TRAINS, FESTIVALS AND SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO
SILVERTON & DURANGO RAILROAD http://www.durangorailway.com/
Chugging
into Durango, Colorado, the picture postcard perfect Silverton & Durango Railroad
captures the essence of long ago where women in long dresses shopped and cowboys tipped
hats in greeting. This quaint Victorian town lies at 6,512 feet in the southwest corner of
Colorado, surrounded by pine forests and colorful quacking aspen groves in the San Juan
Mountains. I fell in love with Durango.
“All Abooooaard”, signaled passengers to settle in for a relaxing ride into the Royal Gorge, the River of Lost Souls. Winter passengers can select a heated coach or parlor car. Take either the roundtrip all day train with 2 hour stop in Silverton, or a bus one way and the train the other like we did.
The chugging heartbeat steam rhythm sets the pace along one of the prettiest and rugged river valleys you'll ever see. Breathe fresh mountain air while letting go of stress on tracks that carried miners, precious gold and silver, then tourists for 120 years.
A massive engineering undertaking with nature always the master during
downpours and avalanches, pieces of rusty rail still poke higgidy piggidy out of the water
along with a few old bridges. The Animas River meanders through narrow back canyons as the
train slows over thin terrain, coming so close to rock cuts that I didn't want to sneeze.
Taking on water at Needleton tank from a long spigot, men on the train roof
looked like characters from a John Wayne movie. I can imagine my Irish ancestors doing the
same. As the train passed over High Bridge wooden trestle, letting off side steam twice
proved a spectacular show.
S&D railroad serves tourists, carries supplies for remote cabins, and drops and
picks up backpackers on arrangement. A boxcar stows their backpacks, but where the smelly
backpackers went, I did not see. An exclusive golf resort, Tall Timber Resort, originally
"Ah! Wilderness” Dude Ranch from 1852-1985 is accessed only by train or
helicopter. The large Resort meadow hosts an annual S&D fall photographer
special. The only wildlife we saw was two magnificently racked buck and four
chipmunks. With big horn sheep, elk and bear in this valley anything can appear.
DURANGO http://www.durango.org/
Established in 1881 as a frontier-mining town, Durango is close to the Four Corners area, where Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona meet. Breathtaking beauty, ranches, rolling hills and friendly people know their real gold is in scenery and year-round recreation such as: skiing, hiking, camping, fishing, rafting, kayaking and cycling. Watch for street fairs, musicians and art festivals.
Durango has several beautiful turn-of-the-century restored hotels complete with antique
furnishings for get-aways.
SILVERTON http://www.silverton.org/
Silverton (means tons of silver) is located about 500 mountainous miles from Denver in a meadow formed from an old volcanic caldera (basin) when the ancient volcano blew its top. A roaring camp turned into a full blown and brazen mining town of renown for 11 years. Silverton retains much of its original brick Victorian architecture, furnishings, fixtures and stamped tin ceilings.
The old bars and restaurants are still open. Old bordellos are spiffed up and made into comfortable hotels without the ladies of the night. A Pioneer spirit prevails as descendants’ still welcome visitors. There are many great places to eat like the Handlebar whose brick interior is decorated with just about every stuffed animal head and bird. Good food and friendly service. Artisans of wood, weaving, jewelry and paintings along with typical souvenirs, tee shirts and Native American items are sold on Main Street.
HARDROCK
FESTIVAL -- entrants demonstrate difficult skills of drilling, mucking, spiking, tug-o-war
and wheelbarrow racing. Picnickers blanket the hillside for ringside seats. Incredible
five-person tug-o-war teams lay on a ribbed wooden board. An anchorperson in harness bends
backwards, red with exertion, holding ground. Judges measure distance in inches while
onlookers cheer.
The single man drilling contestant assembles massive drill pieces, runs to a granite block and drills two precise holes — not very easy as the powerful water drill bounces off the rock -- then runs back to disassemble everything and throw up triumphant shaky hands.
Hardrock contests are held wherever mines exist across the US.
BACHELOR-SYRACYSE MINE, OURAY, COLORADO
http://www.destinationcoupons.com/Colorado/Ouray/bachelor_syracuse.html
Swallowed by darkness, our mine train rattled 3500 feet into the sandstone
Bachelor-Syracuse Mine. Dark black streaks along the walls are silver ore. Disembarking
deep in the mine with only miner's candlelight, we learned the art of jacking, double
jacking and water drilling in near darkness. Miners work in pairs taking turns holding a
steel spike while the other heaves a heavy mall, the double jack. Deaf during hammering,
miners use sign language by covering the glowing spike for “STOP”. When not
paying attention the hitter hits the holders’ hand causing broken bones and pay back.
Cornish immigrant miners had difficult names and accents so everyone was called “Jack.” That's how the term “jack” and “double-jack” came along. After mastering all mine positions, you were a “jack-of-all-trades.”
One-hour mine tour costs $14.95, but for $20 we also got gold panning lessons. Gold panning technique proved rather simple but tedious for little reward. Scoop a shovel full of mud and rocks, swirl a pan full of water tipping mud out over the pans’ ridges. Continue until all particles of mud are gone while heavy gold settles to the bottom. Carefully look for tiny shiny particles of gold. I needed a magnifying glass.
Southwestern Colorado is as wild as the Old West and as tame as Telluride boutiques. Colorado offers the great outdoors in spades, mixed with history, stagecoach rides, arts and festivals. With the Internet, planning a trip is up to your imagination and budget.
