Million Dollar Highway
US Rte. 550 - Silverton to Ouray

For the final few miles into Ouray, Rte. 550 clings to the steep mountainside, with very little space for error on either side.

  If you travel the road in summer, it's probably hard to imagine the conditions you would face in the winter.  But there's one, very clear, illustration of just how much snow falls on the roadway.  When you reach this covered portion of the road (called a snowshed), pull off to the left side.  When you look down into the valley...

... you'll likely see a huge pile of snow.  Just imagine, enough snow falls here in the winter, that some remains by the middle of August.

After you pass Ouray, the landscape changes from extreme mountains, to gently rolling hills and farmland.

Day 6
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