My first reaction when I read Linda Ballou’s article (click on the link) Have Boots Will Travel, was curiosity.
When I saw the map of this circuitous 236 mile loop from Durango, Silverton, up to Ridgway, around to Telluride, circling Mancos and back to Durango, my reaction was OMG! How could I ever make a trip like that?
Colorado's San Juan Skyway
This is where Linda Ballou comes in. In her article, Have Boots Will Travel, Linda gives you the how, where, who and when you need to know to accomplish this awesome trip. You don’t have to be a twenty-five year old mountain climbing expert to achieve this adventure. In fact, if you are in reasonably good physical shape, you can claim this prize as your very own!
Get those boots broken in and follow Linda’s guide to Colorado’s San Juan Skyway.
Thanks so much Annie for sharing my article! You made me want to go back and do it all over again!
Cheers Linda
Nice piece, Linda.
I did the same Skyway loop as you, but in the other direction. I took the train from Durango to Silverton and back, then drove north over the mountains, through Ouray to Telluride. I slept poorly that night, perhaps due to a lingering touch of altitude sickness contracted while going over the high pass between Silverton and Ouray. My last stop was Mesa Verde National Park.
This is definitely a very scenic route to take. Our California Sierra Nevada range look rather diminutive compared to Colorado’s San Juans.