The San Juan Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, spreading across more than 10,000 square miles of southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico.  With an average elevation of over 10,000 feet, they are the highest mass of mountains in the U.S. (Thirteen of its peaks reach the  14,000-foot mark, while many more peaks reach 10,000-13,000 feet).

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We had an opportunity to drive up and over one of the range's few mountain passes accessible by highway; Wolf Creek Pass, located on U.S. Highway 160, in between Pagosa Springs and South Fork, Colorado. At nearly 11,000 feet above sea level, the pass was the highest elevation we would reach during the entire trip. The pass is significantly steep on either of its sides (6.8% maximum grade), and is a legendary, if sometimes dangerous (winter conditions), route across the Rockies.

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