Travelling Back In Time

On Friday (6/21) we left Monument Valley via the Four Corners and headed for a night in Durango Colorado. Laundry, bookshop and a a bite at Steamworks Brewing (which had an IPA remarkably like Lawson's Super Session #2!) made for a just a taste- we wish we had more time in this chill, very cool mountain town. We'll be back!

The real fun started on Saturday morning, however, when we boarded the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Steam Train which has been in continuous operation since 1882! (Thanks to Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob for the recommendation!) We were in the Knight Sky car, which has a glass roof and open air sides for the best viewing. While the views were pretty amazing- the track cuts through the San Juan Mountains/ National Forest following the Animus river- we weren't really prepared for the 45 degree slushy, rainy weather. So, it was pretty chilly but we did get to know our neighbors much better as we all huddled towards the middle, haha. Along the way we had narration where we learned more about the mechanics (round-trip the fireman shovels about 6 TONS of coal per day!) and history of the DSNGRR (General Palmer didn't tell anyone the locations of the train until it was complete because he knew his investors would've balked at the craziness of the idea). Our favorite piece of narration was how , since this was built before dynamite sticks, the EYE-talians (as pronounced) would rappel down, light the fuse and pray their friends at top would pull them back up quickly enough to not get blown up. Those crazy, Eye-talians...

As if taking a steam train wasn't enough, stepping off into Silverton was like walking into 1882 itself-> The names have changed but historic main street face has been left in tact- saloons, soda shops, hotels, all surrounded by beautiful mountains. We stayed at the historic Grand Imperial which was recently renovated and incredibly simple but inviting. Apparently no trip to Silverton is complete without doing the Old Hundred Mine Tour so we warmed up and hopped a ride on down for a 90 minute tour that took us deep in by train car and walked us through the technologies/ techniques and dangers of mining through the years. That night we met a woman whose niece goes to Green Mountain Valley school in our town and she helped Matt plan a winter trip (experts only so it'll be a boys trip!). Sunday morning was filled with visiting the many cool galleries then on a bus (much faster) back to Durango and on to our next destination: Majestic Dude Ranch!

MATT SAYS:

Silverton really is something to enjoy both in summer and winter with all the ATV traffic and 4 wheel drive trucks heading into the mountains it left me feeling like it would be a blast to do a back country 4 X 4 tour. The mines were scattered everywhere throughout the mountains, and the only people that made any money off the mining industry are the tour operators of the mine today. By the way the tour operators had great knowledge of the industry, but made it fun and interesting for the kids. A great fact about the mines in Silverton is that they were all safe and did not have a tragedy since the 50's. Some credit the beautiful Italian marble Jesus Shrine of the Mines built in 1959 as one of the reasons for great mining safety record in Silverton.

Grady who gave us an extra tour of the area showed us some other mining facilities where they had been cleaning the mercury out of the soil. Plus he brought us deeper into the mountains to show how the avalanches this winter had wiped out a few homes and caused all kinds of damage in the valley this year. I believe his main point was to show how truly awesome these avalanches really were and that we should respect all avalanche warnings.

The Grand Imperial hotel where we stayed was refurbished well and it is one of the only hotels open during ski season. The town shrinks down to 400 people in the winter, so if you plan on making this your extreme back country destination, be aware the social interaction is very limited. As with many small ski and outdoor recreational based towns, the people were friendly and more than willing to make some recommendations for our next ski vacation. Looking forward to putting together a back country tour in Silverton with "Schockey" (local guide) in the next 2 years.

ANA SAYS:

Silverton was beautiful and cold. I loved the mountains and it was just stunning. The train ride was very fun because I loved the view and I loved sitting in first class. When we were Silverton we were lucky enough to go inside a real silver mine. I liked gold panning and i got real silver from the mine.

JOSIE SAYS:

The mountains were really cool and it was amazing how the weather changed in a day. In the morning it was nice and sunny and beautiful and in the afternoon it just started snowing- it was really bizarre. We heard that mining and skiing were pretty big things in Silverton and you would not want to go there if you were a beginner. Of course we didn't go skiing but we did go on a mining tour. it was really cool and we actually got to see where gold comes from in the rocks. Turns out it comes from white quartz rock veins- which I still have no idea what it is- but it was pretty cool even though I didn't get all of it.

THERESA SAYS:

After being in the desert for a while, it was nice to be back in some green mountains! Silverton was like Switzerland with a "wild west" theme at 10k+ feet. And yes, it snowed while we were there! I happened to wake up early dawn for a minute and there was a thin layer over town. By the time the sun came up it was gone. We also saw A LOT of devastation from this years' many avalanches- houses crushed and big trees snapped like toothpicks- which I had never seen before. Everything else has been said except I wish I had more time to shop in the many galleries- especially in Durango- really cool art and furniture! :)