To the East, Mt. Blanca. This is a rather unique spot on the line from Antonito to Chama. I'm literally standing next to the ROW on an elevated mesa, with Milepost 292 just a few yards to my right. The white object in the lower right corner is Milepost 291. Yes, there's a one mile loop of track to my right, and that loop is called Lava Loop, home of the famous Lava Tank. A sign just ahead of the locomotive says "Lava" on it, as does the yellow telephone cabin on the lower left. This railroad literally winds and twists along the contours of the rising terrain to my right, and it takes a whole mile for the train to climb from the elevation where you see it now to my camera position. In the far background is Mt. Blanca, which, at 14,351 ft, is the highest summit in the Sangre de Christo (Blood of Christ) Mountain Range.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are all that remains of the legendary Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge system. Here you'll find some of my favorites from these two beautiful railways.
