5 Dangerous Road Trips in the USA
5 Dangerous Road Trips
Forum Discussion
As Lauren said, you can't control the other drivers on Hwy 550 south of Ouray. It is not only other drivers you have to watch out for but large rocks and wildlife. I have probably been involved in as many body recoveries off of Hwy 550, Red Mountain Pass, as anyone on the forum, from all types of vehicles. This past year has had two deaths on this strip of road. One was ruled a suicide but those folks will take you with them if you get in their way.
As a former deputy sheriff for Ouray County and a deputy coroner, I can assure you it is a scenic road and if everything goes as planned, not a problem. But through in some glitch,a driver crossing over on to your side, a run away truck with over heated brakes and there is no where to go other than into the mountain side or off the cliff side. I patrolled that road daily when on duty and I gave it a lot of respect. It is a road that may only give you one oops. Plus I can't begin to count the number of drivers that froze from panic attacks and chose to park on the center line, usually on a blind curve it seemed. Then we, the deputies, had to respond and pry the drivers hands off the steering wheel and put them in the back seat of the patrol car. If a passenger could drive we let them do so or a back up deputy would drive the car with the passenger's permission. (usually the co-owner of the vehicle) or we would get a tow truck up from Ouray to haul it. All the panic attack folks I had to rescue were all men, women seem to be more realistic about their driving ability and skills.
Just be prepared to take what you get, if a deer runs out in front of you, hit it, don't dodge off the edge. If a truck comes around the corner ahead of you on your side, hit him head on, don't dodge off the edge, etc. Some can't do this and very few survive a 300 to 600 foot drop to the beautiful creek running below.
This sign put up by the Colorado DOT says it all.
In some places the white line has fallen off the road. A driver needs to know within 8 to 10 inches of where their front tire is running at all times and where the rear cliff side tire is tracking. Try the trip in a car first, is what I recommend, then decide if you want to take your RV over it.
As a former deputy sheriff for Ouray County and a deputy coroner, I can assure you it is a scenic road and if everything goes as planned, not a problem. But through in some glitch,a driver crossing over on to your side, a run away truck with over heated brakes and there is no where to go other than into the mountain side or off the cliff side. I patrolled that road daily when on duty and I gave it a lot of respect. It is a road that may only give you one oops. Plus I can't begin to count the number of drivers that froze from panic attacks and chose to park on the center line, usually on a blind curve it seemed. Then we, the deputies, had to respond and pry the drivers hands off the steering wheel and put them in the back seat of the patrol car. If a passenger could drive we let them do so or a back up deputy would drive the car with the passenger's permission. (usually the co-owner of the vehicle) or we would get a tow truck up from Ouray to haul it. All the panic attack folks I had to rescue were all men, women seem to be more realistic about their driving ability and skills.
Just be prepared to take what you get, if a deer runs out in front of you, hit it, don't dodge off the edge. If a truck comes around the corner ahead of you on your side, hit him head on, don't dodge off the edge, etc. Some can't do this and very few survive a 300 to 600 foot drop to the beautiful creek running below.
This sign put up by the Colorado DOT says it all.
In some places the white line has fallen off the road. A driver needs to know within 8 to 10 inches of where their front tire is running at all times and where the rear cliff side tire is tracking. Try the trip in a car first, is what I recommend, then decide if you want to take your RV over it.
