Maroon Bells is the most photographed area in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
around us, it was hard to imagine this meek river had sculpted the rock walls with such force. Leaving this mysterious land behind, we traveled another 50 miles south to the charming mountain town of Ouray (pronounced “you-ray”) where we found colors and camaraderie as vivid and convivial as the Black Canyon of the Gunnison had been remote and stark. Surrounded on all sides by steep 13,000-foot mountain peaks, Ouray is a village of just 1,000 people who live 7,700 feet above sea level. The town was named for Ute Indian Chief Ouray, a great leader in the 1860s who became chief at a difficult time for his people. Interestingly, he was raised by a Mexican family and spoke four languages before he became the revered ruler of his mother’s tribal people. Nowadays, Ouray is a town that radiates historic charm and a welcoming spirit. Both sides of the main street are lined with beautifully maintained nineteenth-century buildings that date back to Ouray’s heyday as a mining town, and every view around town is set against a dramatic mountain backdrop. Wanting to get out into these mountains rather than just observe them from a distance, we did a short but steep hike to Cascade Falls. This uphill hike was a good workout, even though it was only a quarter of a mile to
weathered rock spires rose as high as 2,000 feet above the river. Overhead, large turkey vultures in search of carrion soared on the thermal air currents, adding an eeriness to the otherworldly atmosphere. At one of the overlooks, the forest rangers had put up a bulletin board with a sign at the top asking, “What does ‘Wilderness’ mean to you?” Little slips of blank paper, a pen, and thumbtacks encouraged visitors to jot down some notes and post them. “Wild & Free,” one person had written. “Wilderness speaks to my soul,” another responded. “Quiet humility,” “Hope,” and “Reminds me just how small I am,” penned a few more. Standing at the edge of the earth, as the Black Canyon of the Gunnison does, inspires introspective thoughts and wonder. The Painted Wall Overlook placed us in front of an immense canvas of rock that looked much like a modern work of art painted with odd stripes and patterns. At the aptly named Chasm View Lookout, we peered over the edge into the depths of the canyon. Driving down East Portal Road brought us to a totally different world at the bottom of the canyon where the peaceful Gunnison River flows between green, tree-lined banks. It is the speed of the Gunnison River’s downhill flow, which drops a whopping 95 feet per mile, that created the Black Canyon, yet as we drove along the banks and stared up at the canyon cliffs
FALL 2015 COAST TO COAST 15
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