Volume 5: Telluride/ Ouray/ Ophir

These mountain towns are gems in Southwest Colorado. Telluride and tiny Ophir are in San Miguel County, and Ouray, not far away if unimproved roads aren’t a barrier, is located in Ouray County. Telluride is the most populous (about two thousand residents) and best known of the three, home to a famous ski resort, many well-known music festivals, and exclusive luxury homes. Telluride’s colorful history as a hard-rock mining town where gold, silver, and tellurium were extracted beginning in 1878 changed dramatically in the 1970s when the Telluride Ski Resort opened. Telluride’s elevation is 8,750 feet above sea level, a bit higher than Ouray’s 7,792. (source) Fewer than 1,000 people call Ouray home, but each year many thousands of tourists visit the charming village, nicknamed the “Switzerland of America.” Like most mountain towns in the region, Ouray was founded on mining (gold, in this case), made accessible by the railroad, and popular with visitors. (source) Ophir, Colorado, is the highest in elevation of these three towns at 9,695 feet. Gold was discovered in 1875, and the town was founded in 1881, but the mines decreased until there was only one resident in 1970! Telluride’s popularity in recent has allowed a few hundred residents to call Ophir home. (source)

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: Interior of Box Canon near Ouray, Colo.; Interior of Box Canon near Ouray, Colorado.

: Interior of the Box Canon (Ouray, Colo.); Photograph of the interior of Box Canon, Ouray, Colorado. Two people are shown on a walkway to the left in the photograph.

: Interior of the Box Canyon (Ouray, Colo.); Interior of Box Canon, Ouray, Colorado. Sepia tone photograph.

: Interior of the Box Canyon (Ouray, Colo.); View inside canyon with two people on the walkway.

: Interior of the Box Canyon (Ouray, Colo.); View inside canyon with people standing on the walkway leaning against the railing facing forward a river runs through bottom of canyon photo appears to be hand colored over a b/w photo

: Interior view of Box Canyon (Ouray, Colo.); View inside canyon with a walkway and railing visible a bridge also near a waterfall in the background photo appears to be hand colored over a b/w photo

: Interior, St. Daniel's Catholic Church (Ouray, Colo.); Interior photo of a church; altar in the background.

: Ironton Loops on the Million dollar Highway, Colo.; Ironton Loops on the Million Dollar Highway, Colorado.

: Ironton Loops with Red Mountains in the distance Million Dollar Highway (Colo.); View of a road going through a valley towards mountains in the far background the mountains are red colored.

: Ironton Park; A sepia photograph of mountains in Ouray, Colorado. On the back is written, "The Busy Corner Pharmacy-Ouray, Colo. 'The Switzerland of America'".

: Ironton Park Loops - Red Mts. - near Ouray, Colo.; A sepia-toned view of the Ironton Park Loops road near a running stream near Red Mountain, near Ouray, Colorado.

: Ironton Park Loops. Red Mountains in background. "Million Dollar" Highway; Four curves of the "Million Dollar" Highway are pictured near Ironton Park. A running stream is located to the right of it - and three mountain slopes appear in the background.

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