US 500 in CO

[chriscowles]

Hello. I'm planning my route for a trip in CO. When driving from Junction Creek NFS campground outside Durango to Ridgway SP in Ridgway, my RV routing software avoids US 550 if set to avoid tunnels. Otherwise, it goes straight up that road.

Can someone tell me where the tunnel(s) is (are) on that road? Should I be concerned with a trailer < 12' tall?

[bubbles]

I think there are 2 tunnels between Ouray and Silverton and my unit is 12 feet high and semi's use the road also with no issues.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

Hello. I'm planning my route for a trip in CO. When driving from Junction Creek NFS campground outside Durango to Ridgway SP in Ridgway, my RV routing software avoids US 550 if set to avoid tunnels. Otherwise, it goes straight up that road.

Can someone tell me where the tunnel(s) is (are) on that road? Should I be concerned with a trailer < 12' tall?

Those are avalanche tunnels very short and won't effect your travels .

[chriscowles]

Thanks for the info. That takes an hour off the route.

[Bikemobile]

Very pretty and very narrow road.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Those are avalanche tunnels very short and won't effect your travels .

Well, one is manmade (steel) for avalanche and one is through the mountain (rock). Yes, short.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by bubbles

Well, one is manmade (steel) for avalanche and one is through the mountain (rock). Yes, short.

So, in an avalanche, you hope you're under the shelter?

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Bikemobile

Very pretty and very narrow road.

How about curves? Suitable for a 1/2 ton pulling a 27' trailer?

[mmartin_tdc]

Bubbles said semi's go on the road, so you should not have any problems with your 27' trailer. A small semi trailer is still 27' long, assuming they are pulling half of a set of doubles.

[Bikemobile]

There are places where the road is so narrow its not legally wide enough for 2 10’ lanes so they dont even stripe it down the middle. Semis do travel this route, there are a few hairpins on the south side where a truck and trailer cannot negotiate and stay in the lines. You’ll be fine though. Traffic is light most of the time and the views are worth it.

Stop in silverton, ouray and ridgeway and spend some money, thats what keeps these little towns going. Do the same in gunnison if you’re going that way. I have a towing operation in Gunnison so if you need anything let me know.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Bikemobile

... Stop in silverton, ouray and ridgeway and spend some money, thats what keeps these little towns going. Do the same in gunnison if you’re going that way. I have a towing operation in Gunnison so if you need anything let me know.

We will. I'm a strong believer in supporting local economies, particularly small businesses.

[Dreedo]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

So, in an avalanche, you hope you're under the shelter?

YES! Avalanche tunnel also directs the snow over the road and into the canyon below aiding in springtime road opening!

[ppine]

Bikemobile is right. The road is narrow with huge drop offs. There is truck traffic and the weather can have some sleet, hail and snow even in summer. Some of the most difficult roads anywhere.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

So, in an avalanche, you hope you're under the shelter?

They're not shelters perse but are sheds that are positioned where a natural avalanche/slide is most likely to occur. Of course, most likely is subjective as has happened in the past. This picture does illustrate one reason for the sheds.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by bubbles

They're not shelters perse but are sheds that are positioned where a natural avalanche/slide is most likely to occur. Of course, most likely is subjective as has happened in the past. This picture does illustrate one reason for the sheds.

So, the purpose is to mitigate road closures more than to protect unlucky drivers?

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

So, the purpose is to mitigate road closures more than to protect unlucky drivers?

You seem to be bent on extending this thread into no where land with non sensical questions. Let it go Louie and just enjoy your trip, whichever route you take.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by bubbles

You seem to be bent on extending this thread into no where land with non sensical questions. Let it go Louie and just enjoy your trip, whichever route you take.

My questions aren't directly related to my reason for the thread but they're not nonsensical. I'm from Florida. We don't have "avalanche tunnels" and I've never heard of one. I'm just trying to understand what they are, for my general knowledge.

[fanrgs]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

So, in an avalanche, you hope you're under the shelter?

Avalanches recur in relatively narrow annual tracks, not just everywhere along a highway. That avalanche shed is there to divert one of Colorado's formerly deadliest tracks. In the 1950's, a minister who had congregations in both Ouray and Silverton wanted to travel between the two on a Sunday. The avalanche gates that blocked the highway at both ends had been closed by the Highway Dept. during a Saturday night snowstorm. The minister raised the gate and drove the road with his children in the car. They were caught by the avalanche, swept over the 300' sheer cliff into Uncompahgre Canyon, and were not found until the spring snowmelt!

The problem on US 550 for RVers not familiar with mountain driving is not generally the tunnels. It is the many sharp curves with a vertical wall of rock on the east side and a shear drop, with no guard rails, on the west side. N-bound RVers trying to avoid the rock wall stray across the centerline into oncoming RVers trying to stay away from the sheer drop because their passengers are screaming at them to move over! Although having driven US 550 countless times in cars and trucks, I towed both my trailers from Ridgway to Durango using CO62/145 and US 160 and avoided the "Million Dollar Highway". A plus for the 62/145/160 route is seeing the spectacular setting of Telluride and having many more USFS campgrounds, several with electric hookups and flush toilets, and many places to boondock.

[HangDiver]

Chris, as others have said, that stretch of Hwy 550 between Silverton and Ouray is used by truckers and you would have no problem with your TT. However, it is visually daunting and some of us avoid it (as fanrgs said above) just to reduce the pucker factor. I've included a photo below, which is looking north along Hwy 550 in the area where the avalanche chute/tunnels are. I also use the route posted above by fanrgs when pulling my TT between Ridgeway and Durango which reduces the screaming in the passenger cabin of my truck. :-)

Rich

[HangDiver]

We live very close to Ridgway State Park so thought I'd throw a few photos up of the area. You'll be within minutes of some spectacular scenery.