B
Focus
O
n a map of the San Juan Moun-
tains, Black Bear Pass looks
like any other off-the-road trail
winding its way across mountainous
terrain.
Jeepers know better.
Rated a No. 5 for most difficult and
challenging, the steep, narrow and at
times seemingly impassable road is
known for its heart-stopping “steps”
and hair-raising switchbacks.
The route, which is accessed by U.S.
550 south of Ouray on top of Red
Mountain Pass, has a long history of
challenging the most experienced
drivers. There are stories of mo-
torists abandoning their vehicles
along the road and walking out to Tel-
luride; there are others who have sur-
vived the “ride” but vowed to never
return again.
Recently, Daily Press photojournal-
ist Eric Drummond and I had an op-
portunity to experience two of the
San Juan Mountains’ most challeng-
ing jeep roads, Black Bear and Imo-
gene, as guests of San Juan Adven-
tures Jeep Rentals and Tours in
Ouray. Our tour guide for the daylong
trip was veteran jeep tour driver and
Montrose resident Bob Baca.
“We haul over 1,000 people per sea-
son (which usually runs from Memo-
rial Day to the first part of October),”
said Baca.
One of the first stops on our tour
was the memorial near the Riverside
Slide area along U.S. 550 south of
Ouray. The memorial is dedicated to a
minister and his daughters who were
killed by the infamous snowslide in
1964 and three snowplow drivers who
have also lost their lives to avalanch-
es.
Born and raised in nearby Silver-
ton, Colo., Baca knows all too well the
powerful and destructive forces of av-
alanches.
“I’ve had three close calls (with ava-
lanches),” said this Colorado native
who also drove snow plows over Red
Mountain Pass for four years and
worked as a search and rescue volun-
teer.
From a distance, an avalanche
sounds a lot like a river and then
there’s a sudden blast of wind, he ex-
plained. In December and January,
avalanches typically run faster than
in the spring.
As we approached Ironton Park,
Baca described another important
legacy of the San
Juan region —
mining.
“Ore found here
was in ‘chimneys’
(or vertical shafts),
not veins,” he com-
mented. “Miners
had a very tough
life. They earned
about $3 per day,
had a life expectan-
cy of approximate-
ly 35 years, and
drank and smoked
heavily.”
Near the top of
Red Mountain
Pass, our guide
pointed out the
now vacant Idara-
do Mine, which
once was a large
gold producer in
the region, but Signs of historic mining activity are
closed in recent still visible in Savage Basin, located there’s a reward
years due to the high above Telluride on Imogene
drop in the price of Pass. The area was once home to ex- the bottom of the
gold. tensive and profitable mining opera- road — the dramat-
“There are over tions at Tomboy and Smuggler-
100 miles of tun- Union Mines.
nels under the
mountain to Telluride,” he said. “It’s
just like a city (underground).”
Our jeeping adventure officially be-
gan when we turned off U.S. 550 at the
top of Red Mountain Pass and started
the ascent to the summit of Black
Bear Pass. Climbing to above timber-
line, Baca pointed out the carpets of
Sunday,
August 17, 2003
Montrose Daily Press
ON TOP OF A row of vintage Jeeps, dating from
the early 1950s to early 1960s, forms
a line across the summit of Black
Bear Pass. The vehicles belong to
members of the Rocky Mountain
Rendezvous Jeep Club.
▼ Jeeping trivia
THE WORLD
■ Many of today’s jeep trails follow origi-
nal toll roads and stagecoach routes
connecting mining camps of the San
Juans.
■ A man by the name of William E. “Bud-
dy” Davis, a native of Iowa, is credited
with starting the jeeping craze in the
San Juans.
■ The early jeep of choice was a “Willys.”
■ There are over 300 miles of jeep roads
located within the immediate vicinity of
Ouray.
■ Tires have a short life span on the
Jeeping the high country passes rugged jeep roads of the San Juans; on
average, jeep tour drivers only get
7,000 miles to a set of tires.
■ The vehicle going up the grade has the
right-of-way on one lane roads.
STORY BY ELAINE HALE JONES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC DRUMMOND
green alpine tundra, which he de-
scribed as similar to well-manicured
golf course grass.
“It’s a very delicate ecosystem up
here,” he said. Plants and flowers
have a short growing season at tim-
berline and above.
As the morning progressed, Baca
began to prepare us for the descent
down Black Bear’s infamous “steps”
and switchbacks to Telluride.
“You won’t see them (the steps) un-
til we’re right on top of them,” he
said with a teasing tone in his voice.
Baca frequently uses humor to
keep his riders from getting too nerv-
ous.
“I try to make them laugh,” he said.
Rounding the last portion of Black
Bear’s upper road, we were quickly
facing the “steps,” an extremely steep
narrow section of rock ledges that
served as the road.
As my heart jumped up in my
throat, Baca “walked” the jeep ever so
slowly down the steps. It was five
minutes that seemed like an eternity.
“I want to be totally in control (of
the vehicle),” he said, adding that
pressure is purposely kept lower in
jeep tires than for
regular passenger
tires to allow them
to grip the rocks
better. Tall spires of fireweed accent a seldom-seen view of the town of Telluride from Black Bear Pass.
Our adventure
was yet to be over,
however, as we Named for the wife of an early-day why this is San Juan Adventure’s Descending back down into the tall
looked down on a miner, Imogene Pass highlights much most requested jeep tour. dark timber, Camp Bird Mine is visi-
series of switch- of the rich mining history of the re- In a 360-degree panoramic sweep, ble from a 500-foot drop off along the
backs zigzagging gion. On the Telluride side, the road there are views of the LaSalle Moun- Imogene Pass Road.
back and forth climbs steadily through thick groves tains in southeastern Utah, the Walsh’s discovery of the Camp Bird
across the face of of quakin’ aspen to eventually open Ragged Mountains near Paonia to the (named for the Rocky Mountain or
the mountain, up to spectacular views of the valley north and unparalleled scenes of Red Canada Jay Bird) and its incredibly
where the majority below. Mountains No. 1, 2, and 3 between precious gold ore made it one of the
of jeepers have to On both sides of the road are rem- Ouray and Silverton. richest mines in Colorado, second on-
back up several nants of a once extensive mining op- Over 100 years ago, in 1897, another ly to the Portland Mine in Cripple
times to make it eration in Savage Basin. history-making event took place here. Creek.
around the sharp One of the area’s largest gold pro- Electric power was transmitted 17 What made his story even more in-
corners. ducers was Tomboy Mine, located at miles from Telluride to Camp Bird credible was the fact that he was ship-
While many jeep- close to 12,000 feet in elevation. Dis- Mine above Ouray, the longest dis- ping gold ore before many of the
ers typically hold covered in 1880, the mining operation tance electric power had ever been townspeople in Ouray even knew he
their breath going included a large stamp mill, livery transmitted in the United States at had a mine.
around these series stables, a school, homes, a three-story that time. “Camp Bird closed in 1988,” noted
of switchbacks, boardinghouse for 250 men and even On the Ouray side, the jeep road fol- Baca. “Like Idarado, it also had over
a bowling alley. lows an old pack trail into Imogene 100 miles of tunnels underneath the
awaiting them near In 1897, the Tomboy property was Basin where Camp Bird Mine was mountain.”
sold to the Rothschilds of London for discovered by Thomas Walsh in the As the rays of sunlight began to
$2 million. Although operations 1890s. fade behind the mountain peaks, we
ic cascading water- ceased in the late 1920s, the mine has In this high mountain basin, headed back to Ouray. Despite a few
fall known as been worked at various times framed by jagged towering rock for- aching muscles and sunburned faces,
Bridal Veil Falls. through the maze of interconnected mations, Mother Nature paints a it had been a day of adventure and a
Dropping 360 feet over a sheer rock tunnels of the Idarado mines. palette of seasonal wildflowers in- trip back in time set amidst some of
face, the falls offer a breathtaking and Years of intense high altitude sun- cluding Colorado’s state flower, the Colorado’s most spectacular scenery.
refreshing respite from the switch- light and severe winter weather have columbine, daisies and rose paint-
backs above. taken their toll on the mining struc- brush. Additional sources: “Mountain Mysteries, The Ouray
After a brief stop for lunch in Tel- tures, many clinging precariously to This brief display of color, like oth- Odyssey,” by Marvin Gregory and P. David Smith, 1992.
luride, we began the second half of the edge of the mountainside. er events above timberline, is short-
our jeep tour, this time heading back At the 13,385 foot summit of Imo- lived. In another week, the delicate
towards Ouray over Imogene Pass. gene Pass, it’s easy to understand wildflowers will be gone. See page B4 for more photos
B4 S?UNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2003 MONTROSE DAILY PRESS

