True West 2017 Road Trip - Day 3

Oct 23, 2017, Destinations

Day 3 – Jeeping in Ouray

One of True West’s trusted suppliers in Ouray is San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours, the world’s oldest jeep tour company.  I first met this company under the original ownership 42 years ago when they pulled my vehicle out of the deep snow on top of Black Bear Pass, one of the most famous jeep roads in America.  The current owners and I have been friends for years and they are simply the best, most experienced, and safest company in the region.  We have worked together to bring incentive groups into some of the most spectacular mountain areas of the region.  Together we can plan your group’s itinerary for 1 or 2 days to include not only the jeep rides but also to use their private lands on which to set up a high mountain, wilderness “glamping” campsite.  Here we can give your group an experience like no other anywhere in the USA., with a cookout dinner and breakfast, campfire, and western entertainment.  As an option we can also give your group self-drive jeeps and use the San Juan Scenic professional jeeping guides to teach your client how to safely navigate the mountain roads.  This is a life skill set they won’t learn anywhere else.

On this particular day I joined one of San Juan Scenic’s jeep tours and ventured high into the mining district above Ouray and into Governor Basin and Yankee Boy Basin where it began to snow and the temperatures plunged.  That didn’t stop our driver until safety became a concern (as that is always paramount) and then we finally turned back after reaching an elevation of about 11,600 feet.  Just over the mountains we knew that the trails continued over the high passes to Telluride but that would have to be done on a warmer day.  Autumn in the mountains offers the absolute best colors on the trees and mountains, but mid-Summer is when you need to come if you want to avoid the snow in the highest regions.

In addition to the jeeping, if you happen to have a small Board of Directors group, or other close-knit group of a dozen people, then True West can buy out the historic Western Hotel in Ouray (all 12 rooms of it!), the oldest 3-story wooden structure on the Western slope. This allows us to take over the dining room for corporate meetings while dining, drinking and gambling in the historic bar, giving your clients a western experience to remember for a lifetime. The Western Hotel was built in 1891 and it remains almost exactly as it was when built as a Victorian miner’s palace.  That means it isn’t luxury by current standards, but you stay there for the uniqueness of the experience, the rich history, and the great meals we’ll prepare for you.

There are numerous natural hot springs in town and your visit is not complete unless you relax in the hot pools and soak off your bumps and pains after a day in a bumpy jeep.  We can even take over the pools and locker room for your group on a private basis.

For high-end clients who want to try something entirely unique, and for which Colorado is world-famous, we can also organize a multi-day Elk hunting expedition into the high mountains with the experienced San Juan Scenic hunting guides.  Your guests will have an excellent chance of bagging their Elk while at the same time seeing the most incredible mountain scenery in the lower 48 states.