Day 6 - Tuesday 5/26/2015 - Drive to Denver and Hike Treasure Falls
We packed and checked out of the Iron Horse Inn in Durango (we don't recommend it). We went back by the train station and I watched the 473 leave with the early train while Emily got another Durango Bagel.
It was now time for us to drive to Denver. We had been debating on getting to Durango either via Silverton, then Red Mountain Pass to Montrose then Gunnison and Monarch Pass or through Pagosa Springs, Wolf Creek Pass then up the Valley Line and over Poncha Pass. Both ways would then take us up the South Park through Fairplay and into southwest Denver. We had been watching the weather and the day before a few of the passes might have had been a little wet / icy but this day they were probably fine. So we picked the Wolf Creek Pass route so we could hike Treasure Falls and because it was a bit shorter than through Montrose / Gunnison.
We headed out of Durango toward Pagosa Springs and did the short hike up to Treasure Falls just past Pagosa Springs. We also stopped at the scenic overlook just past Treasure Falls on the climb up Wolf Creek Pass and again at the top of Wolf Creek which still had a few feet of snow up on it. We got a picture of the old water tank at South Fork at base of Wolf Creek on the east side. We then headed up the Valley would the awesome northern part of the Sangre De Cristo range on our right. We went over Poncha Pass then continued up though Fairplay and the stunning South Park. We stopped in Como and got a picture or two of the Denver South Park & Pacific roundhouse that is being restored there. I didn’t think of getting photos of the depot and boarding house though. We stopped at the top of Kenosha Pass and stretched our legs. The forest service reconstructed part of the DSP&P wye there which was cool to see. We checked into the Hampton Inn in Golden, Co and ate at Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza in Golden. It was a long day of driving but the drive was beautiful!
It was now time for us to drive to Denver. We had been debating on getting to Durango either via Silverton, then Red Mountain Pass to Montrose then Gunnison and Monarch Pass or through Pagosa Springs, Wolf Creek Pass then up the Valley Line and over Poncha Pass. Both ways would then take us up the South Park through Fairplay and into southwest Denver. We had been watching the weather and the day before a few of the passes might have had been a little wet / icy but this day they were probably fine. So we picked the Wolf Creek Pass route so we could hike Treasure Falls and because it was a bit shorter than through Montrose / Gunnison.
We headed out of Durango toward Pagosa Springs and did the short hike up to Treasure Falls just past Pagosa Springs. We also stopped at the scenic overlook just past Treasure Falls on the climb up Wolf Creek Pass and again at the top of Wolf Creek which still had a few feet of snow up on it. We got a picture of the old water tank at South Fork at base of Wolf Creek on the east side. We then headed up the Valley would the awesome northern part of the Sangre De Cristo range on our right. We went over Poncha Pass then continued up though Fairplay and the stunning South Park. We stopped in Como and got a picture or two of the Denver South Park & Pacific roundhouse that is being restored there. I didn’t think of getting photos of the depot and boarding house though. We stopped at the top of Kenosha Pass and stretched our legs. The forest service reconstructed part of the DSP&P wye there which was cool to see. We checked into the Hampton Inn in Golden, Co and ate at Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza in Golden. It was a long day of driving but the drive was beautiful!
