Once again, I find myself on a highway I previously conquered on a motorbike. This trip I am only going to Ouray. But if I were to continue on to Durango over highway 550 it’s a steep and narrow passage called The Million Dollar Highway for various reasons. But the ride or drive through the San Juan Mountains is a must do. It’s breathtaking with steep grades and no guardrails.
If you are doing it right
on a bike you are going to have sparks
coming from your floorboards. It was a
fun ride Floor it!
I am glamping here for a few nights In Ouray a small town
nestled at 7000+ feet in the San Juan
Mountains. I traveled here because of
the hot springs that I had no idea were here on a previous visit.
I booked a camping site at Ouray Riverside Resort.……. But before I set up camp I checked into the hot springs
$24.00 for my age range but I’m returning next year for a bigger discount. The springs are skookum. There is a lap pool. A not so hot pool, and a hot pool with a waterfall. There is also a closed pool so I don’t know what is up with that.
My limit after going for three days in a row is about 45 minutes,
and that includes the most time in the
hottest pool and then a splash in the cooler pool. I think they could use some
shade here. Maybe a umbrella or two,
because soaking in 100+ degree water in a hot spring at 7000+ feet under a
direct sun, well I think my condition when leaving could be called Jello.
Looking at my map, I see that there hot springs just about
everywhere in Colorado, and I think that for the next few days I will just be driving around aimlessly and occasionally doing
a google search for hot springs near me.
This morning I cruised back up 550 to Montrose for some resupplying,
then headed east on my old friend Highway 50.
I didn’t get very far, because I spotted Elk Creek Campground smack dab in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. I love to camp in our federal parks. With my senior pass the entrance fee is free, and camping is ½ off. This site with electric is a whopping $17.00. That is the best deal for camping anywhere even though it’s a couple of dollars more than last year.
Then I headed for a night at Cottonwood Hot springs just a little west of Buena Vista Colorado.They have several pools that are works of art. Whoever made them must have been a master stone mason. The pools are made from granite rocks that are everywhere around but are skillfully masoned into place to make a mostly smooth bottom. The facilities are clean. The pools are crystal clear.
The kinda hippie woman at the check in took my money and
showed me where the two RV sites were, and suggested I take the second one, which
was good advice as it was the more level site. She also fastened a plastic
green arm band around my left arm the sort you get at a motorcycle rally, but
at this hot springs there were no bikes, and I have a proper scissors to cut
the thing off when I leave.
Cottonwood is the most old school spring I have visited.
Clothing is optional after dark, but that is not dark enough for me. The price was high
end at $98.00 for the night, but if you like to go naked in a hot spring at 2:00
am you can do it there.
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