The San Juan Mountains

In which Moominmama rides the Durango-Silverton narrow-gauge railroad and hikes in the San Juan Mountains...

Moominmama had signed up for a steam train excursion in Ely, Nevada last year only for the engine to break down the night before, replaced by a diesel. 

Here in Durango, I had another shot at riding behind a steam engine, and I took it. This is a narrow-gauge railroad, where the tracks are closer together than a conventional track, allowing narrower trains to better navigate along ridges and steep turns. Of which there were a few!

The trip from Durango to Silverton climbs almost 3,000 feet. Driving between the two towns takes just over an hour by car but 3.5 hours by rail because the train cuts tight between rock walls and the rushing river. 

It's still a beautiful ride through the San Juan Mountains. By standing toward the back of the train and between two cars, I could lean out a bit (when it was safe) and see the cars snaking forward. When they say narrow here, they mean it. The tracks run precariously close to some sheer drop-offs.

The San Juan Mountains were mined extensively at one time, so train tracks to move the ore (gold and silver) were vital. 

The Durango-Silverton line dates back to 1882, originally intended to carry ore, but carrying passengers as well ever since. It's now a National Historic Landmark.

And while Moominmama has been to Durango several times over the years, this was my first time riding the train. 

One of the thrills was getting to see what the phrase "blowing off steam" really looks like! Standing between the rear cars as we made this turn, I even got hit with some of the water vapor.

Besides riding the train, Moominmama also laced up her hiking boots to get into the San Juans. 

After driving through the deserts of Arizona, Texas and New Mexico since March, getting to Durango has been my first experience of spring!  Much of the southwest simply skipped the season and went straight to summer so getting back to Colorado has been a treat.

The lupins are now blooming near Durango, with the leaves and grasses a fresh, pale green. There are soft white blossoms and sunny yellow ones.
I even saw some wild irises. It's been cool at night, with highs, at most, in the low 70s during the days. Perfect for hiking.

Moominmama continues now both northward and upward. Next stop is Telluride (8,750 feet), where I should be able to enjoy mountain hikes aplenty and a spring that's at an even earlier stage.

I leave you with a photo from the Durango library, which occupies a lovely spot along the Animas River, with a biking and walking path running behind the building. 

Here's the view from a back window. Moominmama spent several days here getting work done and enjoyed it very much! 












Location: Durango, CO, USA

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