Day 12 - 550 - Ouray
We got another good start, but still two hours from Hovenweep, so we decided to skip another journey into Utah and go directly to Yucca House in Cortez. A road sign only a few miles from Yucca House stated Hovenweep was only 46 miles away! We could have circled around that way, adding only another hour.
Onward to Mesa Verde, which has a new Visitor Center near CO-160, not 20 miles in like when we were there in 1994. It also stays open until 7. At that point I began to regret skipping Hovenweep as we were on our way to Durango by 3:30 ... at least until it began getting cold and looking as though it would storm as we made our way up the Million Dollar Highway! "Clear Skies, Stay With Us. Sunshine, Keep Us Warm." I prayed all the way to Ouray, "Let Us Arrive Before the Storm."
Our prayers were answered. We stopped at Coal Pass to put on more layers, and take a few photos, then did the same again at the summit of Molas Pass. This second stop offered much better opportunity for pictures!
Coming down into Ouray about 6 pm, the archway at Bear Creek looked like the entrance to FaerieLand! I knew I should have stopped for a photo right then, as catching the light is key. Cold, hunger, and the onset of brain fog dictated that we just continue on into town.
Parking a motorcycle in Ouray can be interesting. The entire town, and its streets, are on a significant grade! O'Riley's Pub provided us with a wonderful dinner. Sarah, our waitress, recommended the Columbus Hotel (over the Thai Restaurant). Historically, it was a brothel, and we had a beautiful room overlooking Main Street! We walked up and down the length of the town, venturing into a few side streets, talking about what we would do (money not withstanding) with this place or that.