GOING AROUND A CURVE

 

DURANGO AND SILVERTON NARROW GUAGE RAILROAD, COLORADO

I had heard so much about this railroad as a ‘must see’ in this area that we all decide to go on it. We opt for the parlor car where we can observe the passing scenery from armchairs and be waited on by the train attendant. Rough!

This railroad is a 45-mile extension of track that was constructed by the Denver and Rio Grande Railway run by General William Jackson Palmer in 1881-82. Narrow gauge means there is three3 feet between the rails instead of the four feet eight-and-a-half inches found in standard gauge rail. Narrow gauge was chosen for this length of track because it allows the train to take sharp curves better, it weighs less and it can be installed faster and with lower costs. It also operates with lighter, less expensive equipment.

The track is squeezed between the rocky cliffs on one side and the thousand feet drop-off on the other. We are glad that it takes sharper curves well as we look over the edge to the stream far below.. On some curves the train almost doubles back on itself. The attendant assures us that they have never lost a train over the edge---except for the time a landslide knocked an engine and car into the abyss below.

The coal-fired steam engine spews heavy black smoke and cinders, discouraging open windows. Chunks of coal litter along the tracks where they have fallen from the fireman’s frenetic stoking of the furnace. In the dry summer weather, the train is followed by a small jitney that scans the tracks for possible fires started by the hot cinders.

In the lowlands, we pass the Baker Bridge where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made their final jump. We spot a herd of elk in a cow pasture where they have spent the winter sharing the farmer’s hay. Further on we startle a family of deer with several does, fawns and even a five-point buck.

After a leisurely day, we are back at the Durango Depot that is the original structure that was built while the line was being constructed. We have enjoyed our time in the Four Corners area and especially the companionship of Jan and Sally but Zoe’s ribs are still very painful and I am still very weak and can’t walk much. We realize that we are in no shape to continue our planned itinerary of the long trip to Washington State and back again. We decide to head back to Arizona to rest and heal. We regretfully say goodbye to Jan and Sally as they continue on to Washington State. Zoe will fly up for her grandson’s graduation and I will fly up in July to see my kids. Sometimes you just have to slow down.

THE TRAIN IS CLOSE TO THE CLIFF

 

DEEP IN THE CANYON FROM THE TRAIN

 

MESA VERDE FROM A DISTANCE

 

MESA VERDE, COLORADO

 

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO

A few miles further is Mesa Verde National Park. I can’t believe that we will be driving to the top of mesa on that mountain to Mesa Verde National Park. This park is unique in that it is the only national park set aside “to preserve the works of man”. The park is huge, consisting of 52,073 acres with 8100 acres of that designated wilderness. Fortunately, Jan and Sally are doing the driving for our touring of the park, saving Zoe’s sore ribs and my weak legs.

The park was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Puebloans (originally called Anasazi, Navaho for “the ancient foreigners”). The park has over 4,500 archeological sites. Of those, only 600 are cliff dwellings. The buildings here are built of sandstone shaped into rectangular blocks about the size of a loaf of bread. These buildings were occupied as living quarters. From 550 to 750 people lived in pithouses, a sunken living area a few feet in the ground with four timbers to support the roof.

The Ancestral Puebloans settled in this area by AD550 and occupied the Colorado Plateau region until AD1300. Some of the sites involved extensive hiking, climbing ladders and steep inclines which we could not do. Fortunately, there are many other sites that we could easily walk to or view from overlooks. On the six-mile Mesa Loop Road we were able to view twelve archeological sites including surface dwellings and cliff dwelling overlooks. Two of the most fascinating were the Square Tower House and Cliff Palace.

Square Tower House is a beautiful cliff dwelling built in an alcove in the upper walls of Navaho Canyon. It is named for the prominent four-story-high structure against the curving back wall. This is not like the other round towers of Mesa Verde but was planned with windows, doorways, and flooring plus plastered inner walls. Access to the site is by hand-and-toe holds pecked into the cliff walls.

Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling. To visit it you have to take a short hike and climb five ladders at a 100-foot overall vertical ascent. We viewed it from an overlook. Unfortunately, there are written records so we can only surmise the Ancient Puebloans’ history from excavations and scientific analysis . Their structures reflect their skills and traditions however.

Each evening we had the enjoyment of Jan and Sally joining us for dinner and delightful conversations.

MESA VERDE, COLORADO

 

MESA VERDE, COLORADO

 

A CHACO CANYON STRUCTURE

 

LOVERN AND ZOE TOURING CHACO

 

CHACO CANYON, NEW MEXICO

Back on the road at last. Zoe fell and injured her ribs and they are still bothering her and I am still weak and hobbling but we are going to give it a try. We head first for Chaco Canyon, a destination we have been trying to get to for several years. Our trip has the added enjoyment of caravanning with our friends Jan and Sally. We have been spoiled by the mild winter in AZ and are surprised by the coldness as we head north. Time to break out our ski jackets.

Chaco Canyon is located in the Four Corners area where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico all come together. Chaco Canyon was the center of a thriving culture a thousand years ago and was settled by the Anasazi people. The Chacoan culture began in the 800s and lasted more than 300 years. They constructed massive stone buildings using masonry techniques unique for their time. The buildings were planned from the start as opposed to the usual method of adding as needed.

By 1050, Chaco was the ceremonial, administrative and economic center of the San Juan Basin. More than 150 great houses were connected by a network of roads that were engineered and planned. It is thought that the buildings may have been mainly “public architecture” that was used in times of ceremony, commerce, and trading by many peoples and clans.

The largest of the great houses is Pueblo Bonito. It was planned and built in several stages and was occupied from the mid-800s to the 1200s. It eventually grew to four stories high and had more than 600 rooms and 40 kivas (ceremonial pits). It is still sacred to many Native American groups today. The modern Southwest Indians are descendants from the Chacoans.

Thanks to my walker, I was able to explore this wonderful site.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS