Snowslide Campground, San Juan National Forest - Colorado

 

I was boondocking for a week at Snowslide Camp outside of Durango, Colorado. It's an organized campground with good level sites, wooded, with sturdy picnic tables and a large campfire ring. So, there are fees, but they're reasonable. There is a water pump with good water at another camp just up the road, you just have to work at it.

Plus, there's a little stream that goes by the campground not too far from the sites. If you like the sound of water running over rocks, this is for you.

When you explore the area, you'll find lots of things, some you don't even have to look for - they'll find you. This little guy was on my neighbor's table one morning after I saw him running around to see what kind of trouble he could get into.

 

It's a scenic road to the campground, just off a main road headed west from Durango. This old building was picturesque.

 

If you explore up the road a mile or so, you can find waterfalls and other campgrounds that do not have a fee, but they are not as nice as this one - they're more rustic. Read "roads that are rutted and no picnic tables".

 

The entire area has lots of wildflowers that were blooming, and some nice hiking trails.

 

 

My area had lots of hummingbirds buzzing around. They would fly by your head within inches.

 

 

  

 

 

 

Silverton, Colorado

I arrived in Silverton on the Durango-Silverton Railway. The layover was 2 hours so everyone could explore and have lunch during that time.

I decided to find a place to get a quick sandwich and then wander through the town to take pictures. The buildings are historic and some of the main streets are hard-packed dirt. Unfortunately, there is so much to see, it's not possible to see it all just two hours, especially when you stop for ice cream after lunch! The restaurant shown below was a saloon and bordello back in the early 1900s.

It's obviously very tourist-oriented, with numerous restaurants within a few blocks, as well as ice cream shops and gift shops. It would be a fun place to spend more time.

 

 

 

Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway - Colorado

If you like to take scenic train trips - don't miss this one. The scenery was spectacular. You can take the train round trip or take the first leg and come back to Durango on a bus. I didn't realize you could do just one way, but if you do, be sure you get on the right side of the train. I think it was the most scenic.

The locomotive uses coal as fuel, so you'll get some smoke and dust from the engine. The trip north gains about 3000 feet in elevation, so there are multiple stops along the way to take on water. At one point, they do a "blow down", to release extra steam that builds up. The photo below shows the steam coming out of the engine in a cloud.

Along the way, we were able to see an elk in a field, horses, farm land and some old railroad cars off to the side.

We went past a serene lake surrounded with pine trees and then started following the river.

The river scenery was spectacular and went through a steep gorge in one area.

There was mostly white water from the current and rocks in the river. In one area, we saw some kayakers that were going down the river. They were waiting in a quiet spot, having gone through one white-water area into another that included a drop that looked to be at least 5-6' into more white water. I'm sure they were getting splashed along the way - and that water is cold!

There were some scenic bridges and foot bridges along the way.

 

There are coach cars, where you'd be seated in an enclosed car. I opted for the gondola car, there are seats facing the outside and the sides are open from about the waist up. That way, I could take lots of photos. Below are more scenes from the trip - I just tried to pick out the highlights, the ride was bumpy and noisy, but well worth it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aztec ruins

 

Although they are known as Aztec Ruins, these ruins were not built by the Aztecs, who were based in Mexico. Apparently, early settlers gave them that name and it stuck.

There were multiple ruins here, the main complex contained about 500 rooms and was three stories tall. Excavation began as early as the mid 1800s, but was looted over the years. Even the stones from the walls were carried away for others to use as building materials. It wasn't until the early 1900s that excavation was begun again and in the 1930s the Great Kiva was reconstructed. A kiva is a community structure used for religious and ceremonial reasons and they are always round.

 

Doorways of homes or storage areas were low, some less than four feet tall. Small logs over the opening were to support the opening.

 

Windows were lined up, possibly for air flow.

The long back wall was built so that it was aligned with the sun on the summer solstice. I find it amazing that these people could not only construct a complex like this, but to align it in such a manner as to coordinate with the seasons.
 

 

 

I just love these ruins - and there are more to see in this area.   

 

 

Four Corners

 

There is only one place in the US where you can stand in 4 different states all at the same time, at Four Corners - Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico meet there.

 

The center of the plaza contains the bronze marker where people line up to have their photos taken standing in four states at once. While I was there, kids did hand stands and back arches while their parents took pictures. It was hard to get a photo of just the center with the state seals and names without people.

The corner was established in 1868 by surveyors, but the marker has been changed/updated 4 times since then. The existing marker was placed in 1992.

 

If anyone was in a shopping mood, the area was surrounded with buildings open on one side for stalls where the local people could sell their jewelry, sand paintings, T shirts and other items.

 

Canyon de Chelly, Arizona

This post will be different from most - it's just a photo blog.  No words are necessary when faced with these magnificent canyon walls and rock formations.

 

 

 

White House Ruins, Canyon de Chelly, Arizona

 


This photo was the view at the top of the canyon near the trail leading to the White House Ruins. I had no idea if the ruins were cliff dwellings or not, since I have been seeing quite a few cliff dwellings in this area. I was surprised when the trail took me to the floor of this canyon. The trail was well marked and zigzagged down the canyon walls, sometimes dirt, sometimes rock and sometimes steps.

When I reached the canyon floor, the trail continued before I reached the actual dwellings. A good portion of the ruins are actually on the ground, but there is an upper level that was built in a natural cave high above the other dwellings on the floor. The ruins are all fenced in, so photos were limited. There were petroglyphs that were quite large, easily seen in the photo below, to the left of the center, not too far from the cave dwellings. Others were visible also.

 

I went on the hike early in the morning, but by the time I was ready to start back up, it had gotten hotter, even though it was before 9 AM. With the sun beating down, the rock walls retain heat and lack of air flow makes it seem hotter. There were still people headed down while I was coming up and I mentioned to one woman that the high elevation was the worst part. She agreed and told me she had been here 6 months and it still bothers her. So much for the adjustment within a couple days! When I went to the visitor center later in the day, I noticed a sign about the hikes - this one was rated "moderately strenuous". I think I'll start the next hike at 6 AM when it's cooler!

The nicest part of the trail were a couple short tunnels, instead of making us climb up a large rock formation. It was nice and cool inside, and I was thinking a few benches would be an improvement! The next photo shows the top of the canyon, from part-way up the trail.

I was happy to get back in my truck and turn the AC on. Tomorrow, I'm starting out earlier - guess I should set an alarm.