Navajo Dam Road Closure Begins Today

Above, driving on the road on the backside of the Navajo Dam. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the nicest places for boating and camping is at Navajo Dam near Farmington, New Mexico. 

I went there two years ago and had a great time. A highlight was driving on a road on the backside of the dam.

That road is to be closed for a few months for exploratory drilling starting today. One of the things to be checked will be seepage from the dam.

The Durango Herald reported:

New Mexico Highway 539 over Navajo Dam, located about 45 miles east of Farmington, will be closed to traffic from Wednesday, Feb. 28, to May 15.

Traffic detours will re-route traffic traveling between Navajo Dam and Navajo City that runs from north/south on New Mexico Highway 511 and runs east/west on US Highway 64 and detours may cause travel delays.

Maintenance crews will be completing exploratory drilling to gather geotechnical data on Navajo Dam as part of Reclamation’s Safety of Dams Program during this period. 

To read more, go here. 

Yellowstone National Park To Partially Re-Open

Above, the southern gate (from Grand Teton National Park) of Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is some good news in regard to the reopening of Yellowstone National Park.

The Durango Herald reported:

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Yellowstone National Park will partially reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday, after catastrophic flooding last week destroyed bridges and roads and drove out thousands of tourists.

The Park Service announced Saturday that visitors will once again be allowed on the park's southern loop under a temporary license plate system designed to manage the crowds: Those with even-numbered plates and motorcycle groups will be allowed on even-numbered days, and those with odd-numbered or vanity plates on odd-numbered days.

Commercial tours and visitors with proof of overnight reservations at hotels, campgrounds or in the backcountry will be allowed in whatever their plate number.

To read more, go here. 

Heat, Wind, Wildfires Hit New Mexico

Above, Roswell, where fire crews are battling fires southeast of town. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Speaking of weather...

With dry and windy conditions in New Mexico, it is totally stupid to have prescribed burns which could spread out of control. They should have been cancelled.

According to the Durango Herald, such happened Thursday southeast of Roswell. They continue to burn.

ALBUQUERQUE – Warnings that strong winds and hot and dry weather could produce dangerous wildfires blanketed most of New Mexico on Saturday as crews continued to battle at least two blazes that started as prescribed burns but then got out of hand.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings and fire weather watches that extended into Monday evening for the entire state except for snow-covered areas in higher elevations.

In southeastern New Mexico, air tankers assisted crews from at least six agencies battling a fire that had burned 3 square miles of mostly grassland along the Pecos River southeast of Roswell as of late Friday and was contained around 50% of its perimeter, officials said in a statement.

To read more, go here. 

What's Happening With Durango Train Lawsuits

Above, the Durango train at High Line. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It seems like the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is being picked on by bullies.

They are involved in two lawsuits.

The first is a federal lawsuit by the government over liability for the 416 Fire that took place in 2018.

According to the Durango Herald:

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the U.S. government are scheduled for trial more than two years after the government first filed its case seeking $25 million in damages for the 416 Fire.

U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn ordered the 10-day jury trial for May 2-13 in a yet-to-be-determined location. It marks the third time the trial has been scheduled since 2020.

To read more, go here. 

Above, the Durango train at Rockwood Station in September 2020. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Next, a lawsuit between the railroad and La Plata County over the use of Rockwood Station and the County's land-use codes.

The Journal reported:

Whether La Plata County has authority over the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad through its land-use code remains an unanswered question.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will decide the next steps in a lawsuit filed by the D&SNG and its Florida-based parent company American Heritage Railways Inc. against La Plata County arguing the county has little control over its use of the Rockwood station as a point of arrival and departure.

Lawyers for D&SNG and American Heritage Railways filed the lawsuit in May asking a judge to bar the county from issuing fines or other means of enforcement after county officials sent the railroad notices that the expansion and growth of its Rockwood station were not aligned with the county’s land-use code.

“The county lacks jurisdiction to apply its land-use code and regulations,” attorneys for D&SNG wrote in the lawsuit.

“The county lacks jurisdiction to apply its land-use code and regulations,” attorneys for D&SNG wrote in the lawsuit.

“DSNGR/D&SNG is regulated as to its facilities and services by the PUC and the regulation of public utilities involves a matter of statewide concern which precludes interference by the county,” they wrote.

The county petitioned the PUC in August asking the regulatory body to clarify its own jurisdiction and the authority of the county, and the PUC agreed to take the case.

 To read more, go here.

Harry Goulding, Monument Valley, Hollywood and Yellowcake

Above, a sunset view of The Mittens in Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Five years ago, I stayed at Goulding's Lodge Campground near Monument Valley. One could not ask for better scenery to camp near.

