and take advantage of pullouts to admire the view.
We continued south through Alma and Fairplay, where we picked up U. S. Route 285 southbound. At the junction with U. S. Route 50, we doglegged west
into San Isabel National Forest. Soon we arrived at Monarch Pass( 11,312 feet), our third high pass along the Continental Divide.
After riding through Gunnison and cruising alongside the delightful Blue
Mesa Reservoir, we turned north on State Route 347 and rode a few miles to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, home of one of the steepest, deepest, and narrowest canyons in North America. We followed the 7- mile South Rim Road and peered down into the canyon from several overlooks. For a dramatic descent, take East Portal Road down to the Gunnison River, which drops 2,000 feet in 5 miles.
Top: Hoosier Pass and Monarch Pass are both on the Continental Divide. Left: Parts of the deep, narrow Black Canyon of the Gunnison get only half an hour of sunlight each day. Below: Molas Pass is one of several high passes on the Million Dollar Highway.
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