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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- Looking out from the Box Canon (Ouray, Colo.)
- View inside canyon of walkway with a railing visible on the right side of photo cliffs hang over the walkway.
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- Looking out from the bottom of the Box Canon (Ouray, Colo.)
- Image of a creek flowing through a crevice surrounded by two steep cliffs looking out into the open. A pole is wedged between the cliff sides at center.
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- Looking out of Box Canon (Ouray, Colo.)
- Photo of crevice surrounded by two steep cliffs looking out into the open.
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- Looking through Box Canon to Ouray, Colo.
- A distant view of the canyon surrounded by pine trees town in the background in the far background are small peaks that are covered with snow
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- Lower Portion of Box Canon (Ouray, Colo.)
- Image of waterfall pouring into a circular pool enclosed by steep canyon walls. At image left, climbing ropes lead to a small railing overlooking the scene.
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- Lumber pack train, Telluride, Colo.
- View of burros dragging long wooden pieces up a mountain path. Someone has written on the address side: "This is how they pack all the materials and supplies up to the gold mines. Then, coming down, each mule carries two big sacks of ore."
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- M1563-Lake City, Colo.
- A view of Lake City, Colorado down one of the main streets. A small creek separates the ridge where this photo was taken, and the town. A farmhouse stands near the river while a two-storied building and rows of houses can be seen on the right. Beyond tow, a meandering stream winds through the valley stubbled with pines.
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- Magic Carpet (Colo.)
- Image of the fall season along red cliff bluffs covered with pines and yellowing trees. A river flows through a valley of farmland dissected by roads and fence lines. Background mountain peaks and clouds fill the sky.
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- Mail coming on pack mules to a mine 10,000 feet above sea level
- Photographic print image of figure attaching or detaching packages to a mule, with three other mules standing to the side. Snow blankets the ground and long shadows are cast over it. Snow covered cliff edges in background.
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- Main St. in winter, looking east (Telluride, Colo.)
- Main Street of Telluride, Colorado, in winter, looking east.
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- Main Street (Ouray, Colo.)
- Photo of downtown Ouray; a man is walking with a dog on the left side of street; an older vehicle is parked on the right side of the street a snow covered peak overlooks the town