Sunday morning brought chirping birds and a cool breeze as eyes fluttered open following a late night gazing upon the Milky Way. Amaris and Fox got moving quickly as the excitement of another day exploring the San Juan Mountains grasped them. First stop of the day was the ghost town of Alta and the nearby Alta Lakes.. There is a rich history of mining in the area with Alta perhaps being the most note worthy as it was the first commercial use of Nikola Tesla's Alternating Current (AC) electricity in 1891 (linked story is worth the thirty second read). Walking around the lakes and into the Gold King Basin while thinking about a large mining operation over a hundred years earlier was grounding.
There were several groups camping around Alta Lakes as we parked and took a leisurely stroll through the forest at an elevation of 11,300 feet. Hammocks littered the trees while a couple was preparing to fish in the still blue water. After walking the lakes we were back in the 4Runner cruising on the dirt road to Gold King Basin. High clearance is required for the short, rocky trail, into the remote and breathtaking basin. A few tents scattered across the hillside were coming to life as we soaked in mother nature while Amaris took pictures of the various mountain flowers. Had there not been other places to see the two of us could have spent much more time enjoying the morning there - a night camping under the stars is on the list for next time! Or, perhaps, we'll make an offer on the wild house below...
After enjoying the stillness of the morning together we were back on 145 north heading to the Wilson Mesa on the "back side" of the mountains. For those looking to enjoy lunch on the mesa be sure to stop at Sawpit Mercantile prior to turning left onto 57p road. Another option is to backtrack to Silver Pick Rd. or choose any number of the roads off 145 to explore as the mesa is expansive and there are wonderful views from different angles. Once we were well down the dirt road and as remote as remote gets Fox parked so we could get out to absorb the wide open terrain. The mountain air continued to refresh us as we basked in the sun and enjoyed the scattered clouds rolling through.
Once we had our fill enjoying the mesa and sunny afternoon we headed back to civilization and the Telluride Brewing Company to quench our thirst. The brewery sits outside of town in the Society Turn Business Center that houses other local businesses including Telluride Coffee Roasters and Aemono Fine Foods. The relaxing Sunday drifted on as we reminisced about all that had been done in the last week. This would be our last night in Telluride before the return journey to Tucson and subsequent flight to Chicago where a new chapter in the Amaris and Fox story would begin.
Cheers to Colorful Colorado and the beautiful memories made together on this incredible road trip. This was the longest road trip either of us had ever done and we would not trade it for the world. Whether with a partner, friends, or solo make time to spend a week or two on the road every so often. Nature, history, and kind hearted friends are waiting to say hello on the open highways.
