Around Telluride, US 550 becomes a 2 lane road. It started to climb. I was looking at the snowbank to my left when I noticed something odd. It was the very top of a stop sign peeking through the snow. I wondered how many days that road was open. It was about a mile later when I started wondering why this one was.

I found myself approaching a hairpin turn. To my right there was a 1000 foot drop. There was no guardrail. There was no shoulder. Did I mention the ice on the road? The road continued like this for a seeming eternity over 3 different passes.

Yes I did make it safely to the lowlands. I learned something that day though. I may do many stupid driving things, but never again will I trust anything other than an Interstate highway to get me across the mountains.