Colorado trip

Bucket2 · 06-21-2018, 11:34 AM

Hi fellow Jayco owners, I am looking for some help on how to see southern Colorado and some of northern New Mexico and include some native american ruins, (cliff dwellings).
I live in eastern Or and am limited to about 10 days and am aware of the 5-6 day round trip to get to possibly Telluride and Would probably use hwy 84 to hwy 6 through Utah & I could come back through the area of Canyon de Chelly.
Any cool ideas?

cabinetmaker · 06-21-2018, 12:05 PM

Mesa Verde is worth the time. Be aware they are very dry in the 4 corners area and have a current fire between Durango and Silverton.

A lot of the National forest is closed because of fire danger in the area.

wags999 · 06-21-2018, 12:39 PM

Durango KOA South is a great location to do Mesa Verde and Northern NM.

pconroy · 06-21-2018, 04:29 PM

Yeah - please keep tabs on the fire situation here. Super dry, fire bans in effect. I'm really worried about this summer and fall.

Bucket2 · 06-22-2018, 06:53 PM

WOW! I really forgot about the fire dangers

Oregon has had enough of those problems in the past, not fun!
I won't add to the fear I'll try next year. It seems like we have to travel in the smoke out west and had lots of it in B.C last year.good luck and thanks

Mel

RyRoRyan · 07-02-2018, 09:06 AM

If I were you, I would skip Telluride, because just getting there and out will take lots of time away. I would go over to Montrose, to Ridgeway, Ouray, Silverton, then Durango. You can spend a night or two in any of those citys, however, I feel Ouray and Silverton are the best. Do CO, and then go down to NM. If you want to stay north, you can go to the Aztec Ruins near Farmington, but if you really want Cliff Dwellings, you want to go south near Silver City and do the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

Bucket2 · 07-02-2018, 02:29 PM

I like your idea a lot and will use your idea but now forest fires are a little nasty.
I may wait until late fall. I get so tired of vacationing in smoke.
Thanks..Mel

rgolding · 07-02-2018, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucket2

I like your idea a lot and will use your idea but now forest fires are a little nasty.
I may wait until late fall. I get so tired of vacationing in smoke.
Thanks..Mel

I think you are making a correct decision. We did the "West" last year and I've got to say, I never thought anything had the constant anxiety of hurricanes. And then I visited the "West " in "Fire Season". What fun.

From my former life, the wording was always "Floods are bad, DROUGHTS are worse".

Go where it is fun and enjoyable, let the professionals do their job without one more crazy tourist.

Enjoy life, there are no rewinds and no replays.

thirdktm · 07-02-2018, 04:37 PM

We stay at Dolores River RV park, which is just north of Cortez and about a mile east of Dolores, along Hwy. 145. Telluride is about an hour and a half north of the RV park. Telluride's narrow streets could be a challenge in an RV. Telluride is a cool community and very congested in the summer.
The RV park is super clean and is convenient for visits to ruins in the area.
Mesa Verde could easily consume a full day. There is an RV park in the park that I am told is worth using..........
Blanding, Utah, in that region, has a wonderful museum, Edge of the Cedars. And Blanding is not far from other ruins.......

pconroy · 07-03-2018, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucket2

I like your idea a lot and will use your idea but now forest fires are a little nasty.
I may wait until late fall. I get so tired of vacationing in smoke.
Thanks..Mel

Yeah - no surprise but we're on fire -- again.

Sure would be nice to have a monsoon rain come in.
Many places are cancelling fireworks this year.

We were in Estes Park yesterday and "Fire Danger Very High" signs are everywhere.

Nutz...

Bucket2 · 07-03-2018, 08:40 PM

So sad, thanks for the response!

wanderlust · 07-04-2018, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucket2

northern New Mexico and include some native american ruins, (cliff dwellings).

We went to Bandelier Cliff dwellings a few years ago that were very interesting.

