Stunning Lower Blue Lakes in the Mt. Sneffels Wilderness
It’s been a week of friends and goings on here in SW Colorado. The small town of Ridgway sits at ~7,000 feet just west of the craggy peaks of Mt Sneffels Wilderness. Here “America’s Switzerland” drops off rapidly towards Utah’s dry desert with Ridgway as a kind of cross-over between the two -> It’s not quite mountain, not quite desert but a mix of high juniper and rolling valleys with views of beauty.
We came here to explore the Million Dollar Highway, romp around in the oh-so-tourist towns and…as it turns out…meet some friends. All of it totally worked out.
David "Rusty" Ford rocks out some country music
Years ago when I was young and green and first started working my very first boss, David eased me into the whole crazy semiconductor business. Back then he had an RV, not that I had the faintest idea what that was. Well, we stayed in touch and years later he’s a fulltimer with a side-line of rocking out some music. We just happened to hook up as he was giving an impromptu concert in Montrose. How funky is that?
The small railroad museum in downtown Ridgway
That wasn’t the end of our social extravaganza. Sam, one of my blog readers just happened to be staying at Ridgway the same week as us. He came over with his lovely wife Jennifer and a bottle of wine, which we considered more than mighty friendly of him. We had a good chat while he gave us a ton of tips on the area. Cheers, Sam!
View from the road at Ridgway State Park. The Mt.Sneffels Wilderness is peeking out in the back.
As for Ridgeway, it’s a cool little spot. The town itself is more laid back than touristy Ouray and a bit more casual than funky Silverton. On one side the mountains call to hiking, jeeping and wilderness, while on the other Ridgway State Park offers boating and camping. The whole area is, in fact a bit of a jeeper’s paradise with no end of 4×4 roads to get lost in the outdoors. We’ve had a load of fun exploring the area and doing some classic hikes (highly recommend Lower Blue Lakes!). It’s more crowded than our previous location, but it’s got a charm all its own that worth the trip. And you definitely can’t beat the company 
Want to see “Rusty” Play? David’s got a full winter schedule starting Nov 4th at Trivetti’s Restaurant in Green Valley, AZ. He’ll be playing every Friday and most Sundays. Be sure to make reservations for when either WhetStone or “Rusty” Ford are playing. If you’re in the area check him out, and let him know Nina say’s “hi”.
Hiking the gorgeous Lower Blue Lakes Trail
The funky old fire-truck in downtown Ridgway
Me and "Rusty" Ford
Wildflowers galore in the mountains
Looking into the valley from Mt Sneffels Wilderness
Polly gets wet at Ridgway State Park
