When I saw the title I immediately thought 'Trail Ridge Road'. I've lived in Colorado for 50 years. A few years back I rented a van and took my god awful in-laws for a drive up that road. They were so scared it was hilarious. Best day ever. That will teach them to talk down to me lol.
If you enjoyed this road, you would love the Beartooth Highway in Southern Montana north of Yellowstone National Park. And the Going-To-The-Sun Highway that traverses Glacier National Park is pretty spectacular too!
Yes! Those two roads are awesome. There is another road on the East Coast that goes up to Mt. Washington Weather Observatory. Talk about sketchy! Straight up the mountain on a gravel road with a ridiculous incline and no guard rails. There is a whole lot of history there too as it has the fastest changing weather anywhere and lots of hikers lost, etc. Super neat!
Great video! Your statement "...a sense of the bigness and creativity of God" is spot on. Using a word that is so over used in our society, places like this are "awesome," and inspire great feelings of awe as to what God did. A little side story I have from 1966: My friend and I drove from North Dakota to Seattle, going over Beartooth Pass (11,000 feet) between Wyoming and Montana. Like the highway is your video, it had some mighty scary places, but was so gorgeous. When we got to the top there was a small lake, and I wanted to stop and take in the surrounding scenery. The response of my friend, who had never been out of the flatlands of North Dakota was, "No, get me the h..ll down off of here!"
Living in Colorado full time and with first hand experience of driving all over the country I disagree this is the most scenic and scariest roads in the country!! If anything highway 550 (The Million Dollar Highway) beats the Fall River Road by far 💯
Absolutely agree with Shantee! Million Dollar Highway wins hands down, even today after it has been improved 100% since we were kids! You haven't been in Colorado long, I'm guessing.
We live in CO. The beauty is to see as you cross over the Great Divide what grows under and on rocks in the tree line, and just to hear clean fresh water rolling over logs and stones. the sheep as so gorgeous and proud looking. A sunset behind a buck elk's antlers is fabulous too. Clean too. People in CO might just pulverize you for dumping trash or disobeying signs to protect the fauna. Never throw cig. butts out a window...the temptation is to take you for a 'drag' behind someone's bumper.
I was born and raised in Colorado, I spent every summer camping and fishing throughout Rocky Mountian National Park. When I went to Montana to the Going To The Sun road, that is even more spectacular than the Fall River Road!! You have to go.
For a scary ride, try the 7.5 mi.road up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. It’s the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. It is a two way road(barely most of the way) with no guard rails. Trust me, no one watches the scenery. You are averting looking at the long drop down if you were to go over the edge and your hoping you don’t meet another car because of the narrow width of the road. They have warnings to insure you have good brakes and a healthy transmission and also recommend no more than 900 lb. avoid t
I 100% agree! I’ve driven it 25-30 times over the past 5-7 years and it is my favorite drive I’ve taken in Colorado and I’ve driven from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean countless times in my life. My favorite part of the highway is definitely near the Silverton area:)
Reminds me of the fantastic drive on "Going to the sun road" in Glacier National Park. But at least that had hay bale sized stones to keep you from becoming gravity aware. I share you deep respect for heights.
The one time I drove Going To The Sun Highway some knit wit in a motor home was coming at me using 1-2 feet of my lane. I stopped and made them go around us.
Yes, it's quite the view. I assumed that the sticks on the side of the road were for the plows, which by the way is a job that I would NEVER want. EVER! God bless the guys that do it though. Thanks for watching.
Loving your videos. Just found them a few days ago and can't get enough. If your into scary rides and some good history check out the Mount Washington auto road in New Hampshire. When you get around to covering some New England history. Again great videos. looking forward to new ones.
Thanks. I really do appreciate that. I'm always up for some good history. Scary rides need to come in small doses :) I seriously need to get up to the Northeast though. I've not had the opportunity to spend any time up there at all. Thanks for watching and for the kind words (and for the recommendations).
Beautiful!! My old stomping ground. Loved taking my kids up that road. Amazing. Not sure about scary but we were up there a lot. Hope you enjoyed the view.
Last year after a visit I left my brother's house in Pinedale WY and drove to see a friend in Durango CO on my way home to Texas. Along the way I drove on a road like that through Silverton CO, an old mining town. It took me 2-1/2 hours to travel 60 miles and it was absolutely harrowing, I was a nervous wreck when I finally got through it.
I just came back from Colorado. I did not do the Old Fall River Road even though it was open. I did however do the Trail Ridge road, Skyline Drive and drive up to Pikes Peak. Lots of great driving. I don't remember being uneasy when driving Trail Ridge or even Skyline but Pikes Peak definitely had my hands a bit sweaty lol.
I driven that road in a Honda Accord. Since then I driven it five or six times. The park service keeps it well maintained for rear wheel drive vehicles. It can make one nervous the first time but it’s not as scary to me as the going to the sun road in Glacier Park. Everyone who said Silverton, million dollar highway yeah that scared me as a child.
