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![US Highway 50](../../images/roads/us050-01.jpg)
79 Slides
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre Plateau, Gunnison River, Sawatch Range, Arkansas River, Royal Gorge, Wet Mountains, Dinosaur Tracks
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![US 50](../../images/roads/us050-02.jpg)
West end of US 50
from Grand Junction west US 50 parallels I-70 from the west Colorado border to Denver and beyond
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US 50 is the loneliest road in America through Nevada; here it is the main thoroughfare between Montrose and Grand Junction
Nov 24 2020 - 7:18 am
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![Grand Valley](../../images/roads/us050-04.JPG)
Grand Mesa to the left featureless Uncompahgre Plateau on the right for 100 miles
May 29 2020 - 11:46 am
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![US 50](../../images/roads/us050-05.JPG)
Finally a curve in the road
May 29 2020 - 11:51 am
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San Juan Mountains 100 miles dead ahead (this is an exceptionally clear day)
Dec 07 2020 - 12:54 pm
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![West Elk Mountains](../../images/roads/us050-07.jpg)
West Elk Mountains 25 to 50 miles to the north
Dec 07 2020 - 1:03 pm
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![Thunderheads](../../images/roads/us050-08.JPG)
Thunderheads building over the West Elk Mountains, midground Black Canyon Uplift (turn left at Montrose)
Jul 21 2018 - 11:09 am
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![Uncompahgre Peak](../../images/roads/us050-09.jpg)
Uncompahgre Peak (14,309') behind Cimarron Ridge
Dec 07 2020 - 1:48 pm
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![San Juan Mountains](../../images/roads/us050-10.jpg)
The San Juan Mountains from Uncompahgre Peak (14,309', left), past Mt. Sneffles (14,150' right), to Mt. Wilson (14,246' far right)
Dec 07 2020 - 1:49 pm
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![CO 349](../../images/roads/us050-11.png)
North on CO 349 to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (south rim)
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![San Juan Mountians](../../images/roads/us050-12.jpg)
San Juan Mountains from CO 349
Nov 14 2021 - 4:08 pm
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![Mt. Sneffels](../../images/roads/us050-13.jpg)
Telephoto of San Juan Mountains centered around Mt. Sneffels (14,150')
Nov 14 2021 - 4:08 pm
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![Dakota Dip Slope](../../images/roads/us050-14.JPG)
CO 349 follows dip slope of Dakota Sandstone (shown in road cut) to the Black Canyon National Park
Nov 14 2021 - 5:35 pm
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![Black Canyon National Park](../../images/roads/us050-15.JPG)
Nov 14 2021 - 4:17 pm
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![History Of The Canyon](../../images/roads/us050-16.JPG)
History of Black Canyon
Nov 14 2021 - 4:31 pm
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![Black Canyon](../../images/roads/us050-17.jpg)
Black Canyon
Nov 14 2021 - 4:38 pm
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![Gunnison Point](../../images/roads/us050-18.jpg)
Gunnison Point Overlook
Nov 14 2021 - 4:30 pm
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![Well Marked Overlooks](../../images/roads/us050-19.JPG)
Well marked overlooks (yards to the overlook posted)
Nov 14 2021 - 4:40 pm
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![Painted Wall](../../images/roads/us050-20.jpg)
First view of the Painted Wall
Nov 14 2021 - 4:31 pm
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![Painted Wall](../../images/roads/us050-21.jpg)
Painted Wall
Nov 14 2021 - 4:48 pm
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![Cliff Clingers](../../images/roads/us050-22.jpg)
Plants live on the Painted Wall
Nov 14 2021 - 5:10 pm
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![Gneiss](../../images/roads/us050-23.jpg)
Gneiss rock type (close up and on the far side of the canyon)
Nov 14 2021 - 4:48 pm
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![Landsend Peak](../../images/roads/us050-24.jpg)
Landsend Peak (10,806', center) and Coal Mountain (11,705', right) of the West Elk Mountains
Nov 14 2021 - 4:46 pm
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![Gibbous Moonrise](../../images/roads/us050-25.jpg)
Gibbous moonrise over Black Canyon
Nov 14 2021 - 4:50 pm
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![Gunnison River](../../images/roads/us050-26.jpg)
Gunnison River deep in the canyon
Nov 14 2021 - 5:11pm
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![Road To The North Rim](../../images/roads/us050-27.JPG)
Road to north rim of the Black Canyon through Grizzly Gulch (Landsend Peak Coal Mountain, and Mt. Gunnison (12,719') in background)
Nov 14 2021 - 5:20 pm
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![Back To The Highway](../../images/roads/us050-28.JPG)
Back to US 50 (Horsefly Peak high point on Uncompahgre Plateau over irrigated Uncompahgre Valley)
Nov 14 2021 - 5:42 pm
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![US 50](../../images/roads/us050-29.JPG)
US 50 east to Gunnison
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![Cedar Creek](../../images/roads/us050-30.jpg)
Up Cedar Creek to Cerro Summit
Dec 07 2020
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![Uncomahgre Plateau](../../images/roads/us050-31.jpg)
Looking west at the Uncompahgre Plateau
Dec 07 2020 - 1:03 pm
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![Cerro Summit](../../images/roads/us050-32.jpg)
Cerro Summit
Dec 07 2020 - 2:01 pm
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![Black Canyon Uplift](../../images/roads/us050-33.jpg)
Down east side of Cerro Summit (Black Canyon Uplift)
Dec 07 2020 - 2:05 pm
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![Cimarron River Valley](../../images/roads/us050-34.jpg)
Cimarron River Valley
Dec 07 2020 - 2:13 pm
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![Cimarron River Valley](../../images/roads/us050-35.jpg)
Wide angle
Nov 14 2021 - 3:22 pm
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![Terraces](../../images/roads/us050-36.jpg)
Telephoto of terraces along the Cimarron River
Nov 14 2021 - 3:29 pm
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![Black Canyon Uplift](../../images/roads/us050-37.jpg)
Black Canyon Uplift
Nov 14 2021 - 3:23 pm
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![Cimarron Ridge](../../images/roads/us050-38.jpg)
Cimarron Ridge from the east
Dec 07 2020 - 2:15 pm
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![Blue Mesa Summit](../../images/roads/us050-39.JPG)
Blue Mesa Summit
Nov 24 2020 - 8:05 am
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![Big Blue Creek Canyon](../../images/roads/us050-40.JPG)
Entering Big Blue Creek Canyon through Black Canyon Uplift
Nov 24 2020 - 8:43 am
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![Big Blue Creek Canyon](../../images/roads/us050-41.jpg)
Two weeks later
US 50 was closed during the week, open weekends for six month in the winter of 2021 due to road construction through the canyon
Dec 07 2020 - 2:23 pm
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![West Elk Mountains](../../images/roads/us050-42.jpg)
Volcanics rocks from West Elk Mountains
Nov 14 2021 - 3:23pm
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![Blue Mesa Reservoir](../../images/roads/us050-43.jpg)
Blue Mesa Reservoir
Dec 07 2020 - 2:31 pm
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![Sapinero, CO](../../images/roads/us050-44.jpg)
Sapinero, CO (all five fourteeners of the Elk Range in background)
Dec 07 2020 - 2:31 pm
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![Black Canyon Start](../../images/roads/us050-45.jpg)
Downstream of Blue Mesa Dam the Black Canyon begins
Dec 07 2020 - 2:35 pm
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![Reservoir Ready](../../images/roads/us050-46.jpg)
Low Reservoir waiting for the spring snow melt to fill
Dec 07 2020 - 2:43 pm
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![Reservoir Full](../../images/roads/us050-47.JPG)
As in June
Jun 27 2017 - 6:39 pm
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![Gunnison, CO](../../images/roads/us050-48.jpg)
Reflection of flat ash flows from 30 million-year old volcanoes to the north and south
Dec 07 2020 - 2:48 pm
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![Weathering](../../images/roads/us050-49.jpg)
Weathered Mesozoic rocks baked from overlying lava flows
Dec 07 2020 - 2:50 pm
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![Blue Mesa Reservoir](../../images/roads/us050-50.JPG)
Upstream end of Blue Mesa Reservoir in early November
Nov 05 2020 - 12:35 pm
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![Blue Mesa Reservoir](../../images/roads/us050-51.JPG)
Two weeks later
Nov 24 2020 - 9:17 am
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![Gunnison River](../../images/roads/us050-52.jpg)
US 50 follows Gunnison River from Grand Junction to Gunnison
Dec 07 2020 - 3:04 pm
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![Tomichi Creek](../../images/roads/us050-53.jpg)
US 50 follows Tomichi Creek from Gunnison deep into the Sawatch Range
Dec 07 2020 - 3:28 pm
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![Sawatch Range](../../images/roads/us050-54.jpg)
Pahlone Peak (12,667') at south end of the Sawatch Range
Dec 07 2020 - 4:04 pm
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![Monarch Pass](../../images/roads/us050-55.JPG)
Monarch Pass
Jul 21 2018 - 1:50 pm
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![Mt. Shavano](../../images/roads/us050-56.jpg)
Mt. Shavano (14,229') and Tabequache Peak (14,155') from Monarch Pass)
Dec 07 2020 - 4:10 pm
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![Mt. Antero](../../images/roads/us050-57.jpg)
Mt. Antero (14,269') from Monarch Pass
Dec 07 2020 - 4:10 pm
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![Inactive Mine](../../images/roads/us050-58.JPG)
Inactive 'Madonna' Lead, Zinc and Silver Mine just east of Monarch Pass)
Jul 21 2018 - 2:07 pm
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![Mosquito Range](../../images/roads/us050-59.jpg)
Twilight on the southern Mosquito Range
Dec 07 2020 - 4:43 pm
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![Sawatch Range](../../images/roads/us050-60.JPG)
Sawatch Range in the morning from the Salida East Recreation Site)
Nov 27 2020 - 1:32 pm
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![Tabeguache Peak](../../images/roads/us050-61.JPG)
Tabequache Peak (14,155') and Mt. Shavano (14,229') from the east
Nov 27 2020 - 1:32 pm
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![Mt. Sherman](../../images/roads/us050-62.JPG)
Mt. Sherman (14,036') anchoring the south end of the Mosquito Range
Nov 27 2020 - 1:57 pm
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![Mt. Princeton](../../images/roads/us050-63.JPG)
Mt. Princeton (14,197') of the Sawatch Range
Nov 27 2020 - 1:57 pm
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![Granite Canyon](../../images/roads/us050-64.JPG)
Entering canyon cut by the Arkansas River - hard granite all the way to Cañon City
Nov 06 2020 - 9:34 am
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![Arkansas River](../../images/roads/us050-65.JPG)
Arkansas River
Nov 27 2020 - 1:07 pm
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![US 50](../../images/roads/us050-66.JPG)
Strange geology
Nov 06 2020 - 9:34 am
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![Yellow Cactus](../../images/roads/us050-67.JPG)
Yellow cracks and matching cactus
May 13 2013 - 6:46 pm
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![South Park](../../images/roads/us050-68.JPG)
South Park volcanic rocks beyond granites of the canyon
Nov 06 2020 - 10:08 am
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![Coal Car Storage](../../images/roads/us050-69.JPG)
Three mile long coal-car storage
Nov 06 2020 - 10:10 am
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![Sangre de Cristo Range](../../images/roads/us050-70.JPG)
Twin Sisters (13,012') in the Sangre de Cristo Range over the Arkansas River
Nov 27 2020 - 12:49 pm
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![Colorful Colorado](../../images/roads/us050-71.JPG)
Faulted Paleozoic rocks
Nov 27 2020 - 1:19 pm
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![Royal Gorge](../../images/roads/us050-72.JPG)
Royal Gorge
May 13 2013 - 6:36 pm
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![Skyline Drive](../../images/roads/us050-73.JPG)
Wet Mountains beyond Cañon City
May 13 2013 - 7:05 pm
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![Canon City, CO](../../images/roads/us050-74.jpg)
Your truly
May 13 2013 - 7:10 pm
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![Dinosaur Tracks](../../images/roads/us050-75.JPG)
Road Sign
May 13 2013 - 7:15 pm
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![Dinosaur Tracks](../../images/roads/us050-76.JPG)
Dinosaur tracks (depressions in eroded mud)
May 13 2013 - 7:18 pm
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![Dinosaur Tracks](../../images/roads/us050-77.JPG)
Close up
May 13 2013 - 7:19 pm
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![End Of The World](../../images/roads/us050-78.JPG)
You're wrong, Mr. Columbus! There IS an end of the world
May 13 2013 - 7:24 pm
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![Ocean City, MD](../../images/roads/us050-79.jpg)
East End of US 50 at Ocean City, MD - no thanks, I'll take the loneliest highway
image from Google Images: Ocean City, MD