San Juan Mountains

My mountain biking plans were twarted by the abundance of rain, so I had to find a plan B. I decided to drive towards Purgatory since I knew it was a pretty area after being there as a kid. I actually drove by it after I determined from my map that they had changed their name to Durango Mountain Resort.

I ended up driving up to Coal Bank Pass and into 5-6 inches of snow. The scenery was unbelievable. No camera, especially a dang camera phone, can do it justice.

Almost to Silverton.

I decided to go on a hike instead of biking. The route I chose went through Cascade Creek and to its merging with the Animas River. The following warning sign was at the trailhead. Sweet! Aggressive bears!

After walking only a half mile, I realized that this was going to be one of my top five hikes all time. (Still behind Yosemite and Zion though) The aspens were stunning, the mountains had a fresh layer of snow, and I only met one person on the trail during my 6 hour hike. Every corner I turned seemed straight from a painting.

The trail began by converging with Cascade Creek then steadily rose above the water.

After a few hours, I ran into the Animas River. This cool suspension bridge allowed pedestrians to cross the rapids.

View from the bouncy bridge.

The river was incredible! (Not sure what adjectives to emphasize this)

I stopped at one of the Durango-Silverton railroad bridges and waited for the train to roll by. No such luck, but the spot was pretty neat to hang out at anyways. :) I was soooo excited to be a small part of the historic railroad by getting to inspect the bridges and walls. That thru truss is over a hundred years old.

After hiking down to the tracks, I was beyond eager to go out inspecting the next two days. I checked into the General Palmer hotel right next to the Durango train depot and anxiously awaited the morning to arrive.