Ya want scenic and scary? Try the old Gold Camp Road between Colorado Springs and Victor/Cripple Creek, CO. Started as a trail. then widened for wagons, then for the D&RG RR narrow gauge and finally auto traffic. There are still RR ties in the road. One lane, two way traffic (as of the mid 70s the last time I was there and still dirt). When two cars meet, one has to back into a tiny cut off, about quarter mile apart, to let the other pass. About 10,000 feet up. Mountain on one side, nothing on the other (to the bottom) and no guard rails. Top speed about 15 mph, mostly around 10. The bottom is littered with cars that went over and no way to get them up. People yes, cars no.
I drove this years ago in a old 1977 Pontiac Catalina. The ruts were so deep I had to straddle them. I would have been hung up on the frame. Good times with my family three boys in the back seat.
There are many roads in Colorado that used to be rail road beds that are even narrower than that road. Can you imagine the effort needed to carry all those shaped stepping stones up that trail?
That's a scary road. I know there are some very scary roads going into Death Valley National Park. My late father lost the brakes on his 5th wheel trailer and on a 9% grade. Those things aren't for the faint hearted.
I drove Old Fall River Road last year and didn't find anything scary about it. It would be scary if covered with ice and snow, but it's closed during the winter.
I have to say Thank you for showing me what I am missing and cannot afford to travel to. 😉 But really Thank you for showing what is out there because not everyone can travel the country and see all of this wonder. Great video
Thanks! Utah is a state that I've never been to but really really want to see. I would love to see all of those parks that you mentioned. For some reason, the idea of visiting them in the winter appeals to me.
Awesome road for sure, but it's nothing compared to the two-way balcony roads in France. Love the video, but may I suggest you mount a camera on the roof or hood for better quality?
Couldn't drive OFRR or TRR. Took a jeep tour up OFRR to the Visitor Center to see the Continental Divide. TRR down from the VC was SCARY. Holy cow no guard rails, nothing.
I hate driving those kinds of roads. Like you I have a terrible fear of heights. I don’t know if I could have driven it. Or, I would piss people off because I would be going to slow.
Cool video. I've never been above 3000 ft so I can't imagine what that must be like but just getting up there looks like it's way worth every skipped breath. Definitely a lot of history on that road. Just to think when the first people who walked it...
I traveled both of these roads about twenty years ago. I have never been more terrified in my life! I thought for sure that I was going to have a heart attack! Luckliy I did not. But the scenery was magnificent and breath taking. I am glad that I survived the white knuckle ascent. These roads are a must see. I enjoy your videos so much, thank you for your time and narrations.
I don’t think you have a video about this, maybe you’ve been there. Berchtesgaden. Specifically the Tea House(Eagles Nest). That road is the scariest I’ve ever been on. The drivers of those buses drive incredibly fast in my humble opinion.....whoa!😳😳😳😳 But what magnificent views! Cool that you’re a fan of 1920s....I’m a fan of 1930s!
I hope you went to Mt. Evans, the only14er you can drive to the summit. And yes! A tour of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains is a magnificent picture of God’s amazing creativity.
I take it that you’ve never driven “The Going to the Sun Road” in Montana? I had to peel my fingers one by one off the steering wheel when I arrived at the other end. And, it’s 2 way and worse, big Class C RVs are allowed on it. 😱😳
Bear Tooth pass ( I think that’s the name, ends in Cody Wy). I drove over to ‘save time, so I thought, ended up with switchbacks and twisting roads in a major thunderstorm…in a Civic. Scared the crap outta me but now I want to go back and do it when I wasn’t in a hurry…which didn’t save me anytime at all. Haha
Sam Macaw and History Underground. Sam, Beartooth Pass which is on Wyoming and Montana state borders traveling on US 212 Highway has guardrails. Both states close this highway in winter because of of snow and sometimes rock slides on the Montana side. It's at 10,900 feet elevation. US 212 goes into Yellowstone National Park and since this park is closed for regular vehicular traffic, this Pass is closed in winter. It has snowed every month of the year on Beartooth Pass. History Underground, I came across this video today and about five people made comments about the "Million Dollar Highway"/US Highway 550/Red Mountain Pass. Red Mountain Pass is considered the most dangerous paved mountain pass in ALL of Canada and the U.S. There's 72 known avalanche paths in this 26 mile pass road. The highest amount of avalanche paths per mile in these two countries. NO GUARDRAILS most of this Pass road. Rock slides can happen yearlong especially in the freeze/thaw in late fall and spring. Mountain goats or maybe sheep and deer have been on this road. Going south from Ouray about 3/4 miles there's a river gorge on your right dropping off 800 feet and maybe it's 1,000 feet down. Mud slides happen on this Pass. There was so much exceptional snowfall amount in winter 2018/2019 there in Colorado from storms from California, that the highest peaks had like 800 inches of snow. Colorado highway department closed down this highway for 17 days STRAIGHT. They had two snowplowing crews working 12 hour shifts each 24/7 for 17 days. Avalanches around that "East Slide " filled the gorge almost to the level of the road itself. That's near the beginning of the gorge and maybe ONLY around 150 feet down. Check out driving through Corkscrew Clutch 2018/2019 and Animas Forks Road avalanches. A Migration avalanche buried the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train tracks 120 FEET DEEP!!! This was the same winter when the "Pineapple Express" winter storms hit the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Orville Dam spillway broke part because erosion.
