To Jeep or not to Jeep? That was the question. When the subject originally came up in conversation, Ty said he would really like for us to rent one for a day and go on an off-roading adventure. The prices were reasonable, but as we looked into the details, we realized there was a mess of insurance to sort through, too. Additionally, we began to wonder, "Where would be go?"
These two uncertainties led us to book a guided, scenic "Jeep" tour with Switzerland of America, Inc. through Yankee Boy Basin. My parents joined us, too, and we four had a splendid time learning about the history of Ouray while traveling its terrain.
We had the most incredible tour guide/driver! A retired policeman, he also served as the Ouray sheriff for five years. His brother currently owns the haunted Beaumont I told you about. It was obvious he loved Ouray, and he couldn't help but tell us all about it!
At the site of an old mine owned by Thomas Walsh at the turn of the 20th century. He had top-of-the-line equipment, the best housing (with heat!), and a European chef on site. He reduced hours voluntarily, raised pay, and prohibited alcohol for safety reasons. Sounded like an awesome business man, who knew happy employees work better and harder! His was one of the richest and most productive mining sites of its time.
One of the old mining sites we drove though housed 3,000 people! The mountain water contains traces of arsenic, so daily water had to be brought through the mountains in wagons for the crews. Can you imagine?!
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| Chilly in the mountains! |
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| Check out those crazy cyclists! Our vehicle had a hard time with those inclines! |
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| Abandoned structure |
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| Twin Falls, as pictured on the 1978 Coors Light logo |
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| Government owned and still active! |
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| Up at 11,000 feet! We were about 1.5 miles from the top of Mt. Sneffels at our highest point. |
We all agreed this was a great experience, and one that we could not have created on our own! I was leery of doing anything "too touristy," but I confess that this was the perfect amount of tourism to add to our trip. The tour lasted four hours and provided a great overview of old Ouray and the Mt. Sneffels mountain range. The weather was perfect, and the sights were all postcard-worthy. We saw many ATV vehicles, four-wheelers, Jeeps, a dirt bike or two, and several cars/SUVs that had no business on those roads. I, for one, was glad not to be the couple with the car stuck four miles into the mountains. (Note: it's not enough to have an AWD vehicle; clearance matters a lot!) Now that we have an idea of the terrain and available roads trails, we would feel more comfortable renting a proper vehicle and creating our own adventure next time.
*Photos taken with Nikon D40, GoPro Hero3+, and iPhone 5S*
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