Thanks to Harry Goulding, the founder of Goulding's Lodge, we would not have the majestic vistas that backdropped in such movies as Stagecoach, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, The Searchers and My Darling Clementine. All of these were directed by John Ford.

Above, John Wayne's Cabin at Goulding's Lodge used in She Wore A Yellow Ribbon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Durango Herald posted an article on Harry Goulding.

It starts with:

Born in Durango, Harry Goulding was a sheepman who marveled at the red rock monoliths of Monument Valley, Utah.

He brought Hollywood to Monument Valley and the Navajo Nation, but he also brought Geiger counters, uranium mines and decades of damage from radioactivity. How ironic that the same man who helped to create the modern image of the rugged American West and jobs for Navajo actors also urged employment for Navajo uranium miners with devastating health consequences. And it all began with sheep.

To read the full article, go here.

The Man Who Saved The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Above, the Durango train at Rockwood Station last week. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While in the Durango, Colorado station of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, I was chatting with one of the employees of the station.

I mentioned that my first ride on the train was in 1983. He replied, "Ah! The Bradshaw era!" That piqued my curiosity. I first heard of Charles Bradshaw in a documentary on railroads, "Love Those Trains".

Remembering that, I did some looking around and found that Charles Bradshaw Jr., the man who saved the former line of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, passed away December 21, 2013 in Florida.

According to The Durango Herald:

When Charles E. Bradshaw Jr. bought the Durango to Silverton branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1981, it marked an important turning point for the economies of both Durango and Silverton. Bradshaw died Dec. 21 in Orlando, Fla. He was 83. 

For the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, the branch was an outlier. In 1964, the company had made an attempt to abandon the route, which was thwarted, in part, by concerted lobbying from community members. The route had been disconnected from the rest of the company’s system since 1969, leading to more uncertainty about its future. 

“Since the 1950s, the Denver & Rio Grande had been trying to get rid of it, and the deals kept falling through,” said Jim Mayer, who was vice president and superintendent of operations and maintenance during the first two pivotal years of Bradshaw’s ownership. “Shipping people was a whole lot different than a carload of coal, with much higher liability. From a culture around a century old, Bradshaw brought the railroad into its own. It was arguably the hugest turning point in the railroad’s history.” 

Rod Barker, who owns the Strater Hotel, remembers the concern in town in those days. 

“My dad and a number of others had formed the Durango Railroad Co. to try to buy it,” he said. “They were so pleased they didn’t have to do that. Charlie brought a level of commitment to ‘our’ railroad that was as deep as any member of this community.” 

As the railroad turned, so, too, did Durango and Silverton. 

“It saved the town of Durango,” historian Duane Smith said. “What Bradshaw did was vital. And just think what Silverton would be without it. It would be a ghost town between here and Ouray, instead of being preserved as a town and community.” 

Bradshaw, who was born July 10, 1930, had made his money in Florida as a citrus grower at his family’s orchards, Hi-Acres, cattle rancher and as owner of a fertilizer plant.

Many people had stories about him as a straight shooter with some idiosyncrasies, including the fact that for several years he would accept only cash or checks. Dolan said it took some convincing to get him to accept credit cards when they began taking telephone reservations and became computerized.

A hat tip to Charles Bradshaw for saving the train for future generations of train buffs to enjoy.

To read more, go here. 

Why The Durango Train Isn't Going To Silverton

Above, a winter view of Silverton, Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last week, Mitch Geriminsky and I were going to take a vacation camping trip to southwest Colorado. The vacation would have included a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Unfortunately, a week before the trip was to begin, Mitch came down sick with, what the doctors initially thought, was COVID-19. So we cancelled the trip.

Later, it turned out after more tests, that his illness was caused by bacteria in his face mask(s) that gave him Legionnaires' Disease. He is nearly over this illness.

At the time of the cancellation of our trip, a representative for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad said they expect to begin selling tickets for train trips to Silverton in mid-August. At present, the train only goes part way to Cascade Canyon. This is a nice trip, but the complete ride to Silverton is even better. So far, no announcements have been made. I decided to do some checking.

I had thought that the rides to Silverton were stopped due to the coronavirus, but my perusal of news articles present a different picture.

The Durango Herald posted this article on July 14:

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad’s plea to a federal judge for permission to resume a fire mitigation project along its tracks, as well as a separate project to repair a damaged bridge, was denied Tuesday. 

In recent weeks, the U.S. Forest Service has ordered the D&SNG to stop two projects along its tracks. 

On May 27, the Forest Service sent the railroad a cease-and-desist order after concerns were raised the D&SNG was removing and selling mass amounts of trees along its right of way to reduce fire risk. 

Then, on July 2, the Forest Service told the D&SNG to stop emergency repairs at the Elk Creek Bridge, which was recently damaged by debris during a washout, effectively cutting off any potential trips to Silverton. 