ON TOP
OF THE
WORLD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC DRUMMOND

At right, the columbine is in full bloom at

the summit of Imogene Pass, making it
beautiful stop along an exciting and
sometimes frightening jeep ride through
the rugged San Juan Mountains.

Bob Baca of San Juan Adventures Jeep Tours care-

fully walks his jeep down Black Bear’s ‘steps,’ a
steep, narrow and rocky section of the pass that
drops down into Telluride.

Veteran jeep tour driver Bob Baca of Montrose is no stranger

to the San Juan Mountains. Born and raised in Silverton, he
drove snowplows over Red Mountain Pass for four years.

Black Bear’s infamous switchbacks are visible from the road to

Imogene Pass. The switchbacks are so steep and narrow that
many jeepers have to back up several times to make it around
Members of the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous Jeep Club try out their vintage vehicles on a steep incline near the summit of Black Bear Pass. the corners. Telluride’s Bridal Veil Falls is pictured on the right.

Carpets of green grass frame a Late afternoon sunlight accents

pristine timberline lake on Black this view of Red Mountain Nos. 1,
Bear Pass. The ecosystem at this 2 and 3 from the 13,385-foot sum-
elevation is delicate and jeepers mit of Imogene Pass. The spec-
are urged to stay on established tacular 360-degree views from
roads. the top of Imogene make it one
of the most popular jeep roads in
the San Juans.