I am a newcomer to this forum, so this post may be too late. Anyway, it's worth a try. I agree that your decision NOT to tow from Ouray to Silverton is a wise one--one that I made myself less than a month ago.
BUT . . . if you are planning to turn at Ridgeway, I would strongly suggest that you drive on down into Ouray before making at turn. It is well worth a visit. We stayed there in July at the Ouray RV Park, right on the river, but there are several possibilities, including a state park at Ridgeway. If you could make an overnight in Ridgeway, you could drive in to Ouray for a visit. Not that there is any problem with towing into Ouray from the North--absolutely no problem. The problem is will towing in or out to the South on 550.