Solitude and Adventure in Silverton, Colorado

Sitting at the saloon bar having a root beer and soup, we listened to the piano player, watched other patrons come and go through the swinging door, and felt like we were in an episode of Gunsmoke. Later we sat on a rooftop bar, drank Moscow mules out of copper mugs, and watched the steam engine train depart for Durango. 

This was one of many stops on our 2016 motorcycle group ride. Views of the mountains were all around us, and we knew that this was a special place we needed to experience again. So, when Bigger Life Adventures offered a yoga retreat in Silverton, Colorado in 2022 (see yoga retreat blog), I jumped at the opportunity. We hoped to experience that old west feeling again, ride the Durango train, and spend some quality time in the mountains. 

Molas Lake Campground and Nearby Trails
We made Silverton part of our fall camping trip of 2022. After spending several days in the Great Basin National Park (see blog), our home base for Silverton, Colorado was Molas Lake Park & Campground. Owned by the town of Silverton, this 237-acre campground sits along the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) in the central San Juan Mountains. At 10,500 ft elevation, the campground and its 25-acre natural alpine lake provide spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains peaks all around. We stayed in site #57 in the large gravel area. It didn’t have a view of the lake, but it was private, spacious, and comfortable. 

Figure 1. Molas Lake Park & Campground.

During our stay at Molas Lake, Mark and I did separate adventures: me at the yoga retreat in Silverton and Mark riding his Triumph Tiger on nearby mountain passes. Together we explored the area hiking trails and a few natural areas. 

Figure 2. Campsite at Molas Lake.

There is much to see right at camp, and it is a popular destination for fishermen, kayakers, and hikers. As we walked around camp, I found many interesting plants, including potentilla, fireweed, oxeye daisy, and flax. Above at the Molas Lake Overlook there was a cutleaf daisy. 

Figure 3. Enjoying views from across Molas Lake. 

Figure 4. Potentilla shrub

Figure 5. Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

Figure 6. Blue flax (Linum sp.)

Figure 7. Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare).

Figure 8. Molas Lake Overlook.

Figure 9. Cutleaf Daisy (Erigeron compositus) at Molas Lake Overlook.

Exploring out from the campground, we hiked the Molas Lake Loop – an easy 2 mile walk above and down to Molas Lake. It very briefly follows the Colorado trail – a 486-mile backpacking trail from Denver to Durango. We started the Molas Lake loop at our camper and followed it across meadows and into small aspen groves. All along were very nice evergreens sprinkled throughout the landscape. 

Figure 10. Molas Lake trail.

Across the Million Dollar Highway from camp, Little Molas Lake has another hiking trail. We hiked it on a misty, rainy day. It is an easy hike around the little lake, meandering close to the lake through trees, grasses, and wetland spots.   

Figure 11. Little Molas Lake.

Mineral Springs Creek Near Silverton, CO
Separately, Mark and I had been by the South Mineral Springs Campground area on our solo adventures: me to hike the Ice Lakes trail and Mark riding near Red Mountain pass. Together we chose a spot along the creek near some dispersed campsites to relax and enjoy an afternoon.

Here is my journal entry that day. 

Sitting in lawn chairs along Mineral Springs Creek. The sun is warm in the 60-degree air. There is less breeze down here by the water. I am surrounded by mountains. Beyond the creek is a steep range covered in evergreens – tall spires of Christmas green, probably spruce or Douglas fir. Across the meadow behind me is another range with sparser vegetation of evergreens speckled with lighter colored and textured aspen, many in full yellow fall splendor. To the west, peaking between those two ranges is a conical spire of sage green vegetation terraced by steep black rock. Back there is where I hiked to Ice Lake, just one week ago. The sky is cobalt blue with bright white fluffy clouds slowly gliding across the sky. 

The creek in front of me is crystal clear, flowing quickly across the shallow stone lined streambed. The water glistens and sparkles in the sunshine as it ripples around the rocks. Darker, calm areas alternate between the ripples. The sound of the falling water is pure peace. We came to the mountains to find peace and serenity in one of nature’s purest places. We found it. I am calm. I am happy. I am one with earth’s spirit. Thank you, plants, rocks, soil, water, trees, grasses, flies, butterflies, bees, logs – everything – for your presence here. I send you all my love and life. Vibrations of life are strong here. We are all alive here together. 

