Two weeks ago, I reported that my wife, Chris, and I were traveling to Colorado, occasioned by an invitation from friends. Two weeks in Durango with side trips to Mesa Verde and a vintage train ride to Silverton through the majestic San Juan mountains gave us a unique perspective. The soaring stratified cliffs and mountains whose faces were forever altered by mining less than two centuries ago stood juxtaposed with remnants of ancient civilizations. The sight provided me with a vastly different perspective on the passage of time.
As we once again crossed the San Juans, we would experience another side of southwest Colorado where we would be wowed by the scenery and meet some very special new friends. Due to a fortunate miscalculation, we were the first visitors to a magical home situated on a mesa at close to 7,500 feet between Ridgeway and Telluride. Jimmy and Kathy Harris’ daughter and son-in-law, Addie and Scott Bowen, had constructed their vacation home on a 30-acre lot with magnificent views of the nearby Uncompahgre Mountains. That first night we reveled in the elegance of the accommodations, soaked in the hot tub and lay outside marveling under a star-filled sky that stretched from horizon to horizon in this rare dark sky region with little to no light pollution.
The next morning after a tour and lunch in nearby Telluride, we returned to greet the Harrises and the three other couples that we would share a week of adventures with. Harris, the owner of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Georgia, and his wife, Kathy, had invited us to the recently finished Sanctuary on the Mesa, a stunning home worthy of a spread in Architectural Digest. The five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath home has a state-of-the-art kitchen, a large outside covered porch, hot tub and flat-screen TVs in every room. One would never have to leave the property except for the amazing natural wonders, skiing and fishing the area has to offer. Over the week we explored and fished the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, did a float trip on the lower Gunnison with Rigs Fly Shop in Ridgeway, explored Ouray, described as the Switzerland of America, and rode E-bikes over scenic and sparsely traveled nearby roads.
The accommodations, the scenic surroundings and the multitude of opportunities for every lover of the outdoors are unmatched in my experience. Sanctuary on the Mesa is a destination I look forward to visiting again and is a wonderful venue to share with fishermen, family and friends. To book your piece of paradise, email sanctuaryonthemesa@gmail.com.
