go north to Vallecito reservoir. It is gorgeous.

[Sleddog905]

We made this trek last summer and took 285 to 160, it's a gorgeous drive! There is that really long stretch of flat nothingness by the Great Sand Dunes, but I don't if that can be avoided! Where are you coming from? Cortez is a such a neat little town!

[jazzlover]

US285/US160 to Durango: Kenosha Pass, Red Hill Pass, Trout Creek Pass, Poncha Pass, Wolf Creek Pass.
I25/US160 to Durango: Monument Hill, LaVeta Pass, Wolf Creek Pass.

Wolf Creek would be considered the "major" pass by native Coloradans like me, but all of them may seem formidable to flatlanders. They all reach altitudes over 8,000 ft. elevation--LaVeta is around 9,500 ft., Kenosha and Red Hill around 10,000 ft., and Wolf Creek near 11,000 ft. Anything over 8,000-9,000 ft. is likely to have snow if a storm front comes through the state in May.

In May, unless it's late May, there will be little green grass or leafed out trees in the mountains. Any one of the passes can have snow in May--Wolf Creek Pass, in particular, can be quite obnoxious in a late spring storm. The weather might be fine, but winter-like weather can happen on the high passes right up to and including Memorial Day weekend.

[CDDave]

If I read the question right, you're wondering what is the most scenic drive from Denver to SW Colorado (Cortez)? Living in SW Co and having a wife in Denver, you can imagine I've made this trek a few times...so my 0.02 is from Denver, take 285 to Salida (actually to Poncha Springs), then right (west) on 50 to Montrose, then left on 550 south to Durango, right on 160 west to Cortez.

This route has been the fastest, least traffic, and generally safest for me (if you define safe as lacking hazards, which in Colorado are twofold: other drivers and wildlife. It courses you through some pretty stunning country through the sub-suburban mountain communities of the Denver metro area (Bailey, Conifer, Jefferson, Fairplay, etc), the wind ravages of the South Park stretch, then into the sky over Monarch pass (the most user friendly significant pass in southern Co in my opinion...except for the runaway truck ramp on the west side which is about 200 yards of sand and barrels ending in a flat vertical rock face...surprise!). West side of Monarch you hit Gunnison (that place is just too cold), then semi-circumnavigate the Blue Mesa reservoir. Approaching Montrose you pass the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (can't see it from the road, but it's right there on your right). Left at Montrose, you can see the Southern San Juans looming. Approaching Ridgway, into Ouray then up and over Red Mt pass. Typically in May all these passes are no brainers. Watch the weather though. And the Colorado CDOT (cotrip.org) has cameras all over the state if you want to see what you're about to encounter. Into Silverton (my hometown), then up and over Molas Pass then Coal Bank Pass, and you're pretty much leaving the mountains and entering the high desert climate of Durango. West on 160 and before long you are pretty much in the desert.

There is another option and that's to take a right at Ridgway on 62, head west to 145. Go left there towards Telluride and follow that down to Cortez through such colorful towns like Sawpit, Placerville, Vanadium, Rico, etc...that takes you over Lizard Head pass (yawn. Gorgeous but not very extreme.) but if you've made it all that way, why would anyone forego the thrill of the 3 mt passes with such far-flung and well deserved acclaim in the winter (Red, Molas, Coal Bank)?

It's a fun 7 hours. Oh yeah...you'll see more CSP between Denver and Salida then you'll see anywhere else in the state...be on your best behavior. You probably won't see any between Gunnison and Cortez...I think there is only one, maybe two...

[DOUBLE H]

Jazzlover is right. As a matter of fact, 11 News in Grand Junction was just giving a report on ski bases still open. Wolf Creek's ski depth is 112 inches. I haven't been over the pass this year yet but I believe no one is going to be interested in camping out there for a couple months anyway!

Not too much I can add here except to add that that Red Mountain pass is NOT for the faint of heart. Also, I have friends who live south of Durango I visit and I generally go over Lizard Head. Last time I went over Red Mountain a few rocks got my windshield. But it IS an amazing road.

[jazzlover]

US 550 between Ouray and Durango is spectaclularly scenic, but it is no road for an inexperienced flatlander--especially when the possiblility of winter-like weather exists. I have probably driven that road in the vicinity of 500 times (used to drive it frequently as part of my work)--I have seen it at is beautiful best and at its most dangerous worst. One of the most harrowing "winter" trips I made over it was in late May one year (the week before Memorial Day weekend). It had snowed about a foot of heavy wet snow. The road was sheet ice, such that you could break traction even in a 4WD if you just touched the accelerator a litttle too hard. There were rockslides everywhere, several cars that had slid off of the road and rolled (fortunatlely not on the part with the 800' dropoff and no guardrail), and other little "adventures." No place for a mountain driving "virgin" under those conditions.