Cumbres and Toltec Railroad

Our train left at 10:00 a.m.  It was hard to leave our beautiful campground on the Chama River, though it wasn't hard to leave the mosquitoes.  I walked to the train station (less than a mile away) to get my steps in, but Don drove because we were going to need the car afterwards.

We boarded the train (after meeting Marci and seeing Jim Davis one more time) and took our seats in the middle-priced car . . . the one that had tables and chairs so that Marci and I could talk.  The train whistled and amidst of black cloud of smoke and cinders, we were off.

The train traversed beautiful scenery, but we couldn't figure out why the aspens were brown. Turns out  the area has had a webworm invasion for several years.  The worms eat all of the leaves, and then the aspens leaf out again, just in time for fall.  Too many years of this and the trees will lose their ability to fight the worms.  I hope rains will come to help them gain their strength back.

After lunch at Osier, we headed for Antonito.  The first part of the second half is probably the most beautiful of the ride - a huge gorge 700 feet deep.  Then we came down into the Antonito valley through sagebrush and grasses.  A short hour bus ride home and that was it.

We noticed that people gather along the tracks every morning - some come down every day, some are people like us who are only there for the day.  One family followed the train all the way to Osier, meeting us at every train crossing.  It was rather humorous, but we learned there are many train buffs in this country.

The train is a very impressive sight.  Here it is as it crossed the bridge by the campground this morning.

After seeing it, I understood why some people come down to see it every day.  The sound, the whistle, the smoke, the steam.  I am really glad that I have just finished the Steve Ambrose book Nothing Like It In the World.  I gained a much greater understanding and appreciation for the building of the railroads.