back in the day, you had to tune the engine with the then air also. The modern car the computer controls the engines performance. I was there is 1976 and the 6 cylinder engine lost half the horse power with the thin air
...and also, for some reason, if you have a weak car battery that was working fine at lower elevations, it might fail you at 11,000 plus feet. Thankfully it's downhill from the Pikes Peak summit and I had a standard shit. I bet these young people don't even know about 'popping the clutch.' :-)
Even modern engines lose power with less air density. Approximately 30%, but they don’t need carburetor adjustments to run smoothly due to the computers adjusting the fuel injection system, etc.
shucks..... thats a highway, son. next try Shelf Road from Cripple Creek to Canyon City. then, once youve got on your _big boy_ pants.... try Black Bear Road. but you should go with a guide your first time on BBR. also, youll love the view from the top of Mt. Evans. psst... Gabion (gay b yon)
A view from the UK. Oh my lordy! Watching this gives one the great idea that it would be good to go and visit, then......see 12.50mins onwards. Now you know why many of us use your videos as travelogues instead of venturing out.
It's a funny thing as a third generation Coloradan I don't find this scary at all. There are roads in the back country that are truly a white knuckle experience, like Black Bear Pass and others. They are super skinny, rough, and dirt, with no margin for error. Anyway I love your channel and it's so informative about subjects I love history. And I too feel a deep awe of God's creative hand in the beautiful Rockies.
Just found your channel and I! AM! HOOKED!! Now how can anyone look on such beauty and majesty and not believe in god!?! I am in no way knocking anyone's beliefs. This is just what I feel looking out on this.
Piece of cake that road. Now try that road twice as steep with sharp rocks bigger than basketballs, and the road only being 8’ wide and 1000’ drops and you’ll experience the real Colorado mining roads.
Thank you. This brings back fond memories. You captured some good views of Longs Peak, the tallest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park located at the southern end of the park.
I appreciate your historical perspective on this(and other places) road that would be a glorious adventure on my motorcycle. And the lesson on how the Indians used those rocks for hunting.
This reminded me of the trek up on Pikes Peak. That is where Katharine Lee Bates came up with the words to “America the Beautiful”. You can still see marks left by the horse drawn carriages they used to navigate the trails. Beautiful scenery! Thanks for sharing!
You need to drive down the Shaffer Trail in Canyonlands Nat’l park in Utah. It is an old uranium mining road. Unpaved. Been on it many times. You can drive all the way back to Moab Utah on the trail.
You need to try Pearl pass, the road to Mt. Evans which is at 14000 feet in altitude as well as some of the passes that need a 4 wheel drive like Pearl pass. Lots of beautiful places out here.in Colorado for a real scary ride. But you need a four-wheel-drive for that.
As a Colorado native this video made me very homesick for the mountains since I live in Illinois now. Been on many a road as that one growing up. Never blinked an eye. Lol
The History Underground Well I did get a bit nervous when ever we would meet another vehicle coming the other way and one of us would have to back up until there was room to pass each other, and I wasn’t even a driver cause I was a kid. Haha
I've sat on the floor of the '73 truck many a time when my mom would drive the passes. Miss my Rocky mountains at times. So many fond memories from our summer vacations in the '73. Wolf Creek Pass was the best. Mom driving, dad sitting on the passenger door window with a gallon jug of fuel and a hose trying to keep the 454 going up. Truck lurching, 5 yr old brother trying to pee in the campers bathroom all while a line of trucks and cars cussing us out to get moving. Found out later the fuel filter was clogged. Fun times! Thank u for the memory of my dad who passed away 10 years ago at the young age of 59. 💕
I I always like your enthusiasm for American History and all things past, Always a great interesting information, thank you for not only what you do but the way you do it.
Oh my God!!! LMAO!!! . I was actually waiting for the scary part of Old Fall River Road and by the time I knew it...the ride was over and there was the visitor center. I was just on it this past Saturday and it was anything but scary or nerve racking. You should try the road to the Crystal Mill where it's not a one way road. That road is even more narrow and it's a two way road with steeper drop offs. If someone comes your way then you both better figure it out because it's heavily trafficked. Old Fall River Road is tame compared to that, but the best thing about Old Fall River Road is that it is that the scenery is better than driving on Trail Ridge Road. I'm sure there are roads out there like Black Bear Pass which I haven't done yet. I've seen youtube videos of Jeeps tumbling down the side of the mountain at Black Bear Pass and just come apart like toys.
Oh man. I've never been to Arizona, but would love to get out there sometime. If you have any suggestions on places that I should visit, I'd love to hear them.
I pulled a 38 ft fifth wheel trailer with an F 450 King Ranch crew cab dually ( totally legal to do so) in a pouring rain storm over Trail Ridge Road in 2012; absolutely loved the views and the wide eyed city folk watching us do that; just saying! I just loved this presentation, easy to watch and educational; thank you very much!
