SW COLORADO, DURANGO TO SILVERTON

After dropping the "kids" off at doggie daycare, we get aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The locomotive is steam powered fired by coal. The train goes up the Animas River through this spectacular canyon. We are told that National Geographic declared this to be the most scenic train ride in America. Our coach has a period dressed actor, an Indian maiden and General William Palmer, the founder of the D&SRR in 1870. During the 44.5 mile trip to Silverton we stop several times to take on water or to drop off passengers. It takes 3 1/2 hours and we have a two hour lunch stop in Silverton. This gives Peggy just barely enough time for shopping. We lunch at the Shady Lady, a brothel until 1947. This town was a silver and gold mining town and now has two main streets. A lot of the buildings are original and historical. The whole place caters to the tourist so we're in luck. The trip down confirms the Animas to be a runable continuous class 2-3 river, class 4-5 through some of the canyons. A permit is needed to do the inaccessable canyon that goes through the San Juan National Forest.

 After we pick up the "kids" at doggie daycare we take a site at United Campground. This is only our second hook-up since we left.

Historical Narrator-Chief Ouray's wife Chipeta.

View of narrow gauge track.

The Animas River

Filling steam engine with water.

Train rounding a curve on the narrow gauge track.

Following the Animas river.

Peggy standing in front of the steam engine.

Shady Lady in Silverton, Colorado