San Juan Skyway
San Juan Skyway

Author: Frederic B. Wildfang

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738580289

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The "scenic route" in southwestern Colorado means the San Juan Skyway, a 236-mile loop created by U.S. Routes 550 and 160 and State Routes 62 and 145. The Skyway wends through glacial valleys and over high passes between some of the most breathtaking, ice-sculpted peaks in the Rocky Mountains. Native Americans, pioneering mountain men, miners, and railroaders inhabited these slopes. Although the Skyway towns of Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, Rico, Dolores, and Cortez were first connected by wilderness trails and railways, the loop's final modern section of highway between Coal Bank and Molas Passes was completed in the 1940s. The rugged San Juan Mountains were the backdrop for exploits by Butch Cassidy and Wyatt Earp, but, as author Frederic B. Wildfang notes, the scenery is also "a syllabus for a course in geology."

The San Juan Skyway
The San Juan Skyway

Author:

Publisher: Falcon Guides

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781560440390

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Captures in prose and more than forty color photographs the breathtaking mountain passes, historic resort towns, peaceful river valleys, soothing hot springs, and the Anasazi cliff dwellings.

The Road that Silver Built
The Road that Silver Built

Author: P. David Smith

Publisher: Western Reflections Publishing Company

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 9781932738803

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The Million Dollar Highway runs north and south directly through the middle of the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern, Colorado - some of the most beautiful and rugged country in all of North America, if not the world. There would be no road today if it were not for the treasure chest of minerals that early-day prospectors found, for all the gold and silver in the world was worth nothing if it could not be economically transported out of the mountains. The San Juan communities needed a wagon road, and that is what Otto Mears and others gave them. However, the road was realized only after expenditures of what today would be millions of dollars and almost fifty years of labor. This book is not only the story of an amazing highway. It is also the history of the development of mining and transportation of all types throughout the rugged San Juans. The stunning beauty along the route is pointed out and the complex geology of the mountains and the mines of the San Juan Mountains is explained. This book also details the histories of Durango, Silverton, and Ouray - three quaint, Victorian towns along the road - and tells tales of dozens of small settlements that are now ghost towns.

This Land
This Land

Author: Robert H. Mohlenbrock

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2006-03-15

Total Pages: 422

ISBN-13: 0520930541

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Part armchair travelogue, part guide book, this projected three-volume series—divided into the western, central, and eastern United States—will introduce readers to all 155 national forests across the country. This Land is the only comprehensive field guide that describes the natural features, wildernesses, scenic drives, campgrounds, and hiking trails of our national forests, many of which—while little known and sparsely visited—boast features as spectacular as those found in our national parks and monuments. Each entry includes logistical information about size and location, facilities, attractions, and associated wilderness areas. For about half of the forests, Robert H. Mohlenbrock has provided sidebars on the biological or geological highlights, drawn from the "This Land" column that he has written for Natural History magazine since 1984. Superbly illustrated with color photographs, botanical drawings, and maps, this book is loaded with information, clearly written, and easy to use. This volume covers national forests in: Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming

Challenge of the North Cascades
Challenge of the North Cascades

Author: Fred Beckey

Publisher: The Mountaineers Books

Published: 2012-12-20

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 1594853762

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* Fred Beckey is synonomous with Cascades climbing and is said to have completed more first ascents than any other climber in history * Includes detailed appendix of all Beckey's ascents from 1936-1968 This book documents more than three decades of adventure in the peaks of the North Cascades. In this absorbing memoir, climbing legend Fred Beckey shares his unique experiences, from achieving personal triumphs to facing the challenges of nature. It's a must for every mountaineering enthusiast's bookshelf!