Very cool. You obviously have not been on any logging roads that at best are only one and a half lanes wide most of the time they are only 1 lane . Its a must to have a CB radio to let the trucks coming in know where your at and where they are. At each marker we call out on the radio where we are and going in or out in the trucks case it’s usually loaded or empty and at some markers there are places to pull off and let the trucks have the right of way before continuing on our way. I grew up in logging and I have been on roads skid trails jeep trails and even been on a few game trails to get to the timber dad or gramps had to fall . Most people would have gotten out and walked but not us we are used to it . In California most people think of the ocean or of la , San Francisco, or Sacramento , but California has lots of mountains and rough steep ground. I have been from the ocean all the way up to 8,500 feet in elevation and lived at 4 ,000 feet before we moved out of California to Missouri.. in that time 4 generations of us logged the California mountains and even built many roads and dams . We even cleared and logged the site for the new pacific house ranger station for the forest service on Hayway 50 . If you’re interested in history I know lots when it comes to logging. My great grandfather fell timber using only a handsaw and an axe steam donkeys where used to pull logs up the American river canyon to the rail head to be shipped off to the sawmill. Logs on the other side of the American river canyon on the George Town side where brought over by cable car to the camino side then shipped by rail to the sawmill in camino called Michigan cal . That mill is now gone in its place where lumber used to be stored to season now stands an RV and vehicle storage.
Other roads that will turn your knuckles white: - highway from Vegas down to Hoover Dam. That is frankly terrifying, IMHO. - I don’t know the name but in Hawaii, there is a stretch of road that literally has a sign that says ‘Notify next of kin before attempting.’ Meanwhile, your climb reminded me of Clingman’s Dome in the Smokies. If you ever come East, cannot recommend the Smokies and the town of Cherokee enough. There is also the Cumberland Gap in nearby Kentucky that is worth visiting.
Reminds me of Lucy and Ricky driving their camper on a winding mountain road.lol. That was a funny show.
That was a funny movie.
When I saw the title I immediately thought 'Trail Ridge Road'. I've lived in Colorado for 50 years. A few years back I rented a van and took my god awful in-laws for a drive up that road. They were so scared it was hilarious. Best day ever. That will teach them to talk down to me lol.
If you enjoyed this road, you would love the Beartooth Highway in Southern Montana north of Yellowstone National Park. And the Going-To-The-Sun Highway that traverses Glacier National Park is pretty spectacular too!
I’ll have to check that out. Thanks!
Yes! Those two roads are awesome. There is another road on the East Coast that goes up to Mt. Washington Weather Observatory. Talk about sketchy! Straight up the mountain on a gravel road with a ridiculous incline and no guard rails. There is a whole lot of history there too as it has the fastest changing weather anywhere and lots of hikers lost, etc. Super neat!
Great video! Your statement "...a sense of the bigness and creativity of God" is spot on. Using a word that is so over used in our society, places like this are "awesome," and inspire great feelings of awe as to what God did.
A little side story I have from 1966: My friend and I drove from North Dakota to Seattle, going over Beartooth Pass (11,000 feet) between Wyoming and Montana. Like the highway is your video, it had some mighty scary places, but was so gorgeous. When we got to the top there was a small lake, and I wanted to stop and take in the surrounding scenery. The response of my friend, who had never been out of the flatlands of North Dakota was, "No, get me the h..ll down off of here!"
🙏🏼
One word, beautiful!
Pretty amazing place. I could have sat up there for hours. Thanks for watching.
That looks so beautiful. I imagine being there is certainly a lot better than just watching the video... Thanks again! See you later.
Alexander Patrick - Yeah, the video doesn’t do it full justice. Definitely worthy the trip though.
Living in Colorado full time and with first hand experience of driving all over the country I disagree this is the most scenic and scariest roads in the country!! If anything highway 550 (The Million Dollar Highway) beats the Fall River Road by far 💯
Fall River, although scenic, is not even slightly scary.
@@TheBandit7613 my thoughts exactly! Very beautiful drive but definitely NOT the most scenic and not even close to the most scariest! Hahaha
I agree with highway 550 and you could probably add Independence pass and black bear pass to the list of roads that top this one.
Absolutely agree with Shantee! Million Dollar Highway wins hands down, even today after it has been improved 100% since we were kids! You haven't been in Colorado long, I'm guessing.
Agree
We live in CO. The beauty is to see as you cross over the Great Divide what grows under and on rocks in the tree line, and just to hear clean fresh water rolling over logs and stones. the sheep as
so gorgeous and proud looking. A sunset behind a buck elk's antlers is fabulous too. Clean too. People in CO might just pulverize you for dumping trash or disobeying signs to protect the
fauna. Never throw cig. butts out a window...the temptation is to take you for a 'drag' behind someone's bumper.
3 minutes in and I got anxiety lol
Hey. Let me tell you, that was a white-knuckle drive in some spots. There was a reason that my wife took over the camera for this one.
I was born and raised in Colorado, I spent every summer camping and fishing throughout Rocky Mountian National Park. When I went to Montana to the Going To The Sun road, that is even more spectacular than the Fall River Road!! You have to go.
Thanks for sharing!
EXACTLY HOW I FEEL DRIVING SUCH SPOTS!!!!
Glad that I'm not alone.
The million dollar highway outside Silverton scared the shit out of me.
Hey Lavender Monday....
Get a Jeep and try Black Bear Pass. 😂
Million Dollar Hwy is a BEAUTIFUL ride. 🇨🇱😉👍
For a scary ride, try the 7.5 mi.road up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. It’s the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. It is a two way road(barely most of the way) with no guard rails. Trust me, no one watches the scenery. You are averting looking at the long drop down if you were to go over the edge and your hoping you don’t meet another car because of the narrow width of the road. They have warnings to insure you have good brakes and a healthy transmission and also recommend no more than 900 lb. avoid t
900 lb. capacity so as not to over burden brakes and transmission.
