50 years. It had been almost 50 years since David was in the US Coast Guard. And almost 50 years since he’d seen his USCG Sagebrush friend, Steve. As luck would have it, Steve & Linda live in Durango, Colorado. After Mesa Verde, we decided on a side trip to visit Steve and spend a couple days in Durango.
David & Steve surveying vehicles that had previously gone over the edge… yes, there were cars down there…
Hanging out with locals was definitely a highlight of our first western adventure. Locals know all the cool stuff to do, and while there was no way we could begin to touch the tip of the iceberg, we maxed out the few days we had … and know we need to return!
Day 1 we enjoyed the Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Steam Railroad … well we enjoyed part of it. The night before they had a major rockslide that closed the tracks all the way to Silverton, so we got to ride part of the way to a turnaround (I guess this isn’t the first time rockslides close the track!).
The famous Durango to Silverton steam train.
The scenery was beautiful and the train was very cool. We chose to ride in the car with the historical narration which was funny besides providing insight into a time gone by.
Jan & David enjoying the history on the narrated Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Steam railroad.
Then it was off to the top of a nearby mountain to enjoy overlooking the city of Durango. Somehow we were talked into “walking” to the top of Hogs Back Mountain – which we could see across the way. We were assured that it was an easy walk and I didn’t need to even think about the fact I had on maryjanes for shoes and not hiking boots, or even tennis shoes.
Jan & David at the top of Hogs Back Mountain with Durango in the background.
Coming down proved problematic (or maybe I’m just a chicken?) – the loose shale and steep descents on either side left me scooting on my behind. No problem, all is well that ends well!
Sliding down Hogs Back Mountain – maybe not the best idea to “climb” in MaryJanes – could have used my hiking boots on the loose shale surface.
The next day we went dirt road exploring into the mountains for abandoned gold mines. There are multitudes of abandoned gold mines in them thar hills! Great fun – makes me want to buy a Subaru Outback! This day was my favorite and wouldn’t have been possible without someone local who knew the area – those old dirt roads didn’t come with a map or GPS coordinates!
Dirt road exploring abandoned gold mines in the hills around Durango.
Just another abandoned gold mine – they’re everywhere up here!
Note the snow? So much for David wearing his shorts. I’m still being harrassed about the temperatures.
Jan & David on the scenic route to Silverton.
But we drove up through Silverton (since we didn’t get to see the scenery from the train) and all the way to Ouray to sit in the hot springs in a blizzard.
Enjoying the hot springs in Ouray, not an entirely natural setting but three large pools with different degrees of warm. We chose the hot one in advance of the blizzard and snow to come.
Along the way were budding aspen groves, spectacular mountain scenery, a twisty narrow slightly scary mountain road and waterfalls …
Aspens in May
And waterfalls … We absolutely must return to Durango. We had to leave a day earlier than planned, driven by the a blizzard moving in overnight and we needed to be in Denver two days hence… so enjoy now …
Mountain waterfalls …
What was your favorite thing to do in Durango? Please leave a comment and share so we don’t miss anything next time! Cheers! Jan
