Cortez, CO

We stopped in Cortez, Colorado to visit with friends Greg and Elaine enroute to California. We drove alongside the Dolores River up to Telluride for the day on Friday. Town was full of tourists and locals enjoying the sunshine and 70ish degree temperatures. This was an old mining town that became a popular ski resort. We strolled the main street and stopped for a fine lunch. Then we toured the city park where we learned there are small camping sites. At the end of the road we stopped to watch the waterfalls caused by the snow melting on the mountains. Days like this don't come along often enough. More photos of Telluride.

There is no grass growing under our feet in Colorado. On Saturday, 8 of us drove out to the BLM canyonlands area near Cortez. Here we unloaded the quads and took off down the sideroads in the high desert and former homeland of the ancient Anasazi Indians. We stopped in Yellowjacket Canyon for lunch with our friends and the gnats and then crossed the creek successfully but we balked at the second crossing. We drove back to Cannonball Mesa and viewed some other ruins. This area was settled even before Mesa Verde. After 32 miles of dirt roads we loaded up the quads and reflected on what a fine day we had! This canyon land full of unexplored ruins has been designated a National Monument: Canyons of the Ancients. More photos.