Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP

Sunday, June 28th, 2015. We left Mesa Verde NP early in the morning and headed to Durango for me to reach the Kingdom Hall for my meeting. We stocked up at the Walmart then headed north on Route 550. We stopped for lunch and a walking excursion through the rustic town of Silverton, CO. There is a historic narrow guage railroad that runs from Silverton to Durango and back. There were a couple of breweries there as well and we checked out the Avalanche Brewery.

The sampler was displayed as ski boots on a downhill ski and was very good. Bob had a wonderful soup as well as the best cornbread (gluten-free) that I have ever tasted. I'm still trying to get the recipe which is supposed to be on their website.

From there we continued north on Route 550. It was very curvy and as always climbing up and down the mountains. There were few guardrails and you had to be on constant guard for danger. It is best not to be trailing anything around the tight S-turns some of which had speed limits of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mph depending on the curve. There were several mining towns that boomed and a few of the mines are still working today.

One feature on the road was a snow slide tunnel built into the side of one of the mountains. It provides some safety in a high frequency avalanche zone. We paused at a few roadside pull-offs to enjoy the scenery safely. As evening wore on, we tired and sought out a place to spend the night. We stopped at a private campground just south of Ridgeway, CO. On Monday morning we only had about 5 miles to go to Ridgeway, then headed west on Route 62 through the Dallas Divide at 8970 foot elevation. Then Right on Route 145 towards Telluride.

We headed all the way to the historic end of town and found parking on a side street near the corner of Smugglers Brewery. We made a note to return for lunch after exploring the ski villages at both ends of the Scenic Tram. The rides are free all summer! With all the shops and restaurants open for the tourists and flowers blooming everywhere it is quite a colorful and exciting place to visit. We had 3 hours parking on our meter and returned back to the Brewery in time to have lunch and try their very tasty sampler. We were able to fill 3 of our half growlers and stick them in our fridge for our visit with the kids. We returned by the route we came and passed North through Ridgeway to Montrose and then East on Route 50 about 10 miles or so to the turn off for Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. We headed straight to the fee booth. Free admission again with our Senior Access Pass. With the Ranger's direction we headed straight to the campground and found a nice site with electric hookup. It being warm the A/C was helpful. As we pulled in and leveled two mule deer walked through the brush on one side and one bedded down for a spell. They really are not afraid of humans here except for an a female protecting her young from a nosy dog, we found out. We were able to attend the evening Ranger talk on Wildlife in the Park. During the talk one mule deer grazed behind us in the lush grass just a few feet away.

Tuesday morning we drove through the scenic drive along the South Rim Road. There is also another section along the North Rim which is lesser traveled and may be gravel, it is closed in the winter. Our first view of Black Canyon as at Tomichi Point and it is very impressive. There is actually a trail from the campground through this point that heads to the visitors center. It appears to cling to the steep sides of the canyon at some points and I was glad we drove. As we left this spot we actually followed another vehicle and missed the Visitor's Center. It's sign was hidden in overgrowth. So we decided we'd hit it on the way back. It being early morning it was awe inspiring to view the canyon as the morning sun's rays were trying to illuminate the canyon valley below. In many places the sun does not reach! As far as canyons go, "Some are longer, some are deeper, some are narrower, and a few have walls as steep," writes geologist Wallace Hansen. "But no other canyon in North America combines the depth, narrowness, sheerness and somber countenance of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison." In just 48 miles in the Black Canyon the Gunnison River loses more elevation than the 1,500 miles of the Mississippi River does from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The power of the fast falling enables the river to erode tough rock and created this landscape before us.

The canyon has been a mighty barrier to humans from time immemorial. Only its rims, never the gorge, show evidence of human occupation - not even the Ute Indians living in the area since written history began No early Spanish explorers to the Southwest reported seeing the canyon. The expedition led by Capt. John W. Gunnison, whose name was given to the river bypassed the gorge in its search for a river crossing. Back at the Visitor's Center we learned more about how it was eventually surveyed by some very courageous and daring men that somehow survived their journey down the river on a rubber mattress! There is quite a lot of history here as well, especially in regards to the 5.8 mile Gunnison Diversion Tunnel, begun in 1905 through the rocky mountain walls to bring fresh pure water to the farmers in the region. Lobbying began in the 1930's and in 1933 it was proclaimed a National Monument. Congress made it a national park in 1999,and the park now contains 14 miles of the canyon's total 48 mile length. Congress has also designated the park lands below the canyon rims for additional protection within the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is such a beautiful place to hike the rims and glimpse the river far below. We would love to return and take the water tour near the reservoir and dam leading into the canyon, that also includes the diversion tunnel.

The Gunnison River is extremely dangerous due to difficult rapids and portages. Even well-prepared kayakers will find the canyon challenging. The river is classified as Class V to Unnavigable. Neither of us are up for that. We did enjoy hiking to the vantage points including the furthest, Warner Point and chatting with 2 other couples doing the same as we went driving along the South Rim. It was a very intimate way to view the canyon, far from the crowds. After eating our lunch in the last parking area, and trading camping tips with one of the couples we began our exit out of the park ending at the Visitor Center. (the reverse of our usual routine!) Then back onto Route 50 East we continued.

"Going Places With Smiling Faces!"