NewMexiKen took the 210 mile (each way) trip to Durango, Colorado, over this past weekend intent on seeing some form of winter before it disappeared entirely. (In NewMexiKen’s view, winter is something better “visited” than “endured.”) As expected, Durango was as charming as ever and the San Juan Mountains provided the winter. [You may click on each photo to see a larger version.]
| Durango was established in 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad when it extended a line north to Silverton and its silver mines. The mural on the corner of College Drive and Main Avenue depicts downtown circa 1890. The photo below shows the view (looking south along Main) in April 2006. |  |
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Constructed in 1887, and still in service, the Strater Hotel as it appears today. The hotel is depicted in the mural above. |
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A highlight in Durango is a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Silverton (45 miles north into the San Juan Mountains). The trip to Silverton is only possible May-to-October, though a shorter round trip runs most days the rest of the year. NewMexiKen saw the steam-powered locomotive in action Sunday, but alas no ride this time and no photos. Here’s one of the lovely Durango Depot though. |
Saturday the weather was rainy in Durango at 6,500 feet but, 15 miles north along Highway 550 at 8,500, it was nearly whiteout conditions. We turned around even before reaching Purgatory (and the Durango Mountain Resort).
Sunday the sky was blue and sunny, the road clear and the snowy scenery beautiful, but once again, no photos. (FYI, the snow has been light this year in the San Juans; just 50 percent of average.)
While still beautiful and with a strong feeling for its historical past, Durango is growing rapidly. The highway north is lined with new homes, condos and golf courses and in-town home prices seem to have reached the $250-300 a square foot range. One assumes only its relative isolation (350 miles from Denver, 450 from Phoenix) has kept it even this controlled.
| This photo was taken from the hotel room balcony Saturday evening. That’s the Animas River flowing right-to-left (north-to-south) through town. The proximity to the river is in striking contrast to Albuquerque and the Rio Grande. Here our river’s beauty is hidden and walking along the bank is impossible. |  |
The original Spanish name for the Animas is the Rio de las Animas Perdidas, the River of Lost Souls.