October, 2008

This is my Christmas Cactus that I hauled from Ohio but.... I think it is a bit confused. I thought they bloomed at Christmas and here it is October.

October 2007

Here is a look back at Ouray as we started back over the saddle to Silverton. The whole trip has been so spectacular. What fun and with what fun friends.
We had some funny things happen on the way over. Beverly Winters was driving and it was pitch dark when she accidently hit the light switch with her knee and turned the lights off while we were going about 60 miles an hour. Luckily the road was straight and she didn't totally panick.

October 2007

Ouray is a really quaint place....alot like Switzerland. We went shopping a little and into the ice cream store before we headed back. This little town is nestled in a little narrow valley surrounded by about 10 or 15 high jagged peaks, most being 15 thousand feet high.

October 2007

This is the biggest building in Silverton and these are our funnest trip buddies you could imagine. We are having the best time going into the little shops and goofing around. But since Ouray is just over the mountain (over the windiest and most scenic road you will ever see) we decided to go over there before we went back to Durango. So here we go......

October 2007

Well, we finally made it. It was so fun. Here at Silverton the trains have to turn around and go back to Durango. The trip take about 3 hours each way. What a hoot (I mean toot)

October 2007

There were two stops to pick up water for the steam engines. This is the last one. From here Silverton is only about 35 minutes ahead. At times the rails go along a cut in the cliff which is only about 12 feet wide with the river about 300 feet below. The ride is spectacular to say the least.

October 2007

Here we go.....up the canyon with both engines huffing and puffing for all they are worth. At this point we were about half the way to Silverton. The train is a narrow gage railroad train. The train cars are a little smaller than normal and swing back and forth the whole way.

October 2007

Well, on day 2 we boarded the steam locomotive for Silverton, a mining town up the canyon about 30 miles. The train only traveled about 15 miles per hour with 2 stops for water and one to unhook one of the locomotives when we had to cross a bridge that was not strong enough to carry two locomotives. (Because our train had so many cars and people, it took two steam locomotives hooked together to pull us up the mountain to Silverton) The locomotives really burn coal and put out cinders all over the place. And they have the steam whistle which is so cool.

October 2007

On the way down the mountain, we stopped to see a couple of abandoned steam boilers that were just like the ones that my dad used to run his sawmill in Pacheco Mexico. It brought back alot of fun memories. The fireboxes are on the other side which were made of cast iron and still in tact. What a fun site. They must have been used to run a steam engine used in ore crushing or milling of some type.

October 2007

Here we are at the 13 or 14 thousand foot level. It was really quite a feeling. From here we could see for hundreds of miles in every direction. After I took the picture, I had to lay down and rest for a minute to catch my breath. From here, we started back down the rocky road to the Winter's lodge.

October 2007

One the first day, the Winter's son Cameron got us two 4 wheelers and took us up to the mountain tops (probably 13 or 14 thousand feet). On the way up we stopped at this old abandoned mine and took a bunch of picture. The leaves were just turning and it was as scenic a place as there is in the world I think. When we left here, we went up another 2 or 3 thousand feet. (And the air was so thin that I could only walk about 50 or 100 feet before I had to rest and catch my breath.

October 2007

In October 2007 we went with the Winters and Noorlanders to Durango Colorado where Bishop Winters grew up. This winter lodge was built by the Winter's son. Since their power was from a generator that they didn't want to run all night, Teresa and I didn't stay with them. We went into town and stayed at a motel.

October 2007

In October of 2007 we went with the Winters and the Noorlanders to Durango Colorado. This is the Winter home that Bishop Winter's son built. It is about 25 minutes out of Durango. The area is really gorgeous. Since they only have a generator for power, we did not stay with them because I needed something to plug my breathing machine into. So we stayed at a motel in town.