Moab, UT - Ouray, CO

[keepingthelight]

Hello,
Have any of you made this trip before? I was wondering what the roads are like during the summer months. Steep grades, scenic, etc.

Thanks!:)

[lbrjet]

2gypsies wrote:

lbrjet wrote:
Personally I think my mountain directory was a waste of money. I expected a lot more information than what it contains.

What have you found that's better?

A $2 app on my IPad called TopoProfiler. Gives me an elevation profile for any route I choose. You can reference any two data points on the graph (and slide them) and it tells you the grade between the points and the number of miles to the tenth of a mile, as well as elevation.

[2gypsies1]

lbrjet wrote:
Personally I think my mountain directory was a waste of money. I expected a lot more information than what it contains.

What have you found that's better?

[lbrjet]

Personally I think my mountain directory was a waste of money. I expected a lot more information than what it contains.

[fanrgs]

We've used the Ridgway to Moab Road numerous times--all paved, 2-lane road with no problems with any size RV. Yes, there are grades--one from Utah border down into Paradox Valley that has lots of curves, one from Naturita up to the plateau where Norwood is located, another from north of Norwood down to the San Miguel River, and the long climb on 62 from Placerville up to Dallas Divide. None are difficult, just long, but you should use your lower gears on the downgrades and not depend just on your brakes.

As far as scenery, the Paradox Valley is dry and desolate, but it is also the location of the nation's first uranium mine (1898). The valley is a collapsed salt anticline (upward fold) with the center eroded out by Paradox Creek.

Naturita is slowly falling into ruin; people there have no hope of a tourist industry and hold out hope that Energy Fuels will build a new uranium mill there. Norwood is a farming town with great views of the San Juans and Lone Cone to the southeast and the LaSalles to the west. Be sure to stop just on the east side of Dallas Divide for some great photos of Mt. Sneffels and the San Juans (watch for a split rail fence on the right).

US 550 from Ridgway to Ouray is nearly flat as it follows the Uncompahgre River valley. As stated earlier, it's only immediately south of Ouray that 550 gets hairy--the Uncompahgre Gorge on the Million Dollar Highway. Use your toad for that!

You can take a real-time virtual trip over CO 90, 145, and 62 and US 550 using CDOT's OTIS website to actually get a windshield view of the entire route. I got you started with this link for CO 90: http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/Otis/HighwayData#/ui/0/0/criteria/090A/0/33.874. Now you can really never say you didn't know what you are in for!

[dokkema1]

you can also go through Desolation valley ..over to Norwood and thru to Ridgeway...nobody's on the Desolation valley road...It starts over by Dove creek Colorado...

[rexlion]

It's well worthwhile going that route for the scenery.

[donkeydew]

if you like nice country 2 lane roads with beautiful views and little traffic
this is the way to go. may not be the fastest but you can sit back and enjoy some outstanding country side.

[paulj]

My memory (and checked against Google Maps) is that CO145 has only one grade of note, the drop to the river crossing east of Norwood. The area around Redvale and Norwood is quite flat and straight (except for a couple of broad 90deg turns that you can expect in farm country). East of the river crossing (to Telluride) it curves as it follows a river, but doesn't have much in the way of grades. CO62 has more river following and one or two low passes as it crosses from one basin to another.

CO145 Telluride to Dolores crosses Lizzard Head Pass, which is usually recommended as the alternative to US550 when crossing from Ouray to Cortez/Durango.

[keepingthelight]

Thanks for your first hand opinions guys!;)

DickB you must have stock in the Mountain Directory. Looking for first hand advise:(

[jolooote]

Rt. 145 is the shortest, but also the slowest by far. Its constant curves & up/down grades. I'd go I-70 over & down 50 to Ridgeway. Rt.550 gets kinda scary just south of Ouray. I don't like driving my Class'A' on it. I always take 145 down to Delores.

[paulj]

Does the Mtn Directory show anything for UT 46 or CO 90? There's a downgrade at the stateline as the highway drops into Paradox Valley.

The northern route, via I70/US50 and Grand Junction will be flatter (staying in broad valleys). The highways will also be wider. US128 cuts off a corner, saving miles though possibly not time. It is flat but has plenty of gentle curves as it follows the River.

[Dick_B]

Mountain Directory West may be helpful.

[DesertHawk]

Moab to Ouray isn't all that steep in grades. Yes, there are some now and again, but nothing very daunting. Somewhat steep going up from Ridgway to Ouray.

However, I have not driven the closest route "directly" from US 191 south of Moab to Ridgway (UT 46 to CO 90 to CO 145 to CO 62). I have driven a section of it from where CO 62 joins CO 145 from Telluride to Ridgway then to Ouray.

I have driven part of the longer route (US 191 to I-70 E and US-50 E) from Grand Junction to Ridgway & on to Ouray.

After Ouray to Silverton the route gets more steep & more scenic as well. Depending on ones point of view concerning scenic the whole area is very scenic. IMHO.

209 mi, 3 hours 27 mins on the I-70 E and US-50 E Route. 150 mi, 3 hours 8 mins on the UT 46 to CO 90 to CO 145 to CO 62 Route.

[paulj]

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27011097/gotomsg/27011131.cfm
Earlier thread about heading into Colorado around the south side of the LaSal Mtns