# Silverton



## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)




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## Bodo (Mar 11, 2008)

I love that area of CO. Lived in Delta as a kid.

We moved there from Hawaii and got stuck in a blizzard coming over Red Mtn Pass. People thought we were crazy when they saw the Hawaii Plates.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

We've been hankering to backpack that triple-14er off the narrow gauge line for a couple years now. Beautiful part of the state.


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## Galaxy (Jun 10, 2007)

We toured that part of Colorado back when we went out to visit our son while he worked two summers as a ranger at Philmont Scout Camp. It is a very beautiful area. 

After, looking at a map, I see Farmington, NM is very near there. Barry D, you live in a very beautiful part of the country.


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## johnnybigfish (Nov 12, 2007)

Ive been on that train twice, '77 and '78..Got off at Deer Park and backpacked out. probably the greatest accomplishment of my life, as far as knowing what I'm made of....Cant do it now though...Back then we were making 12 miles a day! Practically killed us! Got lost in the snow for 2 days after we left the miners cabin up in the mountains( Hunchback pass, maybe?)
I was just talkng abot that train today! I told my wife i wanted to go on a vacation up thataway..Next thing I know, My wifes talking about us going up to NY(her parents live in the Adirondacks(peru NY)..I dont wanna go there... I wanna go back to New mexico and Colorado.
your friend,
john


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

It's been 25 years now but I lived in Colorado in the Late 70's early 80's (OK so it was more than 25 years). I recall a trip in the Sangra de Christo's where we jumped off a train and backpacked for 7 days for all we worth to get back to meet the train. No fires, darn little water but one awesome trip. Ironically my son and I have been talking about doing that one since it's one of those really special ones.

Just got back from a 4 dayer in the Adirondacks with that same exceptionally ambitious 17 year old son. 18+ miles, 11 lakes (ponds) with about 9 mi of portage. You know the usual 50 lb pack, 33 lb canoe and paddles sticking up from my pack making me look like some type of nymph.. Of course he had to get off the "Beaten Path" so due to the highest rainfall summer in years we slogged through some winding estuaries, serious beaver mud, Leeches, gazillions of leeches, hauled the canoe and packs over 2 gazillinon downed logs and dams and when we were on the actual portage trails wallowing through mud up to our knees. Did I mention we ate MRE's the entire trip and rationed water the whole time? Now that's what I call fun! Well at least it looked fun last winter in the Cabin when we planning it on the Paddlers Map!


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Not too far from Durango and the Silverton train (which is a must do) is the west branch of the Dolores River. About 20 years or so ago we camped up there right along the creek in a public forest campground. Had the whole place to ourselves. I waded that river fly fishing and let me tell you those trout were hungry! Kids had a ball there. 

Great place. I will get back there some day. We camped at what I recall as being about 8000 feet above sea level, it frosted one morning. Boy did that coffee smell good over the campfire, with those bacon and eggs in the skillet that morming! Sun coming up, it doesn't get much better than that.

Our camping trip that year started at Mesa Verde, then the West Branch Dolores River, then met up with some of my family and took the train out of Durango.

As I recall those mountains are known as the San Juan Range, but I might be wrong. Great view from the mesas at Mesa Verde.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

I worked in Silverton at the Sunnyside Gold Mine, and have done a bunch of hiking and camping and fishing in the area. Took the granddaughter up there and was surprised to find out that she'd never really seen horses before. (Providence, RI child). Here's a little lake I used to fish every morning before work. You can see that the peaks in the background are all above timberline. The elevation where I'm standing is 10,900. I'd use a mosquito or ant pattern and cast a bubble as the weeds made it unwadeable. It was awesome in the fall for brookies. Now that I'm older and fatter I don't get to do that stuff like I used to.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

BerkeyDavid said:


> As I recall those mountains are known as the San Juan Range, but I might be wrong. Great view from the mesas at Mesa Verde.


Yes, those are the San Juans. 

I have a shot or two of the steam train too.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

I would love to beeline some of the bees that were working wildflowers up there and see what the hives are like. I know there are a couple of guys keeping bees up in that area, but I don't know how far up they are keeping their hives. The snow doesn't melt up there until well into spring, and then the flowers just explode. I actually seem to see more bumble bees than honeybees when I'm above about 8,000 feet. The Colorado wildflower honey that's from high mountain meadow hives is pretty fine.


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

Barry,

We keep bees up to about 9500 up on the mountains. Its getting to be the perfect time of year for a visit. It has just cooled down. We are lucky here that we have pollen up until the first frosts with all the wildflowers. We have pulled the hives off the flattops because you never know if a snowstorm will come in this time of year and it gets tough up in the mountains to pull hives at that point.

We have some great wildflower honey...next time let us know you are in the area and we will pull some off the combs for you.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

alpha6 said:


> Barry,
> 
> We keep bees up to about 9500 up on the mountains. Its getting to be the perfect time of year for a visit. It has just cooled down. We are lucky here that we have pollen up until the first frosts with all the wildflowers. We have pulled the hives off the flattops because you never know if a snowstorm will come in this time of year and it gets tough up in the mountains to pull hives at that point.
> 
> We have some great wildflower honey...next time let us know you are in the area and we will pull some off the combs for you.



I haven't been up your way for a while. Drilled a well up the road from either Dostero or Gypsum in a little wide spot called Derby Junction near Burns way back when. That was really nice country back in the late 60's and early 70's.


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