We head out early today, headed for Rockwood where we'll catch the train. Instead of taking the entire route from Silverton to Durango, we have opted for a shorter train ride from Rockwood to Cascade Canyon and back - a two hour trip.
We cross Molas Pass (10,910') and beautiful scenery on the way, but we'll come back this way at a more leisurely pace.
Rockwood is a tiny place with the train station being the main feature. We arrive early and have a leisurely breakfast and watch a couple of trains come through.
The Silverton-Durango, or Durango-Silverton narrow gauge (3')steam engines have been operating continuously for 138 years. They are narrow gauge because it is easier to lay track, easier to make curves and such so that they don't need tunnels through the mountains.
Beautiful scenery through mountains, canyons, alongside a wild Animas river in the San Juan National Forest.
Some places the clearance between the train and rock walls is only 8-10"!
The crew - conductor, brakeman, and tour guide/snack peddler Josh are all pleasant.
The train returns to Rockwood at 1:10, and we head back north on 550. This is part of what they call "The Million Dollar Highway" (due to the cost when it was first built). Lots of steep grades, switchbacks and narrow roads, often without guard rails! But amazing scenery.
This picture is from Coal Bank Lookout (10,640') where we stop for a bit.
We stop again at the site of Yankee Girl Mine, one of the richest silver mines ever, discovered in 1882. It closed in 1898 and these remains linger on. The mountains are scarred from the mining but signs say they are being remediated.
This is Bear Creek Falls - the ripple marks in the rock next to the falls were formed by moving water when this land was horizontal rather than vertical!
We stop in Ouray and visit Box Canyon Falls on the edge of town. A unique waterfalls deep in a rocky box canyon.
Black swifts migrate here from Brazil every year....here is a nest along the canyon wall with egg.
Lots of cute chipmunks in the area around the visitor's center.
We visit main street for a little shopping and go to Maggie's for dinner, recommended by a young man in one of the stores. OK place but really just sandwiches and a few sides - you could skip this one. Here's a look back at the town, nestled among the mountains.
From Ouray we continue north towards Owl Creek Pass for a camping spot for the night. County Road 10 to County Road 8 - gravel, but quite well maintained. We wind through some beautiful aspen forests - must be an even more amazing site in the Fall!
We find a nice large open space off the road and stop here for the night.
We chat with Ron from Denver, who is also camping here - he just left his job and place in Denver and is looking for a house out here "away from the craziness" of Denver.
Nice wildflowers along a short trail
and beautiful moonrise!
No comments:
Post a Comment