I didn't get any decent pictures of the real scary parts of the "San Juan Skyway" today, too busy trying not to end my whole family in a fiery death. Not too many places to stop and gawk where the roads are particularly "interesting". Did get a few shots that may be of interest, forgive the poor quality as these are stills pulled from video, much of which was zoomed.
This is "Bear Mountain", so named due to the likeness of a bear eating from a honey pot made by pattern of trees and snow.
A shot of the Yankee Girl mine, with Red Mountain in the background, taken near the top of Red Mountain Pass (10,800'), also showing some of the thirty-odd switchbacks in the 24 miles between Silverton and Ouray. This isn't the nasty part of the road, either.
Here's a shot of Mt. Abrams and some of the fun parts of the road, though from the only safe pullout for a few miles either direction not much is visible. Lots of sheer drops and a place or two where there was room for 1.5 lanes and not much striping paint. Brad, when people do go off the edge to their deaths, there is a spot along the road just up from where the road cuts across the mountain (just right of center in the pic) where the highway department maintains memorials. I didn't stop for a photo but there were sadly quite a few crosses and wreaths there, many either recent or recently refreshed by mourners.
Home sweet away-from-home....
There's actually a guard rail on this turn, mainly to keep trucks from going off the edge and crashing into the middle of town. It's almost straight down 500' here, and one could easily throw a rock and hit some of the nearer houses below.
