Corkscrew, Engineer Passes Open (Sort of)

Snow atop Corkscrew Pass

Snow atop Corkscrew Pass. I'd say the road is 20 feet wide, so those snow berms are up to six feet thick. Yes, that's a stream flowing across the road, but not at all difficult to ford--just drive across!


Ouray County Road 20A is open up over Corkscrew Pass. And Ouray County Road 18 is open to Engineer Pass and Animas Forks.

My goal yesterday afternoon was simple: do a loop consisting of Corkscrew Pass, Hurricane Pass, California Pass, stop at the top of Engineer Pass, and then return down Ouray County Road 18. I was able to accomplish part of that. Hurricane and California passes are still closed, so I had to make a lengthy detour through Silverton (not hard, just takes time), then over to Animas Forks, up over Denver Divide, with a very short excursion up in the direction of Engineer Pass. It was pushing 7:00 p.m., so I aborted that and continued northwest down Ouray County Road 18. I am posting separately about Corkscrew and the Denver Divide, also about a nifty little bypass in Silverton: San Juan CR 22.

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