Durango, Colorado (20-22 June 2007)

Many people had told me that I must do the Durango to Silverton train ride in Colorado. I'm not sure why. Maybe they didn't realise I have a car. But keen to do as I'm told, I set off for Durango, where I checked into a particularly unpleasant hotel... before quickly deciding to leave, and move to one half way up a mountain where I had this view from my room...




What you can’t see from the pic above is the multitude of beaver-shaped animals in the area, such as this one.





Anyway, keen to do the 'must see' train ride, I headed off to buy my ticket when I suddenly saw a mass of people with cameras at the ready getting onto said train (pictured right). I suddenly had a massive flashback to the Denali coach trip in Alaska with a busload of Americans who went wild in the aisles at the sight of a rabbit, and decided that cycling from Durango to Silverton must be a better option. So I set off on my trusty steed and admired views such as this one...


Fifty-five miles later, and having climbed to 10,000 feet, I started to look longingly at the train which sped past below me. But not to be dissuaded, the next day I continued on from where I left off and had the satisfaction of views such as these, before eventually getting to see Silverton itself.



But despite all the bear warning signs, I felt a little disappointed that the most dangerous animal sightings I’d had were a herd of beavers. That was until an hour before I left, when I went for a quick run to say goodbye to the furry critters. In that thirty minutes, I stepped on a (dead, fortunately) snake and fell over in an attempt to avoid treading on a (live, unfortunately) snake looking particularly ferocious. At least the beavers aren't venomous.