ACGPSY Blog

Durango and Silverton, Colorado

May 22, 2013

I had the pleasure to take a ride on a historic, coal-fired, steam-powered train through the backcountry wilderness of the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. It was an amazing journey with echoes of times past.

The 45 mile ride starts in the historic district of downtown Durango, Colorado.  This is the first trestle we cross on our ride though  beautiful forests, valleys, canyons and the well known highline.

After leaving the lush green valley of Durango, the train chugs into the vast forest of the the San Juan National Forest.  I am in the last open air gondola, hanging over the edge to shoot this image from the moving train as it rounds the bend.

The Denver & Rio Grande Railway arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881 and construction on the line began in the fall of that year.  By July of 1882 the tracks to Silverton were completed.  The line was constructed to haul silver and gold ore from the mountains, but passengers soon realized it was the view that was truly precious. Today the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The train travels through some of the very best scenery that Colorado has to offer.  This is the Animas River as it flows to Durango at about 9,500 feet of elevation. It is running fast with the spring snow melt.

Another view as the train climbs and rounds a sharp corner following the contours of the mountain.

I took over a 1,000 shots on the ride up to Silverton and back to Durango.  If you ever get the chance to ride this great old train, don’t miss it.

Cortez, Colorado

May 9, 2013

Mesa Verde National Park is one of few places where one can travel back in time. It is an area where imagination can predominate the views.

Approaching the park, the first glimpse is of Point Lookout, the sandstone-capped shale promontory looming over the valley.

Natural fire has always been a part of the Mesa Verde story.  75% of the park area has been burned since it was formed in 1906.  Snags are a part of the landscape everywhere you look. This is a view into Montezuma Valley.

We spotted a few wild horses wandering the park.  We also watched a small herd of mule deer, a coyote and red-tailed hawk.

One of the many cliff dwelling is called Square Tower House.  It is a good example of how the native people took advantage of the natural topography to site their villages.

The view of Cliff Canyon is where the highest number of cliff dwelling can be found in the park.

In the area is the BLM managed Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.  This is a view of Lowry Pueblo which is a 1,000 year old Ancestral Puebloan village.