Alpine Loop, Tuesday Morning
The Alpine Loop winds for 60 or so high-altitude miles in the San Juan Mountains on mostly narrow dirt roads suitable for donkeys, mountain goats, dirt bikes, ATV's, jeeps and of course, 9500 pound 4WD Sportsmobile Motorhomes, lots of 'em. We were in the second group to leave from the Silverton Visitors Center on Tuesday morning with John as our guide. It proved to be quite an adventure.
There were 12 SMB's in our group, here waiting and ready to go.
Two of the passes were nearly 13,000 feet high. That's more than two miles! Imagine haw many more home runs the Rockies could hit at the altitude! The first one we hit (pass, not home run) was Cinnamon Pass. Nothing around but Alpine meadows, a little snow and a dozen Sportsmobiles.
Our leader and a rig; some more Sportsmobiles at Cinnamon Pass
Looking down on one of the switchbacks. Many times it took a three-point turn to navigate these switchbacks. The jeep people sort of looked at us with bemused grins as we lumbered by.
Looking down the valley. Note how the dirt road winds its way into the distance.
Eventually John found us some flat wide space for a little rest stop.