SloPoke · 07-05-2018, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirdktm

We stay at Dolores River RV park, which is just north of Cortez and about a mile east of Dolores, along Hwy. 145. Telluride is about an hour and a half north of the RV park. Telluride's narrow streets could be a challenge in an RV. Telluride is a cool community and very congested in the summer.
The RV park is super clean and is convenient for visits to ruins in the area.
Mesa Verde could easily consume a full day. There is an RV park in the park that I am told is worth using..........
Blanding, Utah, in that region, has a wonderful museum, Edge of the Cedars. And Blanding is not far from other ruins.......

Look up "Arch canyon" in southeast Utah.

Bucket2 · 07-05-2018, 04:26 PM

Thanks so much. Fire danger is not looking real well. I think I'll spend some time next week or so in southern B.C. I was in some of the area last year and the smoke was horrible. Cranbrook north was bad. I'm going to enter at Castlegar to Pentictin & up through kelowna, maybe back down through Cranbrook. Olympic park in north Washington should be pretty now, so may go across the top of the state there.
Thanks for your help keep cool!

pconroy · 07-05-2018, 06:07 PM

Now's not the time to come without checking wildfire situation. They're popping up all over.

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dfpc/current-wildfires

wags999 · 07-05-2018, 07:01 PM

If you are not familiar with 550 from Ridgeway to Durango you may want to rethink taking that route. Also if your not an experienced RV driver you may want to think.. It has narrow roads,. It steep grades and a number of switch backs...it's beautiful but, it can be a nail biter. I have driven it on MC and with and without RV, having worked a summer in the area..the majority of RV drivers that took that route said they were nervous the whole time...not trying to scare you but it's not a road for the faint of heart. You can go from Ridgeway towards Telluride ( I would not detour through town ) and then down to 160 and over to Durango...a relatively flat pretty drive.. Good Luck...its a beautiful area..

koko · 07-11-2018, 04:18 PM

We like Bandelier; because unlike Mesa Verde, where you look at the dwellings from afar, at Bandelier you climb up stairs to reach the actual dwellings and can go inside several of them by ladder. The the several hiking trails are hot but not taxing. They no longer let you drive to the visitor center. You park at a lot in White River and then ride a coach to the visitor center (I'm sure because it became too crowded on the road to it). It has nothing to do with cliff dwellings, but another great thing to do is to ride the narrow gauge railroad from Antonito, Colorado to Chama, New Mexico (Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad). Unlike the Silverton/Durango, this one is out of the way instead of having to fight the mobs in Durango. Cost is about the same.

dives2little · 07-11-2018, 04:58 PM

We live in Farmington, and you should be fine to visit. The monsoon has started and the fires are not a threat for Mesa Verde. Dolores River or Priest Gulch both make fine bases for seeing Telluride, Mesa Verde, and even Durango. If you are interested in Indian Ruins, see Chaco Canyon. There is a nice campground, which is semi-dry (National Park Service)-south of Farmington about 40 miles

Hollander Mutthaulers · 07-11-2018, 05:12 PM

We've visited many ruins over the years from granaries in Beef Basin and Salt Creek Canyon to the cities of Mesa Verde. Hovenweep is midway between the two geographically and culturally - well worth checking out.

Fires are how you view them. Last year we saw few mountains and then only through the haze from Loveland to Glacier. Disappointing for sure, but made the most of it. Kind of fascinating to drive Going To The Sun (road was open in the east) and barely able to see the mountains right in front of us. We could smell burning forests well into central Montana on Route 2. Not our choice, but not everyone gets to see Glacier on fire. Nature is nature and we are its guests; we accept what it offers whether beauty or awfulness.

Cimriver · 07-16-2018, 12:40 PM

Yes Colorado, especially SW Colorado are extremely dry. I have seen ponds this year bone dry, that I have never seen dry. There are fire bans in effect in most if not all counties.

That said, the San Juans have seen heavy rainfall over the past few days and I am sure this has lowered the fire danger.

I wouldn't hesitate to make the trip to the area.

Red Mountain pass between Ouray (pronounced You Ray) and Silverton, is an interesting drive. Tight turns and big drop offs. Certainly no problem for an expereince rv driver.

We live in Montrose, CO and love SW Colorado.

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