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Situated in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado, Ouray is known as the Switzerland of America.
In its early days Ouray was a gold mining town with more than 30 active mines.
These days while evidence of mining remains much of the town tourism focuses on ice climbing, mountain biking, hiking and off-roading in four-wheel drive (4WD) expeditions into the nearby San Juan Mountains.
Ouray has also become a popular destination for motorcyclists, as it marks the beginning of the 'Million Dollar Highway'. This stretch of highway connects Ouray to its neighbouring cities of Silverton and Durango. The 'Million Dollar Highway' is regarded by some as one of the most beautiful roads in Colorado, but is also considered one of the most dangerous due to its sharp turns, steep ledges, and lack of guard rails, particularly in winter.
Ouray's population is just over 1000 people most of whom work in tourism related businesses.
Ouray's rich history dates back to 1876 when the City was incorporated on October 2, two months after Colorado became a state. Reference
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouray,_Colorado
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Red Mountain is a set of three peaks in the San Juan Mountains of western Colorado in the United States, about 5 miles south of Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway. The mountains get their name from the reddish iron ore rocks that cover the surface. Several other peaks in the San Juan Mountains likewise have prominent reddish coloration from iron ore and are also called "Red Mountain Number 2 & 3".
Nearby Red Mountain Pass is named after Red Mountain, and the ghost town mining camp of Red Mountain Town is located at the foot of the Red Mountains.
Reference = Wikipedia
Our drive through Ouray and down the Million Dollar Highway through the Red Mountain Pass was undoubtedly the most scenic drive we did in North America, made all the more impressive by the emerging fall colour.
The Million Dollar Highway cops a lot of bad raps as a dangerous road but we found that it was just for the first 20 minutes out of Ouray on the way to Silverton where one needed to be wary. An absence of guardrail, some narrow sections, poor road edges and steep drop-offs where the road hugs the steep mountainsides were always a threat but once beyond that early section the road was for the most part safe. Mind you driving it in winter would be a whole different story.
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This impressive butte has two names Chimney Rock and Jackson Butte. It is locally named Chimney Rock because of the chimney like shape. The formal name however is Jackson Butte and it is named after the world famous photographer, William Henry Jackson. Jackson traveled through the Mancos Canyon in 1874 with the U.S. Government Hayden Survey Team. The base elevation of Chimney Rock is 5,452 feet..
The rock was created by erosion from water that filled the area about 65 million years ago. Reference
This image was taken from the Ute Mountain Tribal Park Visitor Centre/Museum which is located directly opposite Jackson Butte twenty miles south of Cortez, eight miles south of the Ute Mountain Casino and just a couple of miles before you cross the Colorado border into New Mexico. The visitors Centre is well worth a visit and they do tours out of there, some going to more isolated parts of South Western Mesa Verde National Park.
I know you are thinking why didn't I get a wire less shot so my apologies for the transmission wires running through the shot. I did not have time nor the inclination to walk the short distance across the road in the heat to get a wire less shot.
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Tags: Western USA Trip 2018 2018 USA Jackson Butte Chimney Rock Towoac Navajo Visitors Centre Road Junction Trail of the Ancients Hwy 16 Hwy 481 Colorado Sigma 1770 1770 Canon D60 Four Corners Region Mancos Canyon William Henry Jackson Ute Mountain Tribal Park Visitor Centre Ute Mountain Tribal Park Visitor Center Towac Visitors Center
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Shiprock is a monadnock rising nearly 1,583 feet above the high-desert plain of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. Its peak elevation is 7,177 feet above sea level. It lies about 10.75 miles southwest of the town of Shiprock, which is named for the peak. WIKIPEDIA
We drove down to Ship Rock in New Mexico from Cortez in Colorado passing through the Ute Mountain Reservation along the way as a means to get to Four Corners so did not spend much time in the towns along the way. This bridge and a lot of the infrastucture we saw seem in a relatively unmaintained condition as can be seen by this bridge. Ship Rock could be seen in the distance to the south but just two far away for my Sigma 1770 zoom to adequately capture.
The drive across to Four Corners was dry and barren country but somehow some people seem to be able to make a living from the land out here.
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Tags: Western USA Trip 2018 2018 USA Ship Rock New Mexico San Juan River Bridge San Juan River Bridge Canon D60 1770 Sigma 1770 monadnock Four Corners Region Navajo Nation San Juan County Butte Ship Rock Butte Tsé Bit' A'í
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I lodged a map point query request some time ago on the OpenStreetMap website and today 18th August 2019 I was advised by Will Bennett from Durham North Carolina, USA that the name of this butte is Standing Rock.
Flat Top Rock (1729m altitude) Mesa/Butte is directly opposite this impressive butte on the eastern side of US Hwy 491. Its on the way south to the town of Ship Rock.
To be more specific, travelling from the north, its on the western side of US Hwy 491 and just north of Navajo Route 5091.
Blue Hill and Skinney Rock are just south of Flat Top Rock on the Eastern side of Hwy 491 road.
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Tags: Butte New Mexico Western USA Trip 2018 2018 USA Hwy 491 Messa Rock Outcrop Rock Western Side Colorado Border Ship Rock Canon D60 1770 Sigma 1770 landscape Standing Rock 1760m Standing Rock Butte Standing Rock Mesa
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