Figure 12. Journaling along Mineral Springs Creek.

Durango-Silverton Train Ride

Today we rode the steam engine train from Durango to cascade canyon. The first part through the towns wasn’t great but the run into the mountains was spectacular. We sat on Gondola #31, seats 9 & 10. A nice day in the open-air car. The train went past canyons above and next to the Animas River. So pretty. We were only at the canyon long enough to eat lunch and walk a bit. A pretty spot. We sat on a rock by the river and ate the box lunches we ordered with our trip: me a beet veggie sandwich and Mark a chicken salad BLT. 

It was fun to watch the landscape as we chugged along on the train. Vast expanses of green mountains behind alpine lakes. Below us a raging stream with occasionally waterfalls flowed quickly past us, slowly cutting the canyon deeper. We saw flowering aspen, sunflowers, narrowleaf cottonwood, pine, spruce, and many flowering plants too far away to identify properly. 

Figure 13. Steam Engine train rounding a bend above the Animas River.

Figure 14. We saw a deer from the train. 

Figure 15. Plants growing in rocks along train.

Figure 16. Ponderosa pine along train.

Figure 17. Mark enjoying lunch stop.

Figure 18. View on way back to Durango.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

During the 2016 Colorado Moto group ride we also briefly visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. However, it was raining that day and we were only there a few minutes. Wow, after going back and spending more time, we realized how much we had missed that day. 

Here is my journal entry that day. 

Had another great day. Rode the Tiger to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It was very cold when we started (low 40s, though we were fine in our heated riding gear). The ride to Ouray on the Million Dollar highway was spectacular. It was overcast most of the way and misted on us a few times. The road hugs the stone canyon wall on one side and drops off sharply into the deep canyon on the other side. There are many switchbacks and pigtails and curve after curve twists around the mountain. The views around each curve emerge like a picture in a coffee table picture book. So many greens, and blues, and grays. Occasionally the raging river below was visible – always rushing over and around the rocks and boulders. 

Figure 19. Video of us riding the Million Dollar Highway.

We stopped for a coffee break and warm up in Montrose, then rode on to the Canyon’s visitor center, but they were about to close for lunch. We walked down to the Gunnison Point lookout. We’d been there before during our Colorado moto group ride in 2016. However, we only got a quick look that day and left due to rain. This time we were able to stay longer and really get the feeling of the place. 

We rode all the way to the end of the south rim road and had a snack at High Point. We walked to the viewpoints at Dragon Point, Painted wall view, Chasm view, and Pulpit Rock overlook. Black Canyon is hard to describe. In many places it is like a mirage of stone – we see the river at the bottom but can’t find where it turns into the canyon. The mostly black canyons have bands of lighter hardened magna in them, creating shapes like dragons. I even saw a face of a Gollum-like creature. Sheer cliffs facing south were all rock, at least from a distance. Because they face south, the snow melts and there is less freeze-thaw cracking in the rocks. The other side is more sloping and vegetated. Banks of trees run down the cliffs, in places, from their flat home at the top.

Back at the visitors center we bought our usual souvenirs then headed back to Silverton. We stopped in Ouray for a break to have a beer. That was just what we needed. As we climbed the Million Dollar highway back to Molas Lake campground, the temperatures continued to drop. 

Figure 20. River flowing below the canyon walls at The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Figure 21. Gollum-like fissure in the rock.

Figure 22. Old wind-shaped tree atop the Black Canyon.

Figure 23. Signage about plants in the canyon.

Figure 24. Plants along trail to a canyon lookout, including sagebrush and aster.

Figure 25. Rocky face vs. greener slope.

Going Home

Left camp this morning to start our drive home. We both hated to leave. Other than it being so cold there, it was such a beautiful location. We woke up each morning to sunrise over the mountain peaks, then walked to the lake for another epic view. We’ll miss it. 

Figure 26. View of sunset from our camper.

We did what we set out to do in this location. We experienced the old west feeling again and rode the Durango train. But mostly, we spent some quality time in the mountains and connected even deeper to nature’s beauty and power all around us. Adventure! Solitude! Togetherness! Silverton lived up to its expectations and more.