Roadtrippin' Colorado Style

A rock outcropping, aptly called Chimney Rock, is found just south of 160 just outside Poncha Springs.

The Western Slope of Colorado is very unique in its topography with large mesas dominating the scenery. I can tell we're close to this area of the state by the large mesa dominating the scenery.

Bouncing over a small river on the way to Durango. (Sounds like a country song, to me)

We're still traveling parallel to national forest boundaries throughout this stretch.

1 Miles?? Ugh.

More construction equipment ready for resurfacing projects.

Nice.

If the glare wasn't there, you could see that we're using aqua on our signs now, too. I thought aqua, as well as the magenta earlier, were reserved colors and couldn't show up on signs yet. Has something changed that I'm not aware of?

That guy in the minivan almost couldn't wait for the passing lane appearing just out of this shot. I had to remind him that this was my lane by hugging the line.

Older but still in use buildings in the middle of a long curve.

Approaching Bayfield, which gets its own bypass of 160.

This business route is given the title Business 160. Surprise, surprise!

Well-signed approach to a county road intersection.

Turning left puts you into downtown Bayfield. Oh, by the way, you'll be on Mill Street. I guess street names aren't that important out here.

Even the bike trails are well-signed! Snazzy!

That pipe is gettin' high.

Reconnecting with its roots, 160 meets back up with the business route.

Getting closer to Durango.

A good roadgeek oops find! When you don't have a yellow double-headed arrow advisory sign available, I guess you can make do!

More elk than you can shake a stick at, dead ahead.

Up a hill, down a hill, later, rinse, repeat. I've been on roller coasters that didn't have this many hills. I'm not complainin' tho.

As is normal 'round these parts, the foilage is dense by the rivers. It's not so dense elsewhere.

The crew stopped me and asked me various questions? What is your name? What is your favorite color? What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? It made no sense to me.

Don't know who this Elmore person is, but he or she got one busy little intersection named after them.

See? This intersection. Which is also the home of the END! of SH 172.

Heading south on SH 172 now.

Interesting control city choice for this distance sign, wouldn't you say?

Found on a side road as I was turning around. Best to pay attention to the roads, not the fact that your car is getting all torn up driving on gravel, I guess.

Heading back to US 160 again.

Random place for a gecko sighting, if I do say so myself.

Follow that gecko!

The lane ends. So many people couldn't figure that out CDOT had to permanently donate one of their flashers to this spot.

Wide road for a rock cut!

Coming up to another interchange. Can you tell where the intersecting road goes?

In case you're wondering, that intersecting road has a US highway designation!

At the eastern intersection of US 160 and 550. I like how WB 160 really never has to stop.

That soooo needs to be on a brown sign. This region is the best for catching goofs.

Entering Durango.

Coming up on another END! Will the insanity ever stop?!?

Turning off of 160 to follow 3 for a while. Pay attention, kiddies: these are the only two SH 3 signs posted.

The shot down SH 3. I think CDOT keeps this around just because it's quite a photogenic road.

New York State has city and town speed limit signs, we get Durango Speed Limit signs.

Entering Durango proper. This is also where I'm pretty sure I lost SH 3. I think it turned left back at the last intersection. Oh, well.

Looking back down where I thought SH 3 ended, but after checking out the info on Matt Salek's site, I found out I was wrong. So this shot is now one of a nice part of Durango. That is all.