The Alpine Loop is one of the most spectacular mountain routes in Colorado. It’s rugged and demanding, requiring high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles to pass. The route runs through heart of the San Juan Mountains, connecting Ouray, Lake City, and Silverton via rocky roads first used by 19th-century miners.
The route combines two 12,000-foot mountain passes, Cinnamon and Engineer. Before these stunning routes to open up, extensive plowing conducted by multiple counties is required. Plow-guy Matt captured this video of other plow-guy Rusty in a D6T completing the plowing of Engineer Pass, with representatives from two counties, Ouray and San Juan, meeting in the middle high in the snowy mountains.
The Alpine Loop is currently open for the season, though it’s important that you check road conditions before heading out. A full look at Colorado’s roads is available on COtip.org.