The D&SNG on Friday asked the federal court judge who is overseeing the lawsuit in which the Forest Service is suing the railroad for millions of dollars for the 416 Fire to override the agency’s stop orders. 

The Forest Service, according to court filings, said the D&SNG is allowed to work within its right of way, but may have to secure a permit for projects that are outside the scope of routine operations and maintenance. 

A spokesman for the Forest Service referred all questions to the U.S. Department of Justice. Jeffery Dorschner, spokesman for the department, said in an email, the “U.S. attorney is pleased with the court’s decision,” but declined to comment further. 

On Tuesday, Judge Robert E. Blackburn denied the D&SNG’s request, saying the issues raised over the railroad’s stopped projects are unrelated to the 416 Fire lawsuit.

Above, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in the 1980s. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The repairs to the washed-out section of track would take up to four months to complete, according to the article. At present, the repair project is still stopped. Nobody knows when the bridge repairs will be allowed to start again. In the meantime, the businesses in Silverton who rely on tourist dollars from train passengers suffer.

It is alleged in the 416 Fire lawsuit that sparks from a coal-fired locomotive started the fire in 2018.

We will likely reschedule our vacation shortly.

To read more, go here.

When Will National Parks Reopen?

Above, Spruce Treehouse at Mesa Verde National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things are slowly (too slowly for many) opening up. That also includes our national parks.

In Colorado, people are wondering when Mesa Verde National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park will reopen.

The Durango Herald has an article on this.

They begin it with:

With the summer tourism season on the horizon and businesses slowly reopening across Colorado, national and state parks are also working on plans to reopen. 

The National Park Service announced last week it will allow some parks to increase access and services in phases on a cases-by-case basis, as long as parks comply with state and local public health orders. 

“Health and safety is the No. 1 thing,” said Sandra Snell-Dobert, spokeswoman for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, said in a phone interview. “Can we keep this restroom clean? Can we open these spaces keeping them safe and clean? Those are the kinds of questions we are asking.” 

National parks began to close or limit access in late March across the United States as COVID-19 spread across the United States. As local and state governments enacted travel restrictions, Mesa Verde National Park announced it would close to help limit spread of the virus between visitors and employees. Black Canyon of the Gunnison also closed inner trail routes after concerns were raised about the health of its staff and local residents.

To read more, go here. 

Bracing For Round Two

Above, Barking Spider Road and Acre yesterday afternoon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Round Two (and Round Three) of the storms coming this week are on the way. The ground is still partly covered with snow from the first storm of two nights ago. The coming storms will only add to that.

Round Two is expected tomorrow.

It is already cloudy outside but the temperature is warmer than yesterday's 28° at 43°.

According to the Durango Herald:

ALBUQUERQUE – Road crews are preparing for wintery conditions that will move across New Mexico over the next couple of days. 

Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque said precipitation will increase across the state Wednesday into Thursday with some parts seeing rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain. 

East central to southeastern areas will likely see a mix of precipitation, leading to slick and treacherous travel conditions.

It's a good thing that Volume 9 of the Dark Shadows Collection DVD sets arrived. I've been watching it as it is too cold and muddy out to do any off-roading.

To read more, go here.

Mesa Verde License Plate Available In Colorado

Above, Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Colorado residents can now get a new specialty license plate: Mesa Verde National Park.

According to the Durango Herald:

Colorado’s new specialty license plate will support Mesa Verde National Park.
Drivers who purchase the plate will help the Mesa Verde Foundation raise money to directly benefit the park. Financial assistance is needed to maintain and improve the park for present and future generations, the foundation said in a news release. 

Colorado residents may order plates now at www.mesaverdefoundation.org. 

Drivers who get a plate make a one-time, tax-deductible $30 donation. Once the donation is processed, drivers will be issued a PIN number to be used when registering a vehicle at a county motor vehicle office. To issue the plate, the state of Colorado will charge additional one-time fees of $50.

To read more, go here. 

Texans, Californians and Colorado

Above, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During our morning breakfast conversation today, it was mentioned migration to the state of Colorado is dominated by people from California and Texas.

I knew that many Californians have moved to Colorado, but I hadn't heard of the Texan migration. So I looked it up.

Sure enough, Californians and Texans are leading the migrations into Colorado.

According to a 2016 article in the Durango Herald:

The census bureau also published national, regional and state-level data on American movers collected from 2015. Statewide, 33,487 moved to Colorado from abroad last year, 29,029 from California, 25,268 from Texas, 11,398 from Illinois and 10,254 from Arizona. In the previous two years, people moved from California and Texas in almost equal numbers. 

Also in 2015, 21,157 left Colorado for California, and 22,587 migrated to Texas.

