Riding the San Juan Mountains, Colorado

 

A friend and I rode the San Juan mountain passes for 3 days on our motorcycles. We stayed on the Prospector Motel in Silverton, Colorado. The hotel was very basic but clean and comfortable. I would stay there again.

Joe has a Triumph 1200 Scrambler and I have a Husqvarna 701 Enduro. Silverton is a nice town with neat history and a set of steam trains that go between Silverton and Durango.

 

I remember these trains from the last time I was in Silverton as a kid, sometime in the early 1970's. It was great to see them still operating. They also have an outdoor rail museum with many old types of rail cars.

Outdoor Rail Museum

I was impressed with the dining options in Silverton. I was expecting this town to have less good options. We ate the first 2 nights at the Eureka Station restaurant which had the best chicken noodle soup and bison meatloaf. I would recommend this place.

Breakfast options were few but they do have some good places. There are many taverns and bars in town as well. Here is a video riding down Greene Street (main street through town)

Silverton is at 9,300 feet altitude and the passes can be over 13,000 feet. Staying in Silverton gave us a chance to acclimate somewhat to the thin air. 

Note: The videos of the trails make everything look flatter than it is. You can watch the altitude (top left in the videos) and see how fast the altitude is changing to get an idea of how steep it is. Even that does not convey the steepness of these trails. You really have to be there to experience it.