Exit78 Photo of the Day #108
Our drive through Dolores County, Colorado, in 2015 was completely unplanned. We had thought to travel over to the Moab, Utah, area after leaving Mesa Verde, but changed our mind when, on checking the weather forecast, we learned that temperatures there were going to be in the 90s. Checking the outlook for other areas, we decided to head toward Grand Junction. Along the way, we were treated to stunning vistas replete with great fall colors, such as this one from Rico.
Town Hall, Rico, Dolores County, Colorado, September 29, 2015 (Pentax K-3 II)
Rico (Wikipedia)
Rico is an incorporated small town in Dolores County, Colorado, United States. It was settled in 1879 as a silver mining center in the Pioneer Mining District; today it functions as a historic and tourism site. The population was 265 at the 2010 census,[8] up from 205 at the 2000 census. Its current form of government is that of a Home Rule Municipality.
Rico is a name derived from Spanish meaning “rich”.
Rico is located in eastern Dolores County at 37°41′32″N 108°1′51″W (37.692095, -108.030839), in the valley of the Dolores River. Colorado State Highway 145 passes through the town as it follows the river, leading southwest 48 miles (77 km) to Cortez and northeast over Lizard Head Pass 27 miles (43 km) to Telluride.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Rico has an area of 0.8 square miles (2.0 km2), all of it land.
Rico experiences an alpine subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc) with long, cold, very snowy winters and short, cool summers due to the high altitude and high precipitation year-round due to orographic lift.
Series notes:
- The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
- Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
