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Ural-ing Around Colorado Motorcycle Ride
The craggy San Juan Mountains of Colorado provide a dramatic backdrop for a journey along well-groomed dirt and gravel roads near Silver Jack Reservoir. (Photos by Bill and Susan Dragoo)
Backed by lush orchestration, the opening credits of the 1969 John Wayne film, True Grit, reveal a beautiful farmstead nestled in a green valley beneath craggy 10,000-plus-foot mountains. The scene is meant to depict the Yellville, Arkansas, home of main character, Mattie Ross. But even as a child watching the film for the first time, I knew that this location could not possibly be Arkansas, where the Charles Portis novel is set and whose highest peaks are barely over 2,700 feet. Why, I wondered, was it not filmed in a more accurate setting? (I should add that I am often accused of being overly literal.)
Now I know.
Scan QR code above or click here to view the route on REVER
While exploring Colorado’s San Juan Mountains in a 2024 Ural Gear-Up sidecar rig with my husband, Bill, last summer, we stumbled upon that farmstead along Last Dollar Road, one of the state’s loveliest byways. This 20-mile passage between Ridgway and Telluride summits at 10,600 feet and offers some of the most scenic views in the San Juans without the need for a grueling, technical tussle to the top or a struggle for trail space against hordes of side-by-sides.
Why would they not film movies out here?
Sweeping curves on easy unpaved roads suit the Ural quite well.
U.S. 550, aka the Million Dollar Highway, twists and turns up the mountainside as it ascends to 11,018-foot Red Mountain Pass south of Ouray.
The mountains, the streams, the golden aspens in fall, uncrowded and pristine. Who cares if it looks nothing like Arkansas? Ridgway and its surrounds provided stunning locations for True Grit and other western movies, and for us it was a perfect place to explore while we put the Ural through its paces, occasionally needing to summon some true grit of our own. The bike was on loan from Overland Expo, their 2024 Ultimate Overland Motorcycle Build, all decked out for adventure with on-demand two-wheel drive, knobby tires, auxiliary lights, a winch, and even a refrigerator.
Mist rises as Bill enjoys the view into the valley during a stop along Last Dollar Road.
Over the course of our multiday journey, we would find the Ural’s limits, discover where it excels, and have fun in the process. Getting accustomed to its steering was the first challenge. On a two-wheeled machine, you initiate the turn with a gentle push on the handlebar in the direction you want to go. It’s commonly called countersteering. But the three-wheeled Ural does not lean. You must heave the handlebar on the heavy machine in the direction you want to go. In right-hand turns, the sidecar, attached to the right side of the motorcycle, tends to lift. Taking corrective action in this situation may straighten the bike’s path in an undesirable way, such as pointing it into traffic. This can be avoided but requires practice and deliberate effort and, oh yes, more than a little determination.
The Bear Creek Trail, a popular and challenging hiking trail into the Uncompahgre Wilderness, starts near this tunnel on U.S. 550 outside Ouray.
“Flying the chair,” which requires balance and nerve, is one of Bill’s favorite pastimes while piloting the Ural.
We based our expedition out of Lake City, Colorado, one of the towns originating as mining communities in this mineral-rich region, now a hotbed of tourism and off-roading. Heading north on State Highway 149 on the Ural with me in the sidecar, Bill and I left the pavement south of Blue Mesa Reservoir on a county road, bypassing a bridge closure on U.S. Route 50. Flowing along well-groomed dirt and gravel through wide, sweeping turns, we found the mellow road perfect for our three-wheeled machine. We had originally planned to take it over Engineer Pass but thought better of it after a brief test on a trail just outside Lake City. At 1,100 lb and 41 hp, the Ural is less than ideal for loose, steep climbs like Engineer, even with the additional traction of two-wheel drive.
Susan and Bill pause while exploring the roads around Lake City, Colorado.
A short stint westbound on U.S. 50 took us to Cimarron Road and a turn back south into the Uncompahgre National Forest. We followed the road’s twists and turns past Silver Jack Reservoir and up to Owl Creek Pass at 10,114 feet. I took a turn as pilot and gave Bill a spin in the sidecar. By this time Bill had mastered the bike, expertly handling right turns while keeping the sidecar mostly on the ground and us in the right lane and drifting it into left turns like a dirtbike. My driving was not as smooth, but the wide, lightly traveled roads provided an ideal place to practice. Eventually I gained more confidence, but ultimately I was content to stay in the sidecar and leave the driving to Bill, who was enjoying it immensely.
See all of Rider’s West U.S. Motorcycle Rides here.
Groves of aspens flank the trail along Last Dollar Road.
