I’ll let the pictures tell this story.
You jump on a train in Durango, take a 2 hour ride up to Silverton, spend a couple hours shopping in town, and take a big tour bus back down the highway. Unbelievable scenery all the way. Scenic overload. It’s baffling how they ever managed to get this narrow gauge 45 miles thru the steep canyons along the Animus River, much less that it was built in 1881! in less than a year! ..Mind blowing.
Most definitely a “bucket list” item… Words, and my feeble attempts at photography with an iphone from a moving train, can not describe how awesome this ride was.
Silverton was cool; as far as “at the treeline, old mining towns, turned tourist towns” go… I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be so welcoming in the winter months.
And the ride back in the Bus was “just” more beautiful snowcapped mountains.. You just put the camera away after awhile.. Many on the bus just fell asleep from “scenic overload”.. 🙂