Granted, not all Californians moving to Colorado aren't all liberals and, conversely, not all Texans moving to Colorado aren't all conservatives. But, for the sake of argument, let's say that liberals are in the majority of California migrants and conservatives are in the majority of Texas migrants. This, if it is the case, could lead to an interesting state clash of political philosophies and values.

I noticed that native Colorado residents seem to dislike Californians. Many of them feel that the California transplants flee California due to high costs and come to Colorado and try to impose California policies on Coloradoans. One cry is, "Don't Californicate Coloraldo!"

This is something that may be interesting to watch in the future.

Environmental Nightmare, Courtesy of the EPA

Above, a view of the Animas River from the Durango train. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thanks to the dumb-asses with the Environmental Protection Agency, Colorado's Animas River is an ecological nightmare and it may take a long time for it to be back to normal.

According to Weather.com:

An accidental wastewater spill from an abandoned mine in Colorado that turned the Animas River orange last week is actually three times worse than previously thought, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials announced. 

The agency on Thursday estimated that a million gallons of highly acidic mine wastewater were released from an abandoned mine that contaminated the Animas River in La Plata County, Colorado. But after using a stream gauge from the U.S. Geological Survey, the EPA now says that real figure is actually 3 million gallons of wastewater.  

In an ironic twist, a mining safety team working for the EPA that was trying to access, treat and pump out the wastewater for an ongoing cleanup project triggered the release using heavy equipment, the Durango Herald reports.  

The wastewater, which spilled into Cement Creek before flowing into the Animas River, contains high concentrations of metals like manganese, aluminum, cadmium, zinc and copper.

I have been to Durango, Colorado several times to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. I have also river-rafted down the Animas River twice.

The Animas River feeds into the Colorado River which, I may add, is a major source of drinking water. With the current drought in the Southwestern U.S. and this ecological disaster, where are people going to find safe drinking water?

Some heads at the EPA should roll over this.

To read more, go here.

Rocky Mountain National Park Open, Why Not Mesa Verde?

Above, Mesa Verde's Cliff Palace Tower in 1941 by Ansel Adams.  Source: National Archives and Records Administration.

The Durango Herald is wondering why is Rocky Mountain National Park is open but not Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado.

According to the Durango Herald's article:

Governors won the right to reopen national parks in their states last week, if they paid for them. Colorado responded by reopening Rocky Mountain National Park, whose gateway community, Estes Park, is struggling to recover from flooding in September. 

But the state has no plans to reopen Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes or Black Canyon of the Gunnison national parks, said Gov. John Hickenlooper’s spokesman, Eric Brown. 

Brown said the governor’s office has not received requests from Southwest Colorado officials to reopen Mesa Verde. 

That’s about to change. 

State Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose, plans to send a letter to Hickenlooper today asking him to reopen all of Colorado’s national parks.

I visited Mesa Verde National Park twice and it is one beautiful park with plenty of Indian ruins to explore. It is close to Durango, Colorado and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

To read the full article, go here. 

Durango, Colorado Aiming For Japanese Tourists

Above, the Durango & Silverton train leaves Durango station.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Generally, my focus on travel is providing information on getting American tourists to Japan.  This time, the focus is the other way around by getting Japanese tourists to the United States.

Durango, Colorado is seeking to get more Japanese tourists to their area's attractions.  Durango is home to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad that takes tourists to Silverton, Colorado along the spectacular  Animas River gorge.  It is a train and photography buff's paradise as the train meanders it way along cliff sides 300 feet above the Animas River.  I have taken this train trip several times and I highly recommend it.

Above, the train travels along the cliffs of Highline en route to Silverton.  Photo
by Only Colorado.com.

And, nearby is Mesa Verde National Park, which features several ancient Indian cliff dwellings that visitors can hike to.  I have also visited Mesa Verde National Park.

I have a permanent link to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad on this blog.  Just click on the photo of the Durango train at my gallery at right.

According to the Durango Herald:

The United States Travel Association predicts a 4 percent increase in international travel to the U.S. in 2013. Those international visitors are predicted to increase travel receipts by 7.1 percent. 

What would it look like if Durango kept pace with that projection? Our goal at the Durango Area Tourism Office is to find out, and to increase foreign chatter on the streets of Durango. 

United Airlines has introduced a new direct flight from Japan to Denver. With that in mind, we have identified a new viable transportation route to bring new travelers into Durango and Mesa Verde National Park. 

Starting in June, the Japanese traveler has a new direct port of entry into the United States. Upon arrival in Denver, the puddle jump to Durango becomes an attractive doorway to the beautiful Wild West. 

DATO’s next step is to capitalize on this new opportunity, build awareness and create new demand – invite, entice and welcome the potential travelers.

 I think Japanese visitors will be enchanted by Durango and will want to make repeat visits once they give Durango's attractions a try.

To read more, go here.