hotpepperkid
Chino Hills CA
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Just came up 550. Wow what a nice ride. Stoped a couple places and took some pictures.
hpk
2000 Ford F-350 SRW 4X4 PSD 28' Prowler 50 gal X-ferflow in the bed tank. Banks big exhaust and Stinger kit.
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dgo1369
Georgetown, TX, US
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Joined: 11/22/2003
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Did you drive a car or an RV? I'm near Montrose and heading to Mesa Verde in August, but definitely DON'T plan on going down 550!
Dennis Osha
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coptalker
Western Colorado
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Joined: 04/20/2004
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I love Hwy 550 through that stretch. My favorite stretch of road in all of Colorado. And now the caveat: I love it in my car or on my motorcycle. Not nearly as much fun towing. Not that my truck can't handle it, but that the road is pretty narrow in places and those are tough places to meet another large rig. I don't even mind the steep drop-offs. It's just a road that deserves respect. Not just a little, but the whole time you're on it. Enjoy Colorado!
Glen
2004 Dutchmen 27BG, Rocky Mountain Elk Edition
2002 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 8.1/Ally
2 boys, 12 & 14
a friendly black lab
a couple of decks of cards
a cold beer
Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.
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hotpepperkid
Chino Hills CA
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dgo1369 wrote:Did you drive a car or an RV? I'm near Montrose and heading to Mesa Verde in August, but definitely DON'T plan on going down 550!
The rig in my signature. I had heard of all the horror stroys but it really wasnt all that bad. Lot of lower gear work. There is a few 25 mph curves but most of them were 35 to 45. Came down for Molas Pass in 2nd gear only touched the brakes a few times.
hpk
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joe b.
Florida
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Joined: 08/24/2002
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I was on the road, 550, last week from Ouray to Silverton, over Red Mtn. Pass. Was just over the summit on the Silverton side, south bound, starting down the Chattanooga Switch section of highway and came around one of the fairly sharp corners up at the top. Speeed about 35 mph. Fifty feet in front of me was an 18 wheeler pulling north bound, a box trailer, strattling the center line. (15 to 20 mph truck speed) I suspect it was the first time for that truck driver to be on that section of Hwy 550. Luckily for us I was in my Jeep Wrangler so I slammed on the brakes and got my passenger tires off the shoulder, next to the rock wall. If I had been in my camper or a bigger RV I would have had no choice but to either get stopped in time or hit the truck head on. My Jeep cleared the truck tires by about 6 to 10 inches and the rocks by about the same.
Hwy 550 is normally OK for someone that is used to mountain driving, doesn't mind no guard rails in places, can place their tires within a half foot of where they want them to be.
The truck driver had a look of absolute fear on his face as I met him but he never made any attempt to get over on his side of the road. There are places where situations can occur on 550 that all the "good" driving ability in the world won't protect you from the "other" drivers that are panicked by the road.
joe b.
South Florida, Stuart
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Driving a Dodge/Cummins
www.jbpacooper.com web site
http://www.picturetrail.com/jbpacooper Alaska 2004 - Alaska 2006 - Colorado photos
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hotpepperkid
Chino Hills CA
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joe b. wrote:I was on the road, 550, last week from Ouray to Silverton, over Red Mtn. Pass. Was just over the summit on the Silverton side, south bound, starting down the Chattanooga Switch section of highway and came around one of the fairly sharp corners up at the top. Speeed about 35 mph. Fifty feet in front of me was an 18 wheeler pulling north bound, a box trailer, strattling the center line. (15 to 20 mph truck speed) I suspect it was the first time for that truck driver to be on that section of Hwy 550. Luckily for us I was in my Jeep Wrangler so I slammed on the brakes and got my passenger tires off the shoulder, next to the rock wall. If I had been in my camper or a bigger RV I would have had no choice but to either get stopped in time or hit the truck head on. My Jeep cleared the truck tires by about 6 to 10 inches and the rocks by about the same.
Hwy 550 is normally OK for someone that is used to mountain driving, doesn't mind no guard rails in places, can place their tires within a half foot of where they want them to be.
The truck driver had a look of absolute fear on his face as I met him but he never made any attempt to get over on his side of the road. There are places where situations can occur on 550 that all the "good" driving ability in the world won't protect you from the "other" drivers that are panicked by the road.
You can get hit head by some DA driver on any two lane road its just things can get out of control a lot faster in the mountains.
hpk
hpk
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joe b.
Florida
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hpk said:You can get hit head by some DA driver on any two lane road its just things can get out of control a lot faster in the mountains.
I know that from the years I worked as a deputy sheriff for Ouray County, an EMT and as a deputy Coroner. Have a considerable amount of up close and personal experience with wrecks on 550. As long as everyone does it "right", no problems, but it only takes one "oops" from one of you and it hits the fan real fast.
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Busskipper
Arnold,Md
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Joined: 11/25/2002
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You either love it or hate it but the fact that never changes is you will never forget it. This is one of the most scenic areas in all of Colorado and my advice is that if you drive it in/with the RV to return in the car/truck to view it again. It is more than worth the time and effort to see more than once.
For those who drive Rt145 while not the same it is still a drive that, while different, is still memorable. One last point, unless you get off road you really haven’t seen or truly felt the area.
JMHO,
Busskipper
Maryland/Colorado
Travel Supreme 42DS04
MDX-FMCA--M&G Brake
States traveled in this Coach
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Lauren
Sahuarita, AZ (or on the road!)
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Joined: 05/31/2001
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In my time on this Forum there have been many, many postings on the Million Dollar Highway. It is simple in my mind - whether you are an experienced mountain driver or not - if you are comfortable driving a well surfaced (for the most part), curvy, mountain road with many ups and downs, lots of little or no shoulders, steep dropoffs of hundreds of feet and many sections of no guardrails - and are willing to move along and not hold up traffic so as to cause dangerous situations - then do it with your RV. If not, do it with your toad or TV or just pass it up and drive the other route over Lizard Head Pass. Red Mountain Pass is a beautiful drive and I will be driving it again when we are in Ouray again in July - with my truck; no 5er. We use Lizard Head with the 5er and I am an "experienced" mountain driver.
Lauren - DW Barbara - "Aussie" Terrier, Sadie
2006 Mobile Suites 32TK3 with TrailAir
2006 Chev 3500 3LT Ext Cab 4x4 360HP Dmax 6 Spd Allie
www.laurenbarbara.com
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cruzgal
Arklahoma or somewhere warm/cool
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Joined: 06/20/2006
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The OP's subject line was "Durango to Silverton", but the real "FUN" part of 550 (especially in an RV) is just south of Ouray.  It's a beautiful drive that we've made many times, but those first few miles from Ouray heading to Silverton still make me nervous!
"Time passes but memories remain"
Fulltime since Jan. 2004
40' Allegro Zephyr
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