Just northwest of Owl Creek Pass, we passed Deb’s Meadow, where True Grit’s climactic shootout was filmed. There on one side of the aspen-wrapped field with Chimney Rock in the distance, Ned Pepper, played by Robert Duvall, provokes Rooster Cogburn, played by John Wayne: “That’s bold talk from a one-eyed fat man.” Enraged, Cogburn bows up and yells “Fill your hand you son of a b***h!” He grips his horse’s reins between his teeth and charges Pepper and his gang from the opposite side of the meadow, shooting with both hands at the villains.
Signage at Ouray’s Hot Springs Inn identify the mountain passes of the Alpine Loop.
Deb’s Meadow was named for actress Debbie Reynolds, who was involved in filming other motion pictures on the site, including How the West Was Won.
This nicely preserved stagecoach at the Hot Springs Inn is a reminder of the area’s “Old West” heritage.
Eventually, the unpaved road intersects U.S. Route 550, and from there we cruised into Ridgway for lunch. The community’s downtown provided the setting for much of True Grit’s filming, and we ate lunch at the True Grit Cafe, which is, not surprisingly, filled with John Wayne memorabilia.
Bill takes a break near the Mattie Ross farmstead.
After lunch we set out for Last Dollar Road, heading west on State Highway 62. Twelve miles west of Ridgway, we left the pavement on a southbound turn, and in just 2.5 miles we came across Mattie Ross’ farm. The current owner restored the house, buildings, and corrals in 2018-2019 in honor of the film’s 50th anniversary.
This ranch along Last Dollar Road was the filming location for Mattie Ross’ family farmstead in True Grit.
We continued beyond the Ross farmstead through ranchland for a few miles, soon coming across a sign urging caution when the road is wet and muddy, as it becomes very slick. “Good Tires Only,” it read. We figured our knobbies would qualify and went on, ascending through aspen, spruce, and fir to an overlook with a formation in the shape of a ramp pointed skyward.
Bill ascends the ramp to nowhere for a spectacular view off Last Dollar Road.
Bill appeared poised to drive right to the top of the ramp, but I interrupted his progress at its base. “Let me out here,” I said and walked up to meet him at the crest of the incline. Swooping up the ramp was not the sort of adrenaline rush I craved, although in my rational mind I never really believed he would go over the edge.
Look in downtown Telluride for the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.
The view from the top was breathtaking. We gazed down upon the valley, clouds rising between and around the surrounding peaks to both obscure and enhance our view. I expected Brigadoon to appear out of the lush green flanks of the hills at any moment. The mist rose and dissipated, but no fabled Irish village materialized, so we moved on.
The scenery and byways of the San Juan Mountains make for a perfect Ural adventure.
I literally caught my breath when I saw Telluride, tucked into the rugged San Juan peaks in the gap below. There, smack dab in the middle of town, an intensely saturated rainbow was firmly anchored in the pot of gold that is the community of Telluride, known for its ski resort and its luxury homes occupied by the rich and famous. Nearly as impressive, Telluride Regional Airport sits at just over 9,000 feet elevation and is one of the highest commercial airports in the United States. Its 100-foot-wide runway is more than 1.25 miles long and looks oddly out of place in this setting.
The 1969 movie True Grit was filmed in Ridgway, and the town’s True Grit Cafe serves up good food and John Wayne memorabilia.
Intersecting State Highway 145, we jumped back on the pavement and looped back to Ridgway, then traveled 10 miles south to Ouray, known as “Little Switzerland” for its tall, jagged peaks reminiscent of the Swiss Alps. The Victorian architecture of its downtown enhances the ambience. We luxuriated in Ouray’s hot-springs pools for a relaxing end to an active day and spent the night at the Hot Springs Inn, lulled to sleep by the rushing waters of the Uncompahgre River, which runs right behind the hotel.
Susan takes a break at Red Mountain Creek, which runs along U.S. 550.
Before heading back to base camp the next day, we rode south out of Ouray, passing the trailhead for the Bear Creek Trail, where we had backpacked 18 years before. We went up to Red Mountain Pass, stopping to ogle the historic Idarado Houses, homes built for miners between 1910 and 1920 and now in the process of restoration. And there, on the tight turns of U.S. 550 – the Million Dollar Highway – Bill perfected his sidecar flying technique but without me in the car, thank goodness. True grit only goes so far.
Rain-slick pavement and no guardrail require extra caution on U.S. 550 south of Ouray.
See all of Rider’s touring stories here
Colorado Motorcycle Ride Resources
Colorado Tourism
Lake City
Ridgway
Telluride
Ouray
Uncompahgre National Forest
Overland Expo
Susan Dragoo is a writer and photographer based in Norman, Oklahoma, specializing in adventure travel, along with her husband, Bill Dragoo, who founded Dragoo Adventure Rider Training (D.A.R.T.). Find more articles at SusanDragoo.com and BillDragoo.com.
The post Ural-ing Around Colorado Motorcycle Ride appeared first on Rider Magazine.
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