The Old West

Once getting back on the San Juan Skyway, we stopped at Molas Pass.  Molas Pass has an elevation of 10,910 feet and has incredible 360 degree views.  

Our next stop was Silverton, where we had lunch at the Pickle Barrel.  It was delicious!  We walked up and down the main street in Silverton, checking out a few shops and just enjoying the mountain air.  

Now it's a picturesque little town built in a little valley, but evidently it has a much more interesting history.  One block off main street, there are lots of former saloons and bordellos.  The average snowfall is about 155 inches, which is about 154 inches more than I need to see during winter (sorry Keetha!) but it was beautiful in May.

I had read about some of the abandoned mining towns in one of the tourist magazines, so when we saw the sign for Ironton, we stopped to check it out.  

 

According to a sign along side the road, within a few weeks, construction began on over three hundred buildings.  Just a few are left.  According to the tourist magazine (which I can't find therefore can't site), the last residents left in the 1960's. 

 The buildings were interesting, with their layers of wallpaper and linoleum.  I really expected to see a ghost or two in these pictures and will have to admit that I'm a little disappointed that there isn't one.

 If any place were haunted, this one would certainly make sense!  We poked around there for a while before getting back on the road to Ouray, CO.