White Sands National Park Sometimes living in the desert I am struck by how harsh the living conditions are. Just a few miles up the Sandia Mountains on the outskirts of Albuquerque, the landscape is dry and hot, filled with cacti and rattlers. It is not a hike for the faint at heart, or those …
Why Dirt Road Journal? The short answer is because my family loves to get off road and have an adventure. But there's a lot more to it too. We are adventurous souls. Being on the road of life pushes boundaries and comfort zones, and adventure makes new rules and breaks old ones. That is where real …
“Hooper Pool,” officially known as the Sand Dunes Swimming Pool, feels like it sits back in time. If you weren’t looking for it, you’d never see it, but it is sure not to be missed. In the sand and the sagebrush, two miles off the highway, 20 miles north of Alamosa, sits the sparkling warm …
As I travel the backroads of the west and explore the past of the old roads, the stories take me to other stories and yet other stories. The first time I traveled Imogene Pass out of Telluride, Colorado I found such a story. The Pass itself is magnificent. The road is a sight, and to …
Pearl Pass, Colorado, near Aspen, at a summit of 12,705' . Cira 1872, miners from Crested Butte built a make shift road from Crested Butte over Pearl Pass to the mining town of Ashcroft, and eventually made the road to Aspen. The road is one of the most difficult we driven. The boulders, the steepness, and the …
The 1870s around Silverton and Ouray Colorado were a boom with silver and gold speculators. If you're an adventuring type (and have the right vehicle, or enjoy the long hike) the history, views and treasures you'll see in the mountains around this area never seem to end. There are remains of old mines and old …
Continue reading Ghosts at old mining boom towns are worth the pass (if you’re up for an adventure)
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