Things to do in Durango

Alpine Loop Scenic Byway: Colorado at its Loftiest

Beyond the sleepy hamlet of Lake City, pavement ends and the forest road I follow turns to dirt. Mountains define our state and provide its identity. Within Colorado’s rectangular borders, the Rockies thrust their highest summits. Peaks form backdrops for our cities, provide venues for our recreation, control our weather, capture our water and furnish [...]

Chicago Basin: Colorado’s Rugged Region

If the Mobil Travel Guides rated wilderness, Chicago Basin would certainly garner five stars. It is nestled high in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, one of the most rugged and seductive alpine regions to be found in the 48 contiguous states.
At 11,000 feet above sea level, its long, terraced valley is filled with [...]

Zip Lining Through the Rockies: Finding Your Teen’s Inner Tarzan

My 19-year-old, Henry, is pretty set on being as “manly” as possible at all times. Yet even he looked a bit askance at the sight before him.
“You mean I’m going to just be hanging on that little cable over that mess of a river?” he whispered to me.
That “mess” of a river was the Colorado, [...]

On Track: Hop a Ride Into the Past

Few sounds evoke Colorado’s history more than the mournful call of a train whistle echoing through a canyon.
You still can hear that sound in many of the state’s mountain towns. It was by train that many settlers came, that miners plied their trade and commerce got its foothold on the state. It was by train [...]

Colorado Ski Season: Let the Fun Begin!

Colorado’s mountain resorts have fine-tuned their slopes and improved guest services for the 2011-2012 ski/snowboard season. This year, it’s about technology, terrain parks and a few surprise new twists and turns. Here’s a rundown of the resorts and their opening dates:
Arapahoe Basin – Open. arapahoebasin.com.
Black Mountain Express — a new high-speed quad — replaces [...]

On Track to Silverton: Snaking Through Colorado’s San Juan Mountains

Slowing to a motion-numbing 8 miles per hour, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train creeps along a narrow ledge. Cliffs tower on one side, plummet down the other. The Animas River surges 400 feet below. White froth caps its turbulent, beryl-green current.
As we round a broad curve, the black, coal-belching locomotive chugs into [...]

In Hot Water: Mother Nature’s Hot Springs

No matter the season, slipping into natural hot springs is a relaxing, rejuvenating way to while away the hours. Heated by the planet’s interior, water bubbles up through cracks and fissures, typically gathering a load of minerals along the way. When the water finds its way at the surface, it’s Mother Nature’s hot tub. For [...]