When we decided to go through Four Corners and to Mesa Verde, we heard about a coal-powered steam train that runs from Durango to Silverton in southwestern Colorado. As soon as I heard the word “Durango,” I wanted to go – coolest, most evocative Western town name! (The name actually comes from the Basque word “urango” meaning “water town” – not very romantic.)

Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1879. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881, and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882 (9 months later! – private money, not government), the tracks to Silverton were completed, and the train began hauling both freight and passengers. The line was constructed to haul silver and gold ore from the San Juan Mountains, but passengers soon realized it was the view that was truly precious. The train has been in continuous operation between Durango and Silverton since 1882, carrying passengers behind vintage steam locomotives and rolling stock indigenous to the line.

The train was steamed up and waiting for us at the station.

Patrick could have booked a seat in the cab with the engineer, but it would have cost $1000!

The narrow-gauge track follows the Animas River, back and forth on both sides of the river

for 3½ hours along cliffs,

through steep canyons,

and next to rock walls

of the most gorgeous granite you’ll ever see.

Along the side of the tracks we saw many piles of brush, and one of our fellow passengers, who had recently retired from the Forest Service, explained what they were: during the summer months, crews clear out underbrush that would be fuel for forest fires and leave it in piles. Then after the snow flies, they come through and torch it. Good plan! We saw no evidence of forest fires along the route.

In places the river was placid, but there were some rapids that invite white-water rafting in warmer weather.

Shortly before we arrived in Silverton, there was a train holdup! Masked men on horseback stopped the train and rode along the side.

They didn’t actually take our money, though, although we offered it – we know that volunteers often collect for charity by these train robberies.

Silverton is at 9,000 feet, and as we approached we began seeing snow on the San Juan Mountains to the east. These mountains are all over 10,000 feet high, but they seem shorter because we’re looking at them from only a few thousand feet lower.

The weather continues blessedly cool and comfortable, in the 60s and 70s. But the altitude is difficult to handle: our RV park and Durango are at 7,000 feet, and we haven’t been below 6,500 feet for several days. We have been told to drink liquids constantly, and we do. It seems that at these altitudes, ordinary breathing causes a loss of moisture, which leads to dehydration and headaches. Every night here I’ve woken up in the small hours with a headache, dry mouth, and thirst. I’m told our bodies are adjusting by producing more red corpuscles that will process oxygen better, but we’re not going to be hanging around long enough for those new corpuscles to catch up.

We had a couple of hours in Silverton, ate lunch, visited little shops – cute place, about what you’d expect.

Then we climbed aboard for the ride back to Durango, clickety clack, clickety clack. Fun day!