Dobbs' Desert Trek 2010

I had mixed feelings about spending the money for the train trip we took today, but months ago I closed my eyes, clicked my mouse, and we were committed. It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . turns out it was an astoundingly good idea. We woke up bright and early for breakfast in our hotel (and yes, it was real food this time) and made it to the train by 8:30 for our 9:00 trip. It was a good thing, because Bob the tour guide did not appreciate the late-comers. When we reserved our trip, we had to decide which car we'd ride in, and we chose the Silver Vista, which boasted a glass roof and a tour guide. Bob the tour guide is a retired teacher whose wife waved to us from their campsite where they live for six months of the year while he "trains."
The website said to dress in layers, and they weren't kidding. We started with cool morning temps in the mid fifties, but the sun rapidly disappeared it got colder and colder. Everyone had to wear sunglasses due to the cinders which float back from the smokestack - a cinder in your eye can pretty much wreck your trip. Halfway into the trip you could feel the cinders coating your clothing and the surfaces around you. They did offer fully enclosed parlor cars, but we just could not resist the openness of that glass ceiling.

The train went through meadows, stands of aspen, between blasted rock walls, and along the Animas river as it climbed into the mountains. The steam engine billowed thick black smoke as it worked to haul the cars up the mountain. The highest elevation marker I saw was over 9,318 - that's a climb of almost 3,000 feet. Mark posted a video of part of the trip:


By the time we got to Silverton, it was sprinkling, so we decided to get into town quickly and sit down for some lunch. Our lunch at "The Pitts Two" was just in time. As soon as we started eating, it began to hail outside. The weather wasn't all bad - it just came in and out. We had purchased tickets for a return trip via bus, which saved us a few hours on our schedule. Turns out it saved us more than that - As soon as we got on the bus and the train pulled out for the return trip, it began to snow. We were very, very happy to be on that bus instead of on the freezing train!