Me too lol
Me too lol
Incredible 🇺🇸 Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.🇺🇸
🙏🏼
The History Underground ,,, if you’re ever in SLC , Plz reach out🇺🇸
Million Dollar Highway IS the scariest and most scenic that I've been through in Colorado.
I 100% agree! I’ve driven it 25-30 times over the past 5-7 years and it is my favorite drive I’ve taken in Colorado and I’ve driven from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean countless times in my life. My favorite part of the highway is definitely near the Silverton area:)
Yes, it scared me almost to death 🤣
I loved driving it. I rented a car when I was working on a pipeline in SW Wyoming just to go drive it.
Reminds me of the fantastic drive on "Going to the sun road" in Glacier National Park. But at least that had hay bale sized stones to keep you from becoming gravity aware. I share you deep respect for heights.
The one time I drove Going To The Sun Highway some knit wit in a motor home was coming at me using 1-2 feet of my lane. I stopped and made them go around us.
@@martinwalker9386 Yeah, that road was built for model Ts not RVs. Beautiful drive tho.
this the best esp. it is truly beautiful thank you
Nice views. You may already know, but the tall sticks on the side of the road are there so the snow plow man can find the edge.
Yes, it's quite the view. I assumed that the sticks on the side of the road were for the plows, which by the way is a job that I would NEVER want. EVER! God bless the guys that do it though. Thanks for watching.
😮
They have those sticks along the road in my neighborhood, at 750 ft above sea level🤣
😳😬
Like the road to Yellowstone from Grand Teton-thousand foot drop, no guardrail!!! Woo it will get your heart to pumping!
WOW that was amazing....reminded me of a narrow stone road to Coolidge Peak in South Dakota ....
Hmmm.......I'm not familiar with that one but I'll have to check it out. I'm planning on doing some videos in South Dakota sometime this year.
Loving your videos. Just found them a few days ago and can't get enough. If your into scary rides and some good history check out the Mount Washington auto road in New Hampshire. When you get around to covering some New England history.
Again great videos. looking forward to new ones.
Thanks. I really do appreciate that. I'm always up for some good history. Scary rides need to come in small doses :)
I seriously need to get up to the Northeast though. I've not had the opportunity to spend any time up there at all. Thanks for watching and for the kind words (and for the recommendations).
There very many scenic and dangerous less unknown roads out there!
Just was on that road and it scared the s*** out of me. I couldn’t wait to get up to the top.
Great video ! I’m a history buff , absolutely love seeing all of this ! That road -Holy Smokes ! ❤️
Thanks! Glad that you enjoyed it. I've got some videos in the coming weeks that I'm pretty excited about. And yes, "Holy Smokes" is right.
Beautiful!! My old stomping ground. Loved taking my kids up that road. Amazing. Not sure about scary but we were up there a lot. Hope you enjoyed the view.
Last year after a visit I left my brother's house in Pinedale WY and drove to see a friend in Durango CO on my way home to Texas. Along the way I drove on a road like that through Silverton CO, an old mining town. It took me 2-1/2 hours to travel 60 miles and it was absolutely harrowing, I was a nervous wreck when I finally got through it.
Bassmangotdbluz 😬
😍 scenery!!!!
I just came back from Colorado. I did not do the Old Fall River Road even though it was open. I did however do the Trail Ridge road, Skyline Drive and drive up to Pikes Peak. Lots of great driving.
I don't remember being uneasy when driving Trail Ridge or even Skyline but Pikes Peak definitely had my hands a bit sweaty lol.
Wonderful !
Great job as always, It does remind me of road to the sun, in Montana but Colorado has so many beautiful places to see.
Been there, done that! Very cool to see it again!
I driven that road in a Honda Accord. Since then I driven it five or six times. The park service keeps it well maintained for rear wheel drive vehicles. It can make one nervous the first time but it’s not as scary to me as the going to the sun road in Glacier Park.
Everyone who said Silverton, million dollar highway yeah that scared me as a child.
White knuckle experience for sure 💕
Okay. Of all the videos I have watched, this is in my top 5.
Thanks!
Ya want scenic and scary? Try the old Gold Camp Road between Colorado Springs and Victor/Cripple Creek, CO. Started as a trail. then widened for wagons, then for the D&RG RR narrow gauge and finally auto traffic. There are still RR ties in the road. One lane, two way traffic (as of the mid 70s the last time I was there and still dirt). When two cars meet, one has to back into a tiny cut off, about quarter mile apart, to let the other pass. About 10,000 feet up. Mountain on one side, nothing on the other (to the bottom) and no guard rails. Top speed about 15 mph, mostly around 10. The bottom is littered with cars that went over and no way to get them up. People yes, cars no.
Thank you for another great video and also some history to go with it.
Thanks! So glad that you enjoyed it.
I drove this years ago in a old 1977 Pontiac Catalina. The ruts were so deep I had to straddle them. I would have been hung up on the frame. Good times with my family three boys in the back seat.
I was holding my breath! This road reminds me of the rode from Gatlinburg over to Cherokee 😱! That road throws me into a panic attack !
😐
I thought going down Lookout Mountain Rd was scarier. Lol
Red Mountain is a beautiful drive as well. Just scary in the winter.
Million dollar highway between Ouray and Silverton in December takes my vote , my underware still havent come clean...
1. underwear 2. hasn't 3. you're correct, 550 is wonderful... but far from scary.
Yes!!
YES, yes, yes!
Lol. We travel trails narrow as that in the Superstition Mountains in our Jeeps all the time, with opposing traffic.
There are many roads in Colorado that used to be rail road beds that are even narrower than that road. Can you imagine the effort needed to carry all those shaped stepping stones up that trail?
That's a scary road. I know there are some very scary roads going into Death Valley National Park. My late father lost the brakes on his 5th wheel trailer and on a 9% grade. Those things aren't for the faint hearted.
I drove Old Fall River Road last year and didn't find anything scary about it. It would be scary if covered with ice and snow, but it's closed during the winter.
Once was enough for me, years ago!
I have to say Thank you for showing me what I am missing and cannot afford to travel to. 😉 But really Thank you for showing what is out there because not everyone can travel the country and see all of this wonder. Great video
Black Bear pass in Colorado! You won't ve using a mini van!! LOL
Thank you for another great video. How about considering such parks as Zion, Bryce, Arches, etc, in Utah? This was one of your best.
Thanks! Utah is a state that I've never been to but really really want to see. I would love to see all of those parks that you mentioned. For some reason, the idea of visiting them in the winter appeals to me.
Pretty drive.
Apparently you’ve never been to the San Juans. 😉
Or, heck, even on Land’s End road on the south side of Grand Mesa.
😳
Awesome road for sure, but it's nothing compared to the two-way balcony roads in France. Love the video, but may I suggest you mount a camera on the roof or hood for better quality?
Thanxx 😎✌️😷
Couldn't drive OFRR or TRR. Took a jeep tour up OFRR to the Visitor Center to see the Continental Divide. TRR down from the VC was SCARY. Holy cow no guard rails, nothing.
Whoa! Awesome road trip. Great video, I felt like I was in the car with you guys! Idk if I could drive it. ♥☮️🌎
Ha! Thanks.
I hate driving those kinds of roads. Like you I have a terrible fear of heights. I don’t know if I could have driven it. Or, I would piss people off because I would be going to slow.
Ha! I wasn’t afraid to creep around some of those curves.
You would have really had fun driving the old dirt road down Pikes Peak. Made this place look like "pocket change".
Ah!! NOPE NOPE someone else can drive while I cramp myself down in the footwell under the DASH!! THANK YOU ANYWAY..
Beautiful views!!
John Adams -Ha! There were a few times where I demanded complete silence in the car while I navigated some curves.
Amazing , beautiful n breathtaking. Just wonder in 1920 n making the roads how many lives were lost. ThT would be so sad. ♥️♥️👍👍👍👍👍😊
Cool video. I've never been above 3000 ft so I can't imagine what that must be like but just getting up there looks like it's way worth every skipped breath. Definitely a lot of history on that road. Just to think when the first people who walked it...
I traveled both of these roads about twenty years ago. I have never been more terrified in my life! I thought for sure that I was going to have a heart attack! Luckliy I did not. But the scenery was magnificent and breath taking. I am glad that I survived the white knuckle ascent. These roads are a must see. I enjoy your videos so much, thank you for your time and narrations.
Try the Moki Dugway near Mexican Hat, Utah and the Mount Washington Road in New Hampshire.
Awesome video, as usual. Love seeing the family with you on these last few adventures ! Thanks for sharing!
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I don’t think you have a video about this, maybe you’ve been there. Berchtesgaden. Specifically the Tea House(Eagles Nest). That road is the scariest I’ve ever been on. The drivers of those buses drive incredibly fast in my humble opinion.....whoa!😳😳😳😳
But what magnificent views! Cool that you’re a fan of 1920s....I’m a fan of 1930s!
That place is high on my list of places to see.
Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton is way worse.
I hope you went to Mt. Evans, the only14er you can drive to the summit. And yes! A tour of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains is a magnificent picture of God’s amazing creativity.
Dang. Didn't know about that one. Thanks for the heads up.
I take it that you’ve never driven “The Going to the Sun Road” in Montana? I had to peel my fingers one by one off the steering wheel when I arrived at the other end. And, it’s 2 way and worse, big Class C RVs are allowed on it. 😱😳
That's what I was thinking or any of the thousands of one lane dirt roads in the west.
Bear Tooth pass ( I think that’s the name, ends in Cody Wy). I drove over to ‘save time, so I thought, ended up with switchbacks and twisting roads in a major thunderstorm…in a Civic. Scared the crap outta me but now I want to go back and do it when I wasn’t in a hurry…which didn’t save me anytime at all. Haha
Been there - absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks for the video, Sir. Looks like your a little unaccustomed to backcountry western mountain roads. It’s all part of life out here.
Great video. Thank you so much.
Absolutely awesome! Thank you so much. What was that little furry creature a few minutes in? Looked like a giant guinea pig.
That was a marmot. It does look like a giant guinea pig.
I do not think I'll be driving that road any time soon!
Sam Macaw and History Underground.
Sam, Beartooth Pass which is on Wyoming and Montana state borders traveling on US 212 Highway has guardrails. Both states close this highway in winter because of of snow and sometimes rock slides on the Montana side. It's at 10,900 feet elevation. US 212 goes into Yellowstone National Park and since this park is closed for regular vehicular traffic, this Pass is closed in winter. It has snowed every month of the year on Beartooth Pass.
History Underground, I came across this video today and about five people made comments about the "Million Dollar Highway"/US Highway 550/Red Mountain Pass. Red Mountain Pass is considered the most dangerous paved mountain pass in ALL of Canada and the U.S. There's 72 known avalanche paths in this 26 mile pass road. The highest amount of avalanche paths per mile in these two countries. NO GUARDRAILS most of this Pass road. Rock slides can happen yearlong especially in the freeze/thaw in late fall and spring. Mountain goats or maybe sheep and deer have been on this road. Going south from Ouray about 3/4 miles there's a river gorge on your right dropping off 800 feet and maybe it's 1,000 feet down. Mud slides happen on this Pass. There was so much exceptional snowfall amount in winter 2018/2019 there in Colorado from storms from California, that the highest peaks had like 800 inches of snow. Colorado highway department closed down this highway for 17 days STRAIGHT. They had two snowplowing crews working 12 hour shifts each 24/7 for 17 days. Avalanches around that "East Slide " filled the gorge almost to the level of the road itself. That's near the beginning of the gorge and maybe ONLY around 150 feet down.
Check out driving through Corkscrew Clutch 2018/2019 and Animas Forks Road avalanches. A Migration avalanche buried the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train tracks 120 FEET DEEP!!! This was the same winter when the "Pineapple Express" winter storms hit the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Orville Dam spillway broke part because erosion.
back in the day, you had to tune the engine with the then air also. The modern car the computer controls the engines performance. I was there is 1976 and the 6 cylinder engine lost half the horse power with the thin air
...and also, for some reason, if you have a weak car battery that was working fine at lower elevations, it might fail you at 11,000 plus feet. Thankfully it's downhill from the Pikes Peak summit and I had a standard shit. I bet these young people don't even know about 'popping the clutch.' :-)
@@19brandon66 .
Then you also remember the dreaded carb problem back in the day;
"vapor lock".
Even modern engines lose power with less air density. Approximately 30%, but they don’t need carburetor adjustments to run smoothly due to the computers adjusting the fuel injection system, etc.
Real men mention God. And aren't afraid to reference him and his power or creation
That was a great video and content. Thanks for the post.
shucks..... thats a highway, son. next try Shelf Road from Cripple Creek to Canyon City.
then, once youve got on your _big boy_ pants.... try Black Bear Road. but you should go with a guide your first time on BBR. also, youll love the view from the top of Mt. Evans.
psst... Gabion (gay b yon)
I’m terrified of heights. I don’t think a million bucks would be enough for me to get on that road! Nope! Give me sea level ! 😳
A view from the UK. Oh my lordy! Watching this gives one the great idea that it would be good to go and visit, then......see 12.50mins onwards. Now you know why many of us use your videos as travelogues instead of venturing out.
It's a funny thing as a third generation Coloradan I don't find this scary at all. There are roads in the back country that are truly a white knuckle experience, like Black Bear Pass and others. They are super skinny, rough, and dirt, with no margin for error. Anyway I love your channel and it's so informative about subjects I love history. And I too feel a deep awe of God's creative hand in the beautiful Rockies.
Just found your channel and I! AM! HOOKED!! Now how can anyone look on such beauty and majesty and not believe in god!?! I am in no way knocking anyone's beliefs. This is just what I feel looking out on this.
There is a similar road near Anza Borrego state park in southern California like this, will never drive it again.
Piece of cake that road. Now try that road twice as steep with sharp rocks bigger than basketballs, and the road only being 8’ wide and 1000’ drops and you’ll experience the real Colorado mining roads.
Thank you. This brings back fond memories. You captured some good views of Longs Peak, the tallest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park located at the southern end of the park.
You are giving your children some great experiences, I think that is wonderful!
grh8183 - They seem to enjoy it. Thanks! 🙂
I appreciate your historical perspective on this(and other places) road that would be a glorious adventure on my motorcycle. And the lesson on how the Indians used those rocks for hunting.
This reminded me of the trek up on Pikes Peak. That is where Katharine Lee Bates came up with the words to “America the Beautiful”. You can still see marks left by the horse drawn carriages they used to navigate the trails. Beautiful scenery! Thanks for sharing!
You need to drive down the Shaffer Trail in Canyonlands Nat’l park in Utah. It is an old uranium mining road. Unpaved. Been on it many times. You can drive all the way back to Moab Utah on the trail.
I very much enjoy all of your historical travels. I was wondering about the significance of the tattoo on the inside of your left forearm.
We enjoyed this trip . We love the mountains and Fall River road is lovely. Thankyou for Sharing the history with us . Mountains are breathtaking. 🙏🌲
It really is something else. Thanks for watching!
You need to try Pearl pass, the road to Mt. Evans which is at 14000 feet in altitude as well as some of the passes that need a 4 wheel drive like Pearl pass. Lots of beautiful places out here.in Colorado for a real scary ride. But you need a four-wheel-drive for that.
As a Colorado native this video made me very homesick for the mountains since I live in Illinois now. Been on many a road as that one growing up. Never blinked an eye. Lol
Ruth Gehrtz - Ha! I didn’t blink an eye either. I was too nervous. Glad that you enjoyed it 👍🏻
The History Underground Well I did get a bit nervous when ever we would meet another vehicle coming the other way and one of us would have to back up until there was room to pass each other, and I wasn’t even a driver cause I was a kid. Haha
I've sat on the floor of the '73 truck many a time when my mom would drive the passes. Miss my Rocky mountains at times. So many fond memories from our summer vacations in the '73. Wolf Creek Pass was the best. Mom driving, dad sitting on the passenger door window with a gallon jug of fuel and a hose trying to keep the 454 going up. Truck lurching, 5 yr old brother trying to pee in the campers bathroom all while a line of trucks and cars cussing us out to get moving. Found out later the fuel filter was clogged. Fun times! Thank u for the memory of my dad who passed away 10 years ago at the young age of 59. 💕
Should comment the long polls over 20 feet high alongside trailridge road are to guide the snow plows in the spring to clear the road for Memorial Day
Thank you for knowing and having the courage to acknowledge God's hand in this world.
I I always like your enthusiasm for American History and all things past, Always a great interesting information, thank you for not only what you do but the way you do it.
Thanks. I’m easily entertained 😅
Great video! You need to try Black Bear Pass in Colorado. You can't do it in a mini van.
Oh my God!!! LMAO!!! . I was actually waiting for the scary part of Old Fall River Road and by the time I knew it...the ride was over and there was the visitor center. I was just on it this past Saturday and it was anything but scary or nerve racking. You should try the road to the Crystal Mill where it's not a one way road. That road is even more narrow and it's a two way road with steeper drop offs. If someone comes your way then you both better figure it out because it's heavily trafficked. Old Fall River Road is tame compared to that, but the best thing about Old Fall River Road is that it is that the scenery is better than driving on Trail Ridge Road. I'm sure there are roads out there like Black Bear Pass which I haven't done yet. I've seen youtube videos of Jeeps tumbling down the side of the mountain at Black Bear Pass and just come apart like toys.
Agree 100% and I’ve driven Fall River Road 50-60 times lol
Thank you for acknowledging God!☺️
Would love to see a vid on the Ute last stand which took place in the Carbondale/redstone/crystal valley
Love the video
arizona has some scary roads also. steep dirt no rails and pot holes to dodge.
Oh man. I've never been to Arizona, but would love to get out there sometime. If you have any suggestions on places that I should visit, I'd love to hear them.
@@TheHistoryUnderground oak creek canyon, sedona, prescott, grand canyon, . state has such a wide range of scenery from mountains to deserts .
@@rockyhorror1969 - Thanks!
I pulled a 38 ft fifth wheel trailer with an F 450 King Ranch crew cab dually ( totally legal to do so) in a pouring rain storm over Trail Ridge Road in 2012; absolutely loved the views and the wide eyed city folk watching us do that; just saying! I just loved this presentation, easy to watch and educational; thank you very much!
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Very cool. You obviously have not been on any logging roads that at best are only one and a half lanes wide most of the time they are only 1 lane . Its a must to have a CB radio to let the trucks coming in know where your at and where they are. At each marker we call out on the radio where we are and going in or out in the trucks case it’s usually loaded or empty and at some markers there are places to pull off and let the trucks have the right of way before continuing on our way. I grew up in logging and I have been on roads skid trails jeep trails and even been on a few game trails to get to the timber dad or gramps had to fall . Most people would have gotten out and walked but not us we are used to it . In California most people think of the ocean or of la , San Francisco, or Sacramento , but California has lots of mountains and rough steep ground. I have been from the ocean all the way up to 8,500 feet in elevation and lived at 4 ,000 feet before we moved out of California to Missouri.. in that time 4 generations of us logged the California mountains and even built many roads and dams . We even cleared and logged the site for the new pacific house ranger station for the forest service on Hayway 50 . If you’re interested in history I know lots when it comes to logging. My great grandfather fell timber using only a handsaw and an axe steam donkeys where used to pull logs up the American river canyon to the rail head to be shipped off to the sawmill. Logs on the other side of the American river canyon on the George Town side where brought over by cable car to the camino side then shipped by rail to the sawmill in camino called Michigan cal . That mill is now gone in its place where lumber used to be stored to season now stands an RV and vehicle storage.
Drove this route in 1970 in a '61 ford van. I doubt it's the scariest route in the usa, but it does have its moments.
Other roads that will turn your knuckles white:
- highway from Vegas down to Hoover Dam. That is frankly terrifying, IMHO.
- I don’t know the name but in Hawaii, there is a stretch of road that literally has a sign that says ‘Notify next of kin before attempting.’
Meanwhile, your climb reminded me of Clingman’s Dome in the Smokies. If you ever come East, cannot recommend the Smokies and the town of Cherokee enough. There is also the Cumberland Gap in nearby Kentucky that is worth visiting.
Matthew Periolat - Oh great. I’ve been planning a trip to Hoover Dam.
Thanks for the other recommendations and thanks for watching!