Day 5 Durango to Silverton

Today was a highlight!!!  Especially for Steve!  The day didn't start out as a highlight - snow and ice!  Our trip plan was to ride a tour bus to Silverton then bring the train back down to Durango, but when we arrived at the station, we were notified that the bus might not be able to make it through the pass at the top of the mountain.  (The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic had been canceled due to impassable roads.)  However, we made it through, although we did see where one unfortunate driver went off the side of the mountain into the canyon.  As I explained in a previous blog, there are very few guardrails due to the snowplows needing to be able to push the snow-mass off the edge of the mountain.

Our bus driver / tour guide, Jim, was extremely knowledgeable (he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and teaches outdoor survival, etc at the local college) so taking the bus up the mountain was advantageous in learning about the region.

We were able to spend a little time in Silverton before time to board the train - we followed our tour guide's recommendation and ate at "Mustache's Food and Bar" - delicious and quaint - including our waitress who wore a mustache!!!  Silverton's year round population is only 500, so one can only imagine how they rely on tourist's to sustain income.  Very nice shops and restaurants.

We had originally chosen seats on the train in the open gondola, but when we heard the forecast, we were able to exchange the seats for an indoor coach.  However, the seats were the worst seats on the train for viewing the scenery, the first car behind the tender and a boxcar - and to top it off, we were seated in the first row.  After about 10 minutes, we decided to see if there were any other seats available - which there were plenty.  Believe it or not, we chose an open air gondola (it actually sleeted a little!) and LOVED it.  Steve took over 200 pics and several videos - he was in his element!!!

The trip back on the train lasted 3 1/2 hours.  Needless to say, we were cold and ready to call it a day!

Quiz - out of these animals, which one did we NOT see today?
prairie dogs - fox - elk (herd of 100) - geese - bear - mule deer
Answer - we saw All of them!!  Such a wonderful day in God's creation!

Until next time ~
the happy travelers