Storms over Blanca Peak (and friends)
But by the time we swung south on the road to San Luis, CO, the sun had burst forth, and we were treated to a spectacular view of the southern tip of the Sangre de Christo mountains.
San Luis is the oldest town in Colorado, having been formally established on April 9, 1851. It is small but charming.
These days, this arid part of Colorado is sparsely populated. Farmers do still eke out a living with the help of irrigation, but with the railroad gone, much of the cattle and sheep industry has gone as well. What few tiny towns we found south of San Luis were often little more than dirt roads and fields, and the abandoned homesteads almost outnumbered the inhabited ones.
Cows definitely outnumber the tourists.
Ute Mountain, an extinct volcano just across the border in New Mexico, was a familiar sight to some of my ancestors.
Lots of sagebrush on the road to Antonito, CO.
My dad is a railfan, so we paused in Antonito, CO, to look for trains. The narrow gauge Cumbres and Toltec Railroad still runs between Antonito, CO, and Chama, NM. Standard gauge tracks are 4 feet 8.5 inches wide whereas narrow gauge tracks (in CO, AZ, and NM) are 3 feet wide. The smaller gauge is cheaper to build and maintain, and the smaller curve radii possible are better suited to mountainous terrain.
Narrow gauge only from here to Chama!
An old steam engine on display in Antonito.
From Antonito, we headed west and then south toward New Mexico. As the road climbed into the mountains, the landscape rapidly became greener.
We saw Aspen trees just beginning to leaf out as we neared Cumbres Pass. This area is part of the southeastern tip of the Rio Grande National Forest.
Still a bit of snow on the peaks and in the high meadows, even in late May.
At the top of Cumbres Pass, elevation 10,022 feet
Heading down the pass toward Chama, NM.
The station in Chama, NM.
The old round house.
Coal tower
Trains!
A parts donor.
Chama, NM, is a tiny town, and the Cumbres & Toltec narrow gauge railroad is the main tourist draw for the area. We stayed at the Chama Station Inn right across the road from the station and yard.
Welcome to New Mexico!
Chillin' in Chama outside my room.
After dinner, we drove back up the pass a ways to watch the sun set and to look for wildlife. Though the pictures aren't great, we did find two herds of elk.
As we were walking back to our rooms that night, we heard a coyote singing, something I had never experienced before. It's a lonely, haunting sound, but as someone who has been trapped too long in a major city, it was a thrill to hear. New Mexico isn't called the Land of Enchantment for nothing.
Next time, the drive through southern Colorado to Mesa Verde, featuring iron horses and wild horses.
(The title of this post comes from one of my favorite musical artists, Tori Amos, from her song "A Sorta Fairytale.")
No comments